Implants or Dentures?
When most or all of your teeth are going, there are three practical ways forward. This guide compares a standard denture, an implant denture that clips in and a fixed bridge on comfort, eating, what happens to your jawbone, and price.
Which Is Right for Me in Lanark: Full-Arch Implants or Dentures?
Full-arch implants suit you better if you want teeth that never shift and leave your palate uncovered; a denture remains a sound choice for many people who want to avoid surgery or spend less. At our Lanark practice, full dentures start at £695, implant dentures that clip into place from £8,500 per jaw, and a fixed full arch costs from £9,300 for each jaw. Your free consultation includes a CT scan, which shows the option your mouth is suited to.
The Three Choices at a Glance
A full denture is a removable set of teeth on a plate that rests on the gums, kept in by suction and, often, a little fixative. An implant-retained denture has clips built into it that fasten onto two to four implants, so it holds firm yet can still be taken out. A full-arch bridge is a fixed row of teeth screwed to four implants (six on certain pathways), and only a dentist can take it off.
No single option is right for all. A good denture can serve someone well for many years, and if that's our advice, we'll tell you. Dr Kalsi considers your general health, your bone and what matters most to you before suggesting anything.
How Each One Feels
A standard upper denture covers your palate. This can blunt the taste and temperature of food, and some people find it makes them gag. Lower dentures are usually the bigger problem, as there's less gum to hold on to and the tongue constantly pushes against them.
An implant denture that clips in feels far more secure. There's still a plate and some flange, but it stays down when you laugh, and sore patches from rubbing happen less often.
A fixed bridge is the nearest thing to having your own teeth again. In the upper jaw the palate stays uncovered, and there's nothing to remove or replace. Most people find they've stopped thinking about it after a few weeks.
Tired of a Denture That Moves?
Arrange a full-arch consultation in Lanark, with your CT scan taken at the same visit.
Eating and Speaking
People whose denture is loose often adapt their diet without much fuss. Apples are cut into slices, mince replaces steak, and crusty bread gets broken into small pieces. Speaking brings its own worries too, such as a plate that clicks or a denture that slips while you're mid-sentence.
Implants make a real difference here. Once it's clipped in, an implant denture manages most ordinary food. After the healing months, a fixed bridge lets you bite and chew much as your own teeth did. Whatever new teeth you have, speech takes a short while to settle as your tongue adapts to the new shape.
What Happens to the Jawbone
Few people expect this difference. Once teeth are lost, the bone that supported them gradually shrinks, because nothing is stimulating it any longer. A denture rests on the gum and doesn't slow that process, which is why a denture that fitted well at the start slowly loosens and needs relining or replacing.
Implants are anchored in the bone and transfer chewing forces into it, and bone that's put to work tends to be maintained. This helps a fixed bridge stay steady for many years. A clip-in denture keeps its hold better than a standard one, although the gum lying between the implants may still change beneath it, so it needs occasional adjustment.
Side by Side
| Feature | Full denture | Clip-in implant denture | Fixed full arch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Removable? | Yes | Yes, it unclips | No, only by the dentist |
| Number of implants | None | Typically 2 below, 4 above | 4 per arch, or 4 to 6 on some pathways |
| Roof of the mouth | Covered | Sometimes less covered | Uncovered |
| Eating | Easier with soft food | Most normal food | Near to natural teeth |
| Bone shrinkage | Continues | Slower around implants | Slower around implants |
| Surgery | None | Yes, a shorter procedure | Yes, often under sedation |
| Starting fee | £695 | £8,500 per jaw | £9,300 per arch |
| Usual maintenance | Relines and replacements | Replacement clips from time to time | Hygiene visits every 3 months |
Keeping Each One Clean
A full denture is removed after eating to be rinsed, brushed morning and night, and usually left out overnight to give the gums a rest. A clip-in denture is looked after in the same way, and you brush the tops of the implants in your mouth as well. Its nylon clips wear over time and are replaced at a routine appointment.
A fixed bridge is cleaned in place, just like natural teeth, with a toothbrush and a water flosser beneath it. Fiona Dyer, our hygienist, sees you every three months and cleans underneath with the bridge still fixed. Those four visits a year are a condition of your implant guarantee. The full routine is in our guide to living with a full arch.
Costs Today and Over Time
A denture is the least expensive way to begin. A full acrylic denture starts at £695, or £495 for an immediate denture fitted on the day your teeth come out. As the years pass, though, the gum keeps shrinking, so expect relines at £110 and in time a replacement, perhaps once every five to ten years.
For a clip-in implant denture, fees begin at £8,500 per jaw, plus £160 for a CT scan if you need one. Fixed full-arch implants run from £9,300 to £14,950 per arch across four pathways, depending on whether teeth need taking out, what you wear while healing and whether you want zirconia; four implants or six makes no difference. Every pathway includes the CT scan, planning, the implants, the permanent bridge and reviews until treatment is complete, along with a 5-year guarantee for non-smokers who attend hygiene visits every 3 months. 1 Sedation costs an extra £500 a session, and wider bone work gets a written price beforehand.
Our All-on-4 cost guide breaks the full-arch fee down item by item.
Matching the Option to the Person
Most adults in good general health can be assessed for implants, but some factors carry real weight:
- Diabetes should be well controlled before any implant surgery
- Smoking slows recovery and raises the odds of an implant failing
- How much bone you have, which our CT scanner measures accurately
- Whether you can commit to a hygiene visit every three months
A full denture is sensible if you'd prefer to avoid surgery, money is tight, or a medical condition makes implants risky. An implant denture that clips in suits anyone whose denture rocks or rubs and who wants a more affordable first step into implants. A fixed bridge suits people who want teeth that stay put, or whose remaining teeth keep breaking down. And where some of your own teeth can be kept, that normally comes first. Whether you live in Lanark, Carluke, Biggar or Lesmahagow, the full-arch consultation is where this gets answered properly.
Questions
This guide is general information, not a diagnosis. A dentist needs to examine you to say what is right for your teeth.