Can You Get Veneers with Missing Teeth?
You may be curious about your options for aesthetically pleasing, functional, and lifelike dental restorations to replace missing permanent teeth, and perhaps you’ve gotten conflicting information from the internet or from friends. Dental veneers are well-known in celebrity circles and elsewhere as an effective method for restoring the bright, even appearance of the teeth, but if you’re wondering if you can get veneers with missing teeth, the short answer is no. A dental veneer is held in place by a natural tooth, so where there is no natural tooth, there’s nothing to support a dental veneer. It is possible, however, to replace a missing tooth with an artificial tooth that looks even better than a dental veneer. Supported by a tiny titanium post that is surgically implanted in the jaw, a dental implant is a long-lasting, lifelike solution for millions of people who seek to replace missing teeth.
Dental veneers are cosmetic treatments that use microscopically thin layers of porcelain to restore the appearance and integrity of damaged or discolored natural teeth. These porcelain layers are bonded onto the front of a tooth, where they conceal discoloration and cover chips or cracks. Dental veneers are often used in cases where the appearance of the teeth is particularly important, like with celebrities, and they are also effective in cases of minor physical damage or at times when the teeth cannot be fully whitened with traditional dental bleaching methods. Dental implants are restorative treatments that use porcelain crowns or other artificial teeth to replace missing teeth. Dental implants can be used to replace multiple missing teeth with a variety of different prosthetic devices, but when a single dental implant supports an individual dental crown, the restoration that is created looks, functions, and feels just like a natural, healthy tooth. In this procedure, a dental implant team surgically implants a small metal screw into the jaw, where it heals and fuses permanently with the bone that surrounds it. Once it has healed, a dental crown is fixed to an attachment abutment that sits atop the implant. Because these implant crowns are made of porcelain and sit naturally at the gum line, they can be expected to look as good as, if not better than, cosmetic treatments like dental veneers. Because the implant itself is fused with the bone, dental implants also stimulate the health of the bone while providing a stable, long-lasting anchor for the dental crown.
Dental implants are the preferred option for dental restorations for several different reasons. Implants are permanent, with a success rate higher than 95%. They require the same level of maintenance as the natural teeth, and, with the proper care and maintenance, dental implants can be expected to last a lifetime. While you may be tempted to leave a missing tooth alone and not replace it at all, especially if it’s not in a particularly visible part of the mouth, the reality is that leaving missing teeth unreplaced can cause a domino effect of consequences, including the loss of additional teeth. So, if you’re missing even one of your natural teeth, schedule an appointment with your dentist, and see if dental implants might be the right solution for you.