It’s time for me to get dental implants. I have gotten by with a dental flipper for over a decade now. I had it placed when I was in a severe accident in my teen years. I was told I’d need dental implants for my two front teeth eventually. Now, is the time. That said, I’ve been looking around and doing a little price shopping.
I found a cosmetic dentist that also does dental implants. That was appealing to me since they are my front teeth. They show all the time, when I’m talking and smiling. But, I was surprised when he said I needed porcelain veneers too. He said in order for the dental implants to look natural, I needed dental implants on the teeth surrounding them.
Now, my dental flipper is over 10 years old now. And I think it looks fine. Does this sound strange? I don’t have a big budget and beautiful porcelain veneers are expensive. If I need them, I’ll do what I can do find a way. But, I want to know if this is standard for a case like mine?
-Ben in Washington
Ben,
Beware! There are some red flags with your case. There is no reason that porcelain veneers need to be done to match the dental implants. Unless there are cosmetic issues with those surrounding teeth, it is simply unnecessary. You mention you were price shopping for dental implants. That is understandable. But, you need to focus on quality before price with any kind of cosmetic dentistry work or implant dentistry.
A great implant dentist or an excellent cosmetic dentist that does dental implants will have no problem matching your new implants to your natural teeth. The porcelain veneers are not a must.
That said, not just any dentist has the ability to place beautiful dental implants. It requires extensive training beyond dental school to understand the surgical and restorative phases, as well as the aesthetics when they are done on front teeth. It may be in your best interest to keep looking for an implant dentist you can trust.
There are many ways dental implants can be made affordable. So, focus on finding the right dentist vs price shopping. Be upfront in your consultation. Ask for financing options or other payment arrangements that will enable you to pay over time.
Don’t settle when it comes to your two front teeth. You will regret it down the road with how they look. Or how they function. And if either of those things isn’t perfect, you’ll end up spending much more in the long run.
Thank you for your question. Hopefully, this post gives you some insight.
This post is sponsored by Barrington cosmetic dentist James T. Gavrilos, DDS.