Are dental implants better than dentures?

Implants function more like natural teeth than dentures do — they are fixed in place, restore most of your natural chewing power, and help preserve the jaw bone. Dentures cost far less up front, need no surgery, and can be made for almost anyone. Implants are not automatically the better choice, because they require enough healthy jaw bone, good gum health, and a bigger budget. The right answer depends on your health, your bone, and what you can spend.

Does CDCP cover dentures or implants?

The Canadian Dental Care Plan covers dentures, including complete and partial dentures, though they require preauthorization and are generally limited to one set within a set number of years. CDCP does not cover dental implants, because implants fall outside the plan's scope of preventive and basic restorative care. For CDCP patients replacing missing teeth, dentures are usually the covered route.

Do dentures cause bone loss?

Conventional dentures do not stimulate the jaw bone the way tooth roots do, so the bone underneath gradually shrinks over the years. This is why dentures need relining periodically and eventually feel loose even when they fit well at first. Dental implants place a titanium post into the bone, which keeps the bone loaded and slows that shrinkage considerably.

Can you switch from dentures to implants later?

Yes, many patients start with dentures and move to implants or implant-supported dentures later. The main limiting factor is how much jaw bone remains, since bone shrinks over years of denture wear. A bone graft can rebuild volume in many cases, but it adds cost and healing time. If you think implants may be in your future, it is worth discussing early rather than after a decade in dentures.

What are implant-supported dentures?

Implant-supported dentures, sometimes called overdentures, are a middle option that uses a small number of implants to anchor a denture in place. The denture snaps onto the implants instead of relying on suction or adhesive, so it does not slip while eating or speaking. It costs more than a conventional denture and less than replacing every tooth with an individual implant, which makes it a common compromise.

Clarenville Dental Blog — July 2026

Dentures vs dental implants: how to choose

When teeth need replacing, the choice usually comes down to dentures or implants — and the honest answer is that neither one wins for everybody. This guide compares them on cost, comfort, chewing, jaw bone, and CDCP coverage, and explains the middle option most people never hear about.

Dentures Page Call (709) 466-7001

Dental professional holding a custom partial denture used to replace missing teeth at Clarenville Dental Care

Quick answer: which one is right for you?

Implants feel and work the most like natural teeth; dentures cost far less and suit almost anyone. Implants are fixed in the jaw, restore most of your natural chewing power, and slow the bone loss that follows tooth loss — but they need enough healthy bone, healthy gums, and a much bigger budget. Dentures need no surgery, can be made for nearly any patient, and are covered by CDCP. Most people are choosing between "the best long-term result" and "the option I can afford and start now," and both are legitimate answers.

How each one actually works

Dentures

A denture is a removable appliance holding prosthetic teeth in a gum-coloured base. A complete denture replaces a full arch and stays in place through suction and the shape of your ridge. A partial denture replaces some teeth and clasps onto the natural ones still there. They are made from impressions over a few appointments, with no surgery involved.

Dental implants

An implant is a titanium post placed into the jaw bone, which fuses with the bone over a few months and then supports a crown on top. Each implant stands independently — it does not touch or rely on neighbouring teeth. It is a surgical procedure spread over several appointments and months of healing. Our dental implants page covers the process in more detail.

The comparison that actually matters

Up-front cost: Dentures win clearly. A single implant with its crown typically runs several thousand dollars — see our guide to implant costs in NL — while a denture replaces a whole arch for a fraction of that.
Chewing power: Implants win. Denture wearers commonly avoid steak, apples, corn, and nuts. Implants handle them.
Jaw bone: Implants win. Bone shrinks when nothing loads it, so denture wearers lose ridge height over the years. An implant keeps the bone working.
Time to finish: Dentures win. Weeks, not the several months implants need to fuse.
Surgery and healing: Dentures win, especially for patients whose health makes surgery risky.
Daily routine: Implants win. You brush and floss them like teeth; dentures come out for cleaning and soaking.
Lifespan: Implants win. Dentures typically need relining every few years and replacement after roughly 5–10; an implant in healthy bone with good home care can last decades.
CDCP coverage: Dentures win. They are covered with preauthorization; implants are not covered at all.

The middle option: implant-supported dentures

Most people are told it is one or the other, when there is a well-established option in between. An implant-supported denture (or overdenture) uses a small number of implants — often two to four per arch — as anchors. The denture snaps onto them instead of depending on suction or adhesive.

The practical difference is large. It does not lift when you bite into something, you can eat a much wider range of foods, and the anchoring implants keep loading the bone in the front of the jaw. It costs more than a conventional denture and considerably less than replacing every tooth individually, which is why it is often the sweet spot for patients who find a lower denture will not stay put.

When dentures are the better call

Budget is the deciding factor, or you are a CDCP patient and want a covered solution
Significant bone loss has already happened and you would rather not go through grafting
A health condition or medication makes surgery and healing risky
Many or all teeth in an arch need replacing at once
You want your teeth restored in weeks rather than most of a year

When implants are worth the extra

You have enough healthy bone and gums, or grafting is realistic for you
You are replacing one tooth or a few rather than a whole arch
Chewing normally matters more to you than the up-front number
You have worn a denture and disliked how it moved
You are looking at the next 20+ years and want the fewest replacements

One nuance worth knowing: if the tooth is still in your mouth but badly damaged, the question may not be dentures vs implants at all — saving the tooth is usually cheaper and better than replacing it. Our guide on root canal or extraction covers that fork in the road, and a crown or bridge is often the answer before replacement is even on the table.

The cost picture over time

Comparing the two on price alone is misleading, because they are priced on different clocks. A denture is a lower number that recurs — relines every few years, a replacement set after 5–10, adhesive along the way. An implant is a high number once, with maintenance being the same brushing, flossing, and cleanings you already do.

Over a couple of decades the gap narrows more than most people expect. It rarely closes completely, though, and that is fine — a denture that lets you eat comfortably and smile without worrying is a good outcome, not a consolation prize.

Talk it through before you decide

The only way to know which option genuinely fits is an exam with X-rays that show how much bone you have to work with. Bring your budget into that conversation — it is not an awkward topic, it is one of the clinical inputs. You can read more on our dentures and dental implants pages, or call (709) 466-7001 to book. For neutral background reading, the Canadian Dental Association's guide to dentures is a useful source.