Veneers or dental implants? If you’re suffering from a damaged or missing tooth, then you might be wondering what your best options are. Both dental implants and veneers are types of dental restorations, but veneers are quite different from implants.

Dental implants replace missing teeth whereas porcelain veneers enhance your smile by improving how your teeth look.

If you have teeth that are healthy but spoiled by stains, chips, or even gaps, then veneers are a great option for enhancing your smile in a relatively short space of time. If your dental problem is more severe such as badly decayed or missing teeth, then your dentist is likely to recommend dental implants.

Dental implants are the only form of tooth replacement that prevent bone loss and look and feel more natural than porcelain veneers.

Which is best for me? Veneers or dental implants?

It’s always best to find a dentist that offers consultation and is the only expert that can help you decide. Let’s take a closer look at each dental procedure to help you decide which treatment is more suited to your dental needs.

Dental Implants Explained

Dental implants act as artificial tooth roots and are designed to support artificial teeth such as dental crowns or dentures. Long lasting and extremely durable, they can last for many years or when cared for properly unlike veneers which usually require replacing 10 to 15 years down the line.

Unlike veneers, which sit over the front surface of the tooth, implant posts made from titanium are surgically secured into the jawbone and left for several weeks to fuse with the surrounding bone, becoming a permanent fixture in the mouth.

Once the dental implants have stabilised, they can then be topped with either crowns or a dental bridge to complete the restoration or be used to support a denture to prevent it from moving.

Every time a person bites or chews their food, the pressure is directed into the jawbone and stimulates it, thus preventing the natural bone loss which occurs with tooth loss.

Veneers Explained

Veneers are thin shells made from porcelain which fit over the front surface of your teeth. Veneers are extremely versatile and can be used in various ways to enhance your smile. For example, veneers can be used to fix the following dental problems:

• Stained or discoloured teeth
• Misaligned, uneven, or irregular shaped teeth
• Worn teeth
• Gapped teeth can also be closed with veneers

Getting dental veneers usually requires 2 to 3 visits to the dental clinic. The first visit involves a consultation with X-rays taken to determine if you’re a suitable candidate for veneers. The second visit entails removing a small amount of your tooth enamel (to make room for the veneers to fit flush with your surrounding teeth) and taking impressions so that your custom veneers can be made. The final visit will be to fit your permanent veneers by bonding them to your teeth, before checking your bite and giving your teeth a polish. Since the veneers are colour matched to your remaining teeth, your new smile will look natural and beautiful.

Which is better, veneers or dental implants?

To sum up ….

Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth or to support dentures. Their main benefit is that they prevent bone loss from occurring which is one of the reasons that dentures become uncomfortable to wear, as the jaw starts to change shape.

In order to have implants a person needs to have enough bone to support them, although in many cases bone grafting can help to increase the depth of the bone. Since the procedure requires surgery, not everyone will be a suitable candidate.

Veneers do not require surgery and require a minimum of 2 visits to the dentist, so in most cases a patient can enhance their smile with veneers in just a few weeks. This compares with tooth implants that can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months, or even longer, to complete.

Which is cheaper, veneers or dental implants?

Implants are more expensive than veneers. That said, dental implants have the potential to be a lifelong solution and can last for several decades if cared for correctly. Veneers on the other hand, will typically last between 10 to 15 years after which they will need to be replaced.

If you’d like to find out more information about implants or veneers, then why not book an appointment with our experienced dentists? We can discuss your dental goals and help you decide whether implants or veneers are more suited to your needs. Call today on 02 9051 0600 to book a consultation near you, at Dental 266.