Serving areas of Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, MI
Most Americans need dental restorations at some time in their lives. The treatments are primarily for restoring the size, shape, or functionality to your smile, making it easier to chew, bite, and speak. Some dental restorations can correct cosmetic dental concerns and improve your smile. Unfortunately, not all dental restorations are a permanent solution for tooth damage and may need repair. Therefore, your East Lansing dentist, Dr. Christine Tenaglia shares what to do when your dental restorations fail.
Types of Dental Restorations
There are various ways to address your situation, depending on the nature of your restoration needs. During your exam and discussion with your leading dentist in Okemos, Dr. Tenaglia will suggest which restoration would work best for your needs. Some of the most common treatments are detailed below.
- Fillings – Tooth-colored resin fillings are ideal for repairing intermediate areas of tooth decay.
- Dental Crowns – Made from porcelain, crowns cover the entire exterior of a tooth that is severely damaged or decayed. Crowns can help restore functionality to chipped, cracked, or broken teeth.
- Dental Bridge – A dental bridge replaces an extracted tooth. By filling the gap with a prosthetic tooth attached to a metal framework and suspended over the area by connecting it to adjacent teeth with a dental crown, a dental bridge could be a suitable replacement for missing teeth.
- Porcelain Veneers – Ideal cosmetic treatment for crooked, misshapen, or stained teeth. These thin, yet durable shells made from porcelain can strengthen weakened tooth enamel.
- Dental Implants – Known to be a permanent solution to missing or extracted teeth. Dental implants can fully restore functionality and the appearance of your smile by using titanium posts implanted in your jawbone and then capped with dental crowns.
What caused my restoration to fail?
Most restorations do not last forever. Therefore, there are times when repairs and replacements occur even if the procedure is carried out by a competent and experienced dentist. The two main factors that contribute to restoration failure is age and a lack of care. The care of your restoration, or lack thereof, can either strengthen or weaken your dental work. Our cosmetic dentist in Okemos, Dr. Tenaglia, will provide information on primary oral care after your restoration procedure. Following the instructions can help prolong the effectiveness of the restoration to help you reduce the need for repairs and replacements.
Failed Dental Implants
Dental implants heavily rely on a healthy jawbone to support the titanium post. During the initial consultation, if your jawbone is too weak to support dental implants successfully, you may need to undergo a bone graft. The bone graft helps build up your bone density in hopes it will become strong enough to endure dental implants successfully. Implants require regular care and maintenance by brushing twice a day and flossing daily. Not maintaining proper oral hygiene habits could result in implant failure, and the need to remove the entire implant.
Should I have my restoration repaired or replaced?
Depending on your circumstances, Dr. Tenaglia will devise an appropriate plan of action for treatment. In some cases, a simple repair is enough to restore the damage entirely. Fillings can be repaired, although porcelain restorations like crowns, bridges, and dental implants usually cannot be repaired. However, determining what caused the restoration to fail, the age of the restoration, and weighing the cost-effectiveness of fixing or replacing the work, Dr. Tenaglia can establish the proper treatment to restore the area thoroughly. If the damage is extensive, additional dental work may be required for the optimum result.
Dental Restorations in Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, MI
Dental restorations are needed to provide strength and stability to otherwise damaged teeth. Although restorations may last a long time, they could require repairs or replacements. If you have problems with restoration work or need to repair or replace a previously restored tooth, feel free to contact your Lansing board-certified dentist, Tenaglia Smiles, by calling (517) 347-6733 or schedule an appointment online.