Aesthetic tooth replacement – Denture VS Dental Implant

Most of my patients tell me that when they have a missing tooth it affects them in many ways, from the way they smile and talk to the way they eat. They adapt to the changes in their mouth and as a result, the people closest to them notice a change in their day-to-day behaviour.

The effect of this can be significant. A once sociable and confident individual can become introverted in ways that they didn’t plan to. The effects can become even more prominent when multiple missing teeth are missing or when the missing tooth is one that is integral to the smile appearance.

The patient below attended our clinic with a missing upper central incisor. She was currently wearing a partial removable denture to replace her missing central incisor.

Removable denture VS Fixed Dental Implant

As can be seen by the pictures above, this is a patient with otherwise very aesthetic teeth. Her smile appearance is significantly affected by the missing tooth.

The picture on the right is with her current removable denture in place. When you look at this picture you can identify the acrylic denture tooth. It is a different shade and also appears slightly shorter when the patient bites down. This is a common problem with all denture wearers. The denture does lift up when compressed which causes tooth size issues in partial cases like the one above. Also, it is not always possible to match the aesthetics of an acrylic denture tooth to that of natural teeth in the mouth.

This patient wanted something better. Not only to improve the aesthetic (cosmetic) issues described above, but also to improve her functional ability and confidence. She was not able to laugh and socialise in her natural confident and this was having an impact on her day-to-day work and social life.

Above pictures show a comparison of a denture and a dental implant.

Following treatment to have the missing central incisor replaced using a dental implant, all of the issues are resolved. The final tooth is made with such finesse and care that it can’t be distinguished from her natural teeth. That should be the definition of all replacement teeth, ensuring that the replacement tooth is just as good as the other teeth. The patient’s confidence and natural behaviour has been restored, this would not have been possible without a dental implant and a highly skilled technical team to design such natural aesthetics.