Dental Implants Vs. Veneers Kourosh Maddahi, DDS, Smile Transformation Specialist

Award-winning Beverly Hills Dentist Kourosh Maddahi explains everything that you need to know about dental implants.

brunette woman smiling outside in a light blue cardigan

Dental Implants vs. Veneers

Everyone wants a beautiful smile. It is your “calling card,” often the first thing people notice about you. There is no question that a perfectly aligned, brilliant smile is appreciated and admired.

When looking to improve their smile, patients are often interested in both dental implants and porcelain veneers. Dental implants and veneers can give you the beautiful results you are looking for—bright, even, well-shaped teeth—but, beyond that, these tooth restoration treatments have very little in common.

The problems each addresses, as well as the procedures for each, are completely different. So how do you know which is the better option for you, dental implants vs veneers? The short answer is this:

If you have missing teeth, dental implants are the way to go.
If you have healthy teeth that need to be fixed cosmetically, veneers are an excellent solution.

Dental Implants – What Are They For?

Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth. It might be just one tooth or all the teeth in your upper and/or lower jaw.

If your missing tooth is toward the back and the space is not really visible when you smile, it might not seem all that important to replace it—but it is.

Preventing a Receding Jawbone

You may have heard the phrase “long in the tooth” to refer to someone older or noticed that an elderly relative looks as if his or her teeth have grown. This is because, as we age, the jawbone recedes, as do the gum tissues, making the teeth appear longer as more of the tooth structure is revealed.

The same thing happens when we are missing a tooth: the jawbone and gum tissue recede and continue to shrivel away, unless there is a root—or something stable to replace it.

Putting Your Entire Mouth and Overall Health at Risk

In addition, each tooth helps maintain the integrity and position of all the rest of the teeth in the upper or lower jaw. This is important to keep in mind when considering dental veneers vs implants. When one or more is missing, the teeth adjacent to the space can shift and become loose themselves. This can result in problems with:

Bite

This is how the upper and lower teeth fit together when the mouth is closed. As the bite changes, there may be greater or lesser dislocation of the lower jaw, causing pain in the jaw itself or, possibly, headaches.

Chewing

Because chewing (mastication) stimulates the production of saliva, which contains digestive as well as antibacterial enzymes and is the first step in breaking down food, an inability to properly chew can ultimately cause digestive problems.

Speech

As teeth shift, certain speech impediments, such as a sibilant (hissing or whistling) S, may occur.

Sagging Facial Tissues

As the jaw recedes or teeth shift, support of facial tissues may decrease, causing hollow cheeks and/or sagging of the face, causing you to look older.

What is the procedure for inserting a dental implant?

First, a titanium post is screwed into the jawbone, below the area of the missing tooth. This simulates the root of the missing tooth, and bone will grow around it, anchoring it in place.

If you are replacing more than one tooth, Dr. Maddahi will determine the best strategic placement of the multiple posts that will be needed; you will not necessarily need a post for every missing tooth.

Then, a titanium abutment is then screwed onto the post. This protrudes above the bone and is what holds the crown. Lastly, a ceramic crown—the piece that looks and acts like the missing tooth—is then cemented onto the abutment. It can take up to six months for the bone to completely heal around the post, however, thanks to the latest in 3D technology, you will walk out the door with a gorgeous, natural temporary bridge that rivals many permanent bridges, so no need to worry.

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Why Dental Implants Are Better than Dentures

Here are some of the top reasons for choosing implants over dentures: Implants are permanent and do not need to be removed every night for cleaning. You brush them as you would any tooth.

Implants do not slip. This allows you to eat normally, without getting food stuck beneath dentures. This also prevents speech problems, such as a whistling S, since they are always a tight fit.

Most importantly, implants stimulate bone growth, as opposed to wearing down the jawbone with the pressure of chewing. Some people who have had dentures for many years find themselves unable to eat anything “harder” than soft-scrambled eggs.

Veneers – What Are They For?

Veneers are porcelain “covers” that are cemented onto existing teeth, providing the teeth are healthy. They are cosmetic solutions that can correct:

Misshapen or crooked teeth
Gaps between teeth
Chipped teeth
Discolored teeth

What is the procedure for getting veneers?

Dr. Maddahi can generally complete the entire process with two visits in a week—the first on a Monday, the second on a Friday.

In the first visit, the affected teeth will be ground down on the bottom and sides to make room for the veneer(s). Depending on the number of teeth being prepared, this can take from one to four hours.
Temporary veneers will be created and cemented into place, giving you an opportunity to see your “new look” and adjust to having them.
Between the first and second visits, a team of experienced laboratory technicians will create your permanent set of veneers.
In the second visit, Dr. Maddahi will fit your permanent veneers, make any minor adjustments that might be needed, and cement them permanently to the affected teeth.

Dr. Maddahi: The Smile Transformation Expert

Dr. Maddahi is one of the most highly respected and sought-after experts on dental procedures and has appeared on many TV outlets, such as CNN, and shows, such as “The Doctors.” He has also been mentioned in “People” Magazine and interviewed in other media. His development of Infinity Veneers is a groundbreaking advance in cosmetic dentistry. As a leader in the field of the dental arts, he has dedicated his life to delivering superior results in as caring and painless a manner as possible.