Dental Improvements Fit for the Red Carpet

A great smile not only makes you more attractive, it can also boost your self esteem and confidence when you talk. But all of these are difficult if you have dental problems, which can also affect the way you eat. No worries, as you can get them fixed with dental braces or an implant. But which should you go for?

Besides their A-list acting or singing skills, you’ve likely been also charmed by the smiles of celebrities like Tom Cruise, Cheryl Cole, Zac Efron, George Clooney, Victoria Beckham, and Nicola Cage. Guess what secret these famous people have in common? They all once had crooked, overcrowded or missing teeth but got a total transformation with dental improvements.

Just like these stars, your dentition plays a role in how generally you come across; just as much as in how you speak and eat. So, if you aren’t comfortable with your dental arrangement, it’s only right that you seek help to correct it and give you that much needed confidence and self esteem to be all you can be.

Two of the main treatment options dentists offer to people with crooked or missing teeth are dental implants and orthodontic braces. In as much as they proffer similar solutions, they are both technically different.

Here are some tips to help you decide which you would look better in.

The material they are both made of

Dental implants are like artificial roots for newly replaced tooth and they are composed of titanium. But braces — which are either made of ceramic or metallic materials (depending on your preference) — are tied to each other with tiny rubber bands after the metal brackets have been glued to your teeth.

Cost

According to a market survey, dental implants for a single tooth cost about £750 – £2300. But braces go for about £3,800. However, braces are usually charged as a whole unit while implants can be done per tooth. This means that the whole unit for implants should cost about £22,800. Therefore, braces are obviously cheaper.

Aesthetics

This is important for a lot of people looking to have their dentition worked on. Braces have two different colours – the regular visible ones and the invisalign.

On the other hand, dental implants perfectly align with the natural colour of your teeth. They are so properly matched that when you smile, nobody will notice any difference.

According to a report, a new celebrity culture has triggered an increase in demand for adult braces, as well as kids who wear it to fit in with societal trends. The statistics shows that only about 31% of adults have well-aligned teeth, with a good number of them opting for invisalign  braces to correct bite problems such as crowding, spacing, deep bites, overbites, and underbites.

Maintenance

The chief orthodontist at Louisiana Implant Dentistry, Baton Rouge implant dentists, explains that: “Dental implants need a lot more care than braces because your teeth, jawbone and gums are worked on during implant placement while braces are glued to the teeth. However, implants simply harden after it’s been placed while, you’ll have to visit once or twice monthly for checks.”

He  stressed further that cleaning braces could be quite a task because you won’t want to destroy the metal brackets. But with implants, you can just floss and clean them like your natural teeth.

There are some risks that come with implants if you drink or smoke. You definitely wouldn’t want to be caught bleeding during a social event as result of poor maintenance of your dental implants. But with braces, there are hardly serious health complications except they are wrongly fixed.

Dental conditions and the right match

You cannot replace a missing tooth with braces. They suit teeth that are not aligned, dental malposition, overcrowded or crooked. If you simply wish to change the shape and position of your teeth, braces are your best option.

On the other hand, broken or missing teeth and malocclusions are best treated with dental implants.

Which is more comfortable?

In terms of comfort, dental implants lead the pack, compared to orthodontic braces. This is because they’re placed in such a way that lets you eat, speak and just do every normal thing someone with natural teeth can do. After the first few days, you can easily brush, floss and take care of the implants the same way you would care for your natural teeth.

But with braces, you’re likely to experience a little discomfort when eating or even talking for long. Besides, not everyone can smile wholeheartedly with their braces on. Children for example, complain about being taunted or laughed at in school for wearing braces. Although, global pop culture has indirectly promoted braces in music videos, wearing dental implants obviously gives a better look than braces do.

On a final note, technological advancements today has pretty much provided a solution to every problem. However, this shouldn’t give you a reason to care less about your natural teeth. There’s always a difference between an original and artificial placement. But if you’re left with little or no choice, then you can consider any of these two scientific corrections.


Any of the options you decide to go with is really depends on how severe the dental condition is, how much you are willing to pay and which one of them you prefer. When you have finally decided and properly gone through this article, you can then consult your dentist and go ahead with the procedure.