I’ve got a removable partial denture on the two teeth to the left of my very front teeth. I’ve never liked it. First, there’s the anxiety of people knowing it’s fake by it coming off. But, it doesn’t look just like my regular teeth. I was thinking about switching to dental implants. They’re much more expensive though. Before I make that kind of investment I’m hoping to know whether or not they can look more natural than my current replacements. Can they be beautiful?
Bella L.
Dear Bella,
I am sorry you’ve been uncomfortable with your tooth replacement, especially because they’re in such a visible place. How we feel about our smiles often affects our public confidence, which in turn affects our level of success. First and foremost, I want to give you hope. You can have a gorgeous smile. But, I don’t think you’ll get it from your current dentist.
I say that without even knowing who your dentist is because of how you described your partial dentures. It doesn’t matter which tooth replacement option you get—dental implants, removable partial dentures, a dental bridge, or even a full denture—they can be made to look natural and beautiful. Your dentist didn’t do that with your removables. There’s no evidence getting a more expensive procedure will suddenly make him care about aesthetics.
Finding the Right Dental Implant Dentist
You need two things out of your implant dentist: 1. skill in this advanced procedure 2. An artistic expertise in cosmetic dentistry. The first skill affects the outcome of the implant itself. The second affects the look of the implant crowns. Will it look natural and beautiful?
As for the technical skill. make sure they’ve invested post-graduate training in implants. Don’t hesitate to ask them how many of these procedures they do a year. What’s their success percentage? If it’s not about 95% or higher you should look for a different dentist for this particular procedure.
When you’re choosing a dentist to create a beautiful smile, ideally you’ll want to find a dentist who is accredited with the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. When they create the crowns for your dental implants, they won’t just look natural. They’ll be gorgeous. In fact, almost all of them have a beautiful smile guarantee.
Because of that potential, you may want to consider whether or not you’d like a complete smile makeover. This is useful if there are things about your smile that bothers you. Things you dream about changing or, if you find yourself trying to hide your smile. In that case, it’s worth it (especially if you have an AACD accredited dentist) to get porcelain veneers along with your implants. Then not only will you have stable implants that look natural, but you’ll have a smile that brings you confidence and look forward to sharing with the world around you.