At some point in our lives, we'll all probably need dental-repair work. Minor fixes such as crowns are very commonplace, but bigger fixes, while certainly not rare, may cause people more concern. However, there's no need to be nervous about having major dental work done. Despite the bad reputation of major repairs among young children, modern dentists offer a wide variety of painless, comfortable and clever solutions. When it comes to major repairs, you have two such solutions to choose from. But what are those options, and which is right for you?
Dentures
Dentures are removable plates that sit over your teeth, replacing any weak or missing teeth to allow you to eat normally and to fill any gaps in your smile. Each person's dentures are made especially for them and are fixed in place during the day with medical-grade glue. Contrary to popular belief, dentures are completely unnoticeable; it will not be obvious to people you meet that you are wearing dentures. Dentures also have the key advantage that they do not require a surgical procedure. However, it will take some time to adjust to wearing dentures, especially while eating. This is because biting down hard at the front of your teeth will displace your dentures. Once you're in the swing of things, however, you'll see that dentures are certainly a viable option.
Implants
Dental implants are metal replacements for teeth. These can be used to fix bridges and false teeth into place, and they are permanent. Dental implants are inserted during a minor surgical procedure, and you can have as many as necessary installed to replace any number of teeth. Despite requiring surgery to install, dental implants do have some real advantages over dentures. Firstly, it's convenient that the implants are permanent; you don't remove them at night or have to worry about losing them or gluing them in place correctly. Implants are also very durable. If you take care of your implants, they will last you a lifetime. They also look very natural. However, it's important to note that implants aren't suitable for every patient. For example, your dentist may not recommend implants if you smoke. Some conditions, such as diabetes, are also believed to affect their efficacy. It's well worth having a conversation with your dentist to see whether implants are a good option for you.
As with most medical procedures, when it comes to dentures and implants, it's important not to make any big choices without first consulting your dentist. However, knowing this information will hopefully help to guide your thinking and encourage you to consider different methods of repairing your teeth.
Share8 December 2016
I have worked as a school nurse for decades. Children come to me with all sorts of scrapes and bumps and bruises. Black eyes from playing football, sprained wrists from falling off the monkey bars and stomachaches from too many sweets are common complaints. However, the issue that seems to cause the greatest angst is tooth problems. Sometimes a child will have a second tooth knocked out when playing sport and parents arrive in tears. At other times, children come to my office crying because their friends are teasing them about teeth that are discoloured or stick out. I take an active interest in the latest dental news so that I can give parents and children comfort and advice. I have included some of my collected wisdom on these pages. Perhaps this information can help you understand some options when faced with a dental problem. Thank you for reading.