I recently had dentures made. It was hard enough having to lose my teeth and get dentures. Now that I have them they look so fake I have don’t feel like I can show my face anywhere. At least not smile if I do. If I took out a loan and got dental implants, would they be more attractive?
Marilyn
Dear Marilyn,
I’m very sorry you feel so ashamed of your smile that you don’t want to go in public. That is an unacceptable position to be in. The problem with your smile looking fake isn’t because you have dentures. Even dentures can look both beautiful and natural. What determines whether it does or not depends on the artistic skill of your dentist. It sounds like he is above his head when it comes to cosmetic work. Even if you had him do dental implants, it would not change how fake they looked. It’s his cosmetic skill that is the problem.
If you want a pretty smile, you will likely need to see a different dentist. You can either get removable dentures or implant-supported dentures. I am going to recommend you get implant overdentures because it has several advantages.
Advantages of Implant-Supported Dentures
- They are completely secure. Unlike, removable dentures, you will not have to worry about these slipping and sliding around. The implants anchor them to your jawbone
- You will have a much higher chewing capacity. Even the best fitting removable dentures will reduce your chewing capacity by 50%. With them anchored, you will return to a more normal ability to chew and can eat anything you want.
- It will protect you from facial collapse. When your teeth were removed, your body began to resorb the minerals in your jawbone in order to more efficiently use them where it perceives they’ll be more useful. This leads to the gradual shrinking of your jawbone. Eventually, in about ten or so years, you won’t have enough bone left to retain your dentures. This is known as facial collapse.
Finding a Dentist Who Can Create a Beautiful Smile
Creating beautiful smiles, as you’d get with a smile makeover, isn’t taught in dental school. Instead, a dentist has to invest post-doctoral training in learning how to create those. It is hard for patients to know which dentists have done that because there isn’t a recognized specialty in cosmetic dentistry.
If I were in your place, I’d look for a dentist who is accredited by the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. These are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. They can give you a stunning smile no matter which procedure you decide to go with.
This blog is brought to you by Grosse Pointe Woods Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Theodore Hadgis.