Maximum Longevity From Your Dental Restorations

Best ways to maintain teeth that have been restored by our Wickford dentists

Many of you will have had dental restorations carried out to restore a damaged or decaying tooth. Even with the best will and care in the world, they are quite common. A restoration is used not only to make the tooth look as natural as possible again, but more importantly, to provide it with the strength and functionality that is needed for everyday use, and to help to prevent any further deterioration in its condition.

The Cygnet Dental Practice provides a wide range of teeth restorations. The high quality materials we use, along with the experience of our dentists play key roles, but our patients also need to play their part in helping to keep their restorations strong and fit for purpose.

There can sometimes be a feeling that as restorations are made from artificial materials, there is no need to pay too much attention to them as they won’t decay, but good care can make them last much longer, fulfilling their function for years to come.

Let us take a look at some of the most commonly used treatments and what you can do to maintain them.

Fillings

Fillings are the most widely used treatment when cavities have formed in the tooth due to tooth decay, or sometimes, when a tooth has been damaged. Either amalgam or white tooth fillings can be used for this depending on the situation and the patient’s preference.

Generally speaking, both types of filling are strong. In either case though, you should take care to clean your teeth well as although the filling won’t be affected by this, the natural tooth that surrounds it will. If the natural part of the tooth decays or breaks away, the filling will be more likely to come out. Amalgam fillings also shrink slightly over time, leaving small gaps around the edges where bacteria can collect. Although we will monitor this during your six monthly check ups, you can help to minimise any risks by good quality brushing twice a day.

Crowns

Similar to the above, crowns won’t decay and are strong enough for everyday use. The biggest threat to them, again, is neglect of the natural tooth that they are attached to, so you need to clean the tooth well, irrespective of the fact that it is partially made from artificial material. The adhesive that is used to attach the crown to the prepared tooth can also degrade over time and very occasionally, a crown may become detached. We can’t stress enough how important it is that you contact us when this happens and do NOT attempt any DIY dentistry by re-attaching it using a general adhesive. This is a really bad idea and may cause an incorrect bite as well as causing harm to the natural part of the tooth due to chemicals in many general adhesives. Please leave it to professional dentists!

Veneers

Porcelain veneers should generally be expected to last for around ten years before needing to be replaced. Again, it is important not to neglect the natural part of the tooth they are attached to and you should make sure that you brush and floss well. Biting unnatural things like fingernails or pens can occasionally cause the veneer to ‘pop ‘ off. Once more, don’t attempt to replace this yourself and call our Wickford dental clinic to arrange to have it re-attached.

Dentures

Dentures are wholly made from artificial materials and therefore, shouldn’t deteriorate other than general wear and tear over the years. There are two things to watch for here though. Firstly, and most importantly, you should still clean your gums gently where your dentures sit. Although no tooth is present, there is still a risk of gum disease. This could not only have implications for your overall oral health but could lead to the gums becoming inflamed and sore, making wearing your dentures very uncomfortable indeed. Perhaps the biggest ‘risk’ to dentures occurs during their cleaning. When externally cleaning them, make sure to put a towel or something soft in the sink to catch them in case you drop them. This is probably one of  the most common causes of breakages that we see with our denture wearing patients.

Dental implants

Dental implants are a full tooth replacement system, replacing not only the crown part of the tooth, but the root also. It is this part that gives them their high levels of strength and prevents movement in the mouth. The main thing that you need to do to maintain teeth dental implants is to ensure that you clean around them well, both by brushing and through using floss. You should also have them (and your other teeth) professionally cleaned by a hygienist at least every six months. Failure to care for implants properly could lead to periodontitis or peri-implantitis, both of which could mean that your implants fail.

All restorations should improve the quality and functionality of your teeth. We play our part by providing the best service that we can to enable you to have a healthy mouth and teeth that allow you to carry out their daily tasks. You can make sure to make the best of this by following the advice above. If you ever feel that you have a problem with a restoration or would like to make an appointment to see a dentist for any other reason, please call the Cygnet Dental Practice on 01268 733078 and speak to one of our friendly reception team.