The topic for the blog today is Braces and Implants and this topic may appear confusing to some people because braces and implants are generally known to fix different issues. Braces are known to change the alignment of the teeth and to straighten them while dental implants have a totally different purpose and that is to replace any missing tooth or teeth. So why are we trying to compare the two today? We hope you will understand it as you read further.
Need for braces and or implants
Gaps in our teeth – All of us have gaps in our teeth. Generally, these gaps are hardly noticeable but, in some cases, they can be big and it can have a number of causes including gum diseases. Hence it is important to go to a dentist to get it fixed. A gap of more than 0.5 mm is known as diastema. Gaps in teeth are very prevalent in young children with milk teeth and these issues get sorted for most when the permanent teeth emerge. The gaps can be between the side and front teeth or around the canines or between front teeth or between lower teeth (called mandibular diastema) or worse, gaps between all the teeth.
Gaps between teeth may or may not be an aesthetic issue but can cause other problems like improper bite which can further lead to chipping of teeth. This happens because the other surrounding teeth may collapse if the gap is not closed and will change the bite. As we said earlier the reason behind the gaps between the teeth could be an underlying gum disease and one would not want to take a chance of not addressing this issue. These gaps can put a stress on your other teeth and can result in uneven wear and tear of your natural teeth over a period of time. So logically your next question would be as to what treatments options are available to correct diastema? Let us explore the same.
Treatment options available to you
While the real feasible treatment plan may vary from case to case the gaps can be minimized or eliminated by –
- Braces
- Aligners
- Veneers
- Bonding
- Dental bridges
- Crowns
- Dentures
- Implants
Amongst all the above people prefer either the first or the last one. So, which one should you go for? If you were to ask anyone almost all will say, go for an option that allows you to keep your own natural teeth and why try to get something man made like an implant in your mouth if it can be avoided. And we cannot disagree but there are cases where the gap between the teeth is so large that it cannot be corrected with braces and an implant may just be the better solution. Also let us say someone is missing their upper front tooth then closing such a gap with only braces can lead to a severe asymmetry making the smile totally unattractive but if the same is the case with a tooth at the back of the mouth then it may be possible to use only braces.
It is difficult to say which option is better however we will still try and make a comparison of the two.
- Braces can take much longer to do the job than implants. Braces can take 2 to 3 years while implants can do it in as short as 3 months’ time.
- Braces are non-invasive to a large extent while a dental implant will need a surgery.
- Braces are generally cheaper than dental implants and can be costly.
- Braces move all our natural teeth in a position that corrects our bite, aligns our teeth and perfects our smile where as dental implant only replaces some missing teeth.
If your dentist feels you need both braces as well as implants then it is best to go for braces before the dental implant. A dental implant is not cannot be moved later like a natural tooth. However, there may be a situation where braces cannot be put unless the missing tooth is replaced first because that tooth is needed to put the required pressure needed to move other teeth. Also, as we age our teeth naturally move in the front and can get overcrowded and in such cases an implant put earlier will look awkward and here again braces will need to be put to move the natural teeth around. At the end of the day every case is unique and it is difficult to compare braces and dental implants. One must also remember that these two need not be mutually exclusive treatment options available.
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Ensure Dental Care is a family dentist near you. Ensure Dental Care is the one of the best family dental clinics located in Saginaw Texas. We also get patients from Fortworth. We accept all major insurance providers. We have an in-house payment plan and accept care credit too. We have a very experienced and professional team of dental practitioners and we look forward to serving you to the best of our abilities. Ensure Dental Care offers emergency dental services. Irrespective of the problem we offer same day emergency treatments. We entertain walk ins as well. If you wish to know more about this subject or you want to avail any of our services, please call Ensure Dental Care on 682-213-4114 for an appointment today.
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