Top 7 Reasons Why Dental Implants Save You Money in the Long Term

If you have been considering dental implants but have held off because 2020 was such a challenging year, now is the time to set your sights on getting them done in the new year. A common thought is that implants are so expensive you don’t know whether it’s worth investing so much money in your appearance. Other patients who have had dental implants in our Scarborough office discovered after they made their decision to move forward with the procedure that it was well worth the cost.

Why You Should Consider Dental Implants in Scarborough

Getting the care you need now will save you money over the long term. Here are the top 7 reasons why you should invest in dental implants in Scarborough:

1. Benefit from Implant Longevity

Your dental implants cost might initially be higher than some of the other tooth replacement options available, but once you’ve had them installed, they can last for several years and perhaps even for the rest of your life. Other restorative methods like dental crowns , dental bridges, and dentures all have a limited life span. This means that at some point you’ll need to address the root cause of the problem, which could mean additional investments down the road. It’s best to discuss specific case scenarios with our implant dentists, to determine whether you need to include treatment into your plan.

2. Eliminate the Risk of Future Decay

Imagine if you could be certain you’d have no risk of developing tooth decay at any point in your future. With dental implants, that’s exactly what you get. Certainly, you can still experience problems with any remaining natural teeth, and you can even develop a gum infection or abscess between your gum tissue and the implant. That’s not the same as a regular tooth cavity , however, and you can usually avoid these scenarios by taking quality care of your oral hygiene and getting regular dental check-ups.

3. Avoid Paying Over and Over

Once your dental implants cost is covered, you’re done. You won’t need to redo and pay for the same dental work again, which can happen if you have your natural teeth filled when they develop cavities. The best restorative procedures like crowns, veneers, bonding and bridges may eventually need to be replaced or reworked, and that can add up to a much higher financial commitment over the long term.

4. Save Yourself Pain

Not only will having the same dental treatments over and over cost you repeated financial outlays, you’ll also have to deal with the pain associated with dental caries, cracked and chipped teeth, potential root canals, and other procedures on an ongoing basis. Once you get the right type of dental implants for you, all you need to worry about is maintaining a good oral hygiene regimen and avoiding injury. This will help you save money on dental costs, pain medication, and other health issues.

5. Smile with Confidence

Appearances do matter. They matter for your self-esteem, wellbeing, your career, relationships, and the way people view you. To this end, your grooming, hygiene, and cleanliness are all very important for a confident appearance. Getting dental implants in Scarborough will help you to maintain these factors well into your senior years, without the inconvenience and cost of frequent dental treatments.

6. Preserve Your Bone Structure

One of the drawbacks of restorative options such as bridges or dentures is bone resorption. Bones are comprised of living tissue, which can break down and shrink over time if it’s not adequately supported. Bridges and dentures fail to provide the necessary level of bone support, but dental implants put the same force and pressure on the jaw as a natural tooth would. This stimulates tissue regrowth, preventing the loss of bone structure and maintaining both the strength of the jaw and the shape of your face.

7. Eat the Healthy Foods You Want

It’s not only your appearance that counts, however. The ability to bite, chew, and swallow wholesome foods is critical for your overall good health. What if you were unable to eat anything besides mushy or soft foods and semi-liquids? How hard would it be to get the nutrients your body needs to function effectively? Having a successful dental implant procedure early enough in your life to become fully accustomed to them means even as a senior you’ll have no difficulty following a healthy, affordable diet.

The Bottom Line

While cost is an important factor in your decision, there are other benefits of investing in dental implants as early as possible. Our daily lives consist of relationships, which depend on communication. Whether it’s in business, family, or other settings, if you have loose or missing teeth, painful fillings, a bad bite or any other oral dysfunction, you may find yourself struggling to get your messages across effectively. With dental implants, your mouth retains its correct shape. Your gums and bone are supported and maintained, and your speaking ability will enable you to continue communicating in all situations.

For more information on getting dental implants in Scarborough, set up a consultation with our experienced, compassionate dental team. Please call 416-291-3117 or click here to schedule an appointment today.

The Pros and Cons of Dental Bonding

Are your teeth stained, chipped, or broken, and you can’t invest in expensive dental restorations right now? If your answer is yes, then dental bonding is an economical solution you might want to consider. At our dental clinic in Scarborough, we offer dental bonding treatments to correct minor problems such as restoring the colour of a tooth, making teeth look slightly longer, or closing up tiny gaps between them. Bonding can also protect an exposed root if you have receding gums, and it’s a reliable option for filling small, visible cavities.

How Dental Bonding Works

Before applying dental bonding, our dentists use a shade guide to choose a colour that matches your natural teeth as closely as possible. The surface of your tooth is roughened to prepare it and then coated with a conditioner that helps the putty-like bonding material to adhere. We’ll carefully apply the material to the tooth and mould it into the right shape, then dry it using ultra-violet light or a laser. After that, the new surface is smoothed and polished to fit in perfectly with the rest of your teeth.

Benefits and Disadvantages of Dental Bonding

Most dental procedures have some disadvantages, but fortunately, the ones associated with dental bonding are minimal and are balanced by the advantages. Here are the pros and cons so you can make a fully-informed decision about your dental care.

The Pros of Dental Bonding

1. It’s fast. It usually doesn’t take more than a single appointment at our dental clinic in Scarborough to apply the composite material to a couple of teeth. Of course, if you wanted to do more than one or two teeth, you might need a longer—or second—appointment.

2. It’s inexpensive. Not only does the shorter time in the dentist’s chair reduce your consultation costs, but the process itself doesn’t require any special equipment or treatment. This helps to keep the dental bonding cost affordable and economical for patients.

3. Bonding looks natural. The tooth-coloured material is engineered to blend in with your natural teeth, so it’s not obvious you’ve had cosmetic dental work done. That means only the area that requires restoration needs to be covered, not the entire tooth.

4. It’s non-invasive. When you have dental procedures like crowns or veneers, some of the tooth enamel needs to be removed. Once this has been taken away it doesn’t grow back, which means healthy teeth are less sturdy than they were before. Dental bonding only requires gentle roughening of the tooth surface to apply it, so the bulk of the tooth’s structure stays intact.

5. Bonded teeth are easy to care for. All you need to do is brush and floss as normal, and to avoid doing anything that would harm a natural tooth. Dental bonding can get damaged by accidental trauma or biting down on hard objects, just like your natural teeth.

The Cons of Dental Bonding

At our dental clinic in Scarborough, we recognize that the disadvantages of bonding are mostly related to durability and lifespan. These include:

1. It won’t last forever. Dental bonding doesn’t last quite as long as a crown will, partly because it usually only covers a portion of the tooth instead of the whole tooth.

2. Less stain-resistant. The composite material used in dental bonding is more porous than tooth enamel or porcelain, so it’s able to absorb deep colours from food and drink more easily than natural teeth or dental implants. You can overcome this issue with good dental bonding aftercare such as limiting your intake of coffee, wine, and other dark-coloured substances, or by stepping up your daily oral hygiene and brushing more often. It’s especially helpful to brush or rinse directly after consuming anything with a rich colour, in addition to your twice-daily regimen.

Dental bonding doesn’t solve every tooth problem you might have, but it can certainly be a great solution for minor defects or for a tight dental care budget.

For more information on cosmetic bonding at our dental clinic in Scarborough, we invite you to consult with our experienced, compassionate dental team. Please call 416-291-3117 or click here to schedule an appointment today.