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Dental Implants Versus Veneers

There are many different repair and replacement options for teeth that are damaged or missing. A couple of those options include dental implants and dental veneers.

Below is more information about what dental implants are, what dental veneers are, why you may need one of those options, and what the difference is between the two.

What Are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are prosthetics held in place with titanium rods that are installed permanently in the jawbone of the patient. Dental implants can be used to replace as little as a single tooth, and as many as an entire row of teeth.

Implants provide a strong bite, additional security, and an appealing aesthetic. Depending on the materials used to produce the prosthetic, they can be made to look very similar to natural teeth.

What Are the Types of Implants?

There are a few different types of dental implants available. Below are the most common dental implant options:

  •   Single Implant. A single implant is when a single rod is placed in the jawbone to hold a prosthetic tooth in place. While single implants are intended to replace one tooth at a time, multiple single implants may be used to replace multiple missing teeth.
  •   Implant-supported bridge. An implant-supported bridge is a dental implant that consists of a prosthetic that replaces more than a single tooth. Implant-supported bridges can either involve a single implant holding multiple teeth in place or multiple implants securing the bridge.
  •   Implant-supported dentures. Implant-supported dentures are prosthetics that replace an entire row of the patient’s teeth. These implants have removable dentures that can be taken out to clean and overnight.
  •   All-on-4. All-on-4 also replaces a row of teeth, with the main difference being all-on-4 cannot be removed by the patient. They can only be removed by a dentist with special equipment. This provides additional strength and security.

What Are Veneers?

Dental veneers are teeth repair options that are intended to restore teeth with minor damage. Veneers are used when more restoration is required than what you would get from dental bonding, but less is needed than an entire dental crown.

Dental veneers involve the reshaping of a natural tooth to place the prosthetic. This prosthetic is semi-permanent and will last years. Eventually, though, it will need to be replaced.

Reasons for Dental Implants

There are a lot of reasons you’ll want to consider dental implants. Some of these reasons include:

  •   Migration Prevention. One major advantage of dental implants is their ability to ensure other teeth stay in place. Without implants, teeth can migrate. This can lead to crowding, impacting, and crookedness. Implants ensure healthy teeth stay where they are supposed to be.
  •   Ongoing oral health. Besides the aesthetic appearance, shifting teeth can be very problematic. Crooked and crowded teeth can make it much more difficult to properly brush and floss. In turn, this can lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and worse. By keeping your teeth in place, dental implants make it much easier to take proper care of your oral health.
  •   Bite support. Having a missing tooth or multiple missing teeth can make it difficult to bite and chew. Dental implants allow you to bite and chew your favorite foods without concern.
  •   Appearance. Many patients are self-conscious because they have gaps in their smiles. Dental implants close that gap and improve the overall appearance of a patient’s smile!

Reasons for Dental Veneers

There are a lot of reasons why you should consider a dental veneer. Below are some of the most common reasons for dental veneers:

  •   Appearance. Dental veneers can dramatically improve the overall appearance of a tooth. As they can be made to look very similar to natural teeth, dental veneers can take a tooth with coloration issues or damage and make them look like healthy, natural teeth. For those with minor damage like chips and cracks, dental veneers can be an excellent solution. They cover up the cracks and chips in a natural-looking way that makes it very difficult to notice there was any damage, to begin with.
  •   Gaps in teeth. For those with minor gaps in their teeth, dental veneers may be a good option. Veneers can be used to close a gap in the patient’s teeth, giving the appearance of a full, natural smile.
  •   Misalignment. Veneers can be used to adjust the appearance of alignment issues. For more severe alignment issues, though, braces may be required.

Dental Implants Versus Veneers

Dental implants and dental veneers aren’t really alternatives. Dental implants are intended to replace a missing tooth or multiple missing teeth, while dental veneers are intended to repair a damaged tooth, improve the look of a discolored tooth, close a gap, or improve the appearance of misalignment.

If a tooth is damaged to the point where it is no longer viable and needs to be pulled, is knocked out, or falls out, an implant can be considered. Otherwise, a dental veneer, dental crown, or dental bonding will likely be enough to repair the damaged tooth.

Why DC Dental Spa?

DC Dental Spa is the right choice for all of your dental needs. We provide all of our patients with the highest level of care. DC Dental Spa takes a customer-first approach, which means we do everything we can to ensure the satisfaction of our patients.

We offer many different dental services that include general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and implants. If you need a dental service, there’s a huge likelihood that we can provide it!

We accept insurance from many providers, as well as offering our own in-house dental plan.

Contact DC Dental Spa Today!

If you need to have a single missing tooth replaced, multiple missing teeth replaced, or you simply need to repair an otherwise healthy tooth, reach out to DC Dental Spa. We look forward to meeting you and helping you with your oral healthcare needs.

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