It is also important that you understand what the alternative treatment options to dental implants are. Although we feel that implants usually offer the gold standard in care, you may decide that they’re not for you in which case the following options are available:
Removable denture – Acrylic denture.
This is the simplest way to fill a gap and requires 4 appointments over a course of 1 month. You would simply need a preliminary impression taking, a stage to record your bite and take a secondary impression, a stage to try a wax version of the denture in to ensure you are happy with the appearance and fit, and a stage to fit the denture.
Acrylic denture.
The advantages of this method are that it is the most cost effective option and that no tooth preparation is required. However they do move during function and tend to collect plaque on them, which can predispose to gum disease and tooth decay. In addition, they have to cover the roof of the mouth. Many people never adapt to removable dentures however as they feel they are a ‘foreign object’ in the mouth.
Cobalt Chrome denture.
This is very similar to an acrylic denture but has certain advantages over the acrylic version. Firstly, because it is made of metal, it is much stronger and therefore the component parts can be made thinner which improves your comfort, as less of the roof of the mouth needs to be covered. They also fit more precisely than an acrylic denture. However, they still tend to collect a lot of plaque and are still removable. Some tooth preparation may also be required.
Cobalt Chrome denture.
