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Dental Implants: A Guide for Seniors

If you are a senior considering dental implants, you may have to worry about issues other dental patients don't have to think about. For example, you may need more time to recover after receiving your implants. My name is Jodi, and I've been working with seniors for years. I decided to create this blog to help the seniors I can't meet in person. In this space, I'm going to post entries on everything related to dental implants and seniors. From tips on flossing implants after arthritis has claimed some of your dexterity, to guiding you through the implants-vs-dentures debate, this blog is designed for you. Thanks for reading. I hope you find what you need!

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Dental Implants: A Guide for Seniors

Make the Right Choice Between Bonding and Veneers

by Jimmy Carter

If you're unhappy with the discoloration of your teeth, a simple whitening procedure is likely to be all that you require. However, any problems beyond discoloration, such as chips, gaps, and crookedness, can't be solved simply by whitening; in these cases, you're best off going for either veneers or dental bonding. Each option comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages, so here's a quick rundown of those pros and cons to help you make the right decision to meet your needs.

The Pros and Cons of Veneers

Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that are fitted over the front of your teeth. A dentist will start by slightly reshaping your teeth by removing some of its enamel to accommodate the additional dimensions of the veneers. They will then take a mould of your teeth, send that mould to a lab so that veneers can be made to fit right over them, then use an adhesive to attach them.

This means that having veneers typically takes around three visits to the dentist. In addition to the amount of time that needs to go into them, veneers are also quite expensive, almost always more than bonding. However, they look identical to natural teeth and can completely transform your smile. As an added plus, they resist staining from foods and drinks.

The Pros and Cons of Bonding

Bonding uses a composite material – the same one used to make fillings – in order to mask imperfections in your teeth rather than covering them up completely, as with veneers. The resin will be matched to the exact colour of your teeth, then shaped to cover up any imperfections. Bonding can also protect any part of the root of a tooth that become exposed as the gums recede.

Very little preparation is needed for bonding; the whole procedure can usually be completed in just one visit. Additionally, your dentist will be able to work on just one or two teeth at a time, whereas veneers need to be placed over all of them at once. This makes bonding more cost-effective, but the procedure doesn't offer results that are quite as dramatic as with veneers.

The Right Choice

Ultimately, the correct decision really comes down to your own personal needs and wants. In general, bonding is going to be better for people who have only damaged one or two teeth, whereas veneers will be better for people who want to transform their entire smile and don't mind paying a higher price for that to happen.

Whether you're interested in veneers, interested in bonding, or simply not sure which option is best, make sure you talk to a professional in cosmetic dentistry today.

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