Are veneers and dental implants different?

Two smile transformations of cosmetic dentistry, though two very different treatments! Yes, veneers and dental implants are very different in the sense that they both treat different dental worries, and both are fitted very differently. Let’s expel some myths around the two treatments and decipher who is best suited to which treatment!

Veneers are…

Veneers are tooth-coloured and tooth-shaped caps that are fixed over your natural teeth to provide a more even and uniform appearance. They fit over your teeth like a false nail does over your natural nails and are fixed with a strong dental adhesive. Veneers are commonly made of thin sheets of ceramic and are layered over the top of your teeth. Another technique similar to veneers though less invasive is the use of dental composite, a dental material that is used to fill out teeth gaps and create a more pleasing appearance without too much preparation or disruption of your teeth beforehand. This treatment can address the appearance of crooked, chipped, under-developed, discoloured, and gappy teeth.

Dental implants are…

Dental implants in Stourbridge are very different to veneers. Veneers are fixed on top of your natural teeth and are used to create a younger-looking, brighter, more even smile. Dental implants replace missing teeth to create a younger-looking and better functioning mouth. Tooth implants are commonly made of porcelain because of its close physical resemblance to teeth and its strength. They are fitted into the gap of the missing tooth after careful evaluation, planning, and crafting.

How we fit veneers

Once we’ve ascertained that you and your mouth are ready to receive veneers and have taken dental impressions to craft them from, we begin preparing the tooth. This is done by ‘roughing up’ the surface of your teeth to create a slightly more uneven surface. This benefits the dental adhesive’s grip on your teeth, ensuring your veneers are stable and strong. A thin layer of enamel is therefore ‘trimmed’ from your teeth to make them the right size and texture to receive veneers, and when you are ready they’re fitted! However, if you opt for composite bonding as aforementioned, there is much less preparation needed. This simply involves layers of super-strong and long-lasting material being applied to your treatment area. This substance is the same material used to make fillings, so it is durable, safe, and tooth-coloured.

How we place dental implants

While veneers and dental composite work to improve the cosmetic appearance of your teeth, dental implants help restore the form and function of your mouth by replacing missing teeth. Everyone’s treatment journey with dental implants is slightly different depending on how you heal and how many implants you require or would like. Your dental implant is fitted in two parts: the root, and the crown (the part that looks like the tooth). Your tooth implant root is made of titanium, a metal which has shown to fuse with the jawbone and heal into it, to create a sturdy foundation. Then, when the placement of your root has healed, we fit your crown. We don’t literally crown you, unless you bring your own accessories, but rather the dental crown is the part of the process that resembles the tooth. Once this is fitted, you have successfully had the correct form and function restored to your mouth whilst bettering your dental health!

So, as you can see, these two treatments are very different but are still equally successful in what they do achieve independent of each other. If you’d like to find out more about cosmetic dentistry or dental implants in Stourbridge, enquire online or get in touch on 01384 376336 to book your consultation today.