Long Term Dental Issues?

Oral restoration options at the Cygnet Dental Practice.

For most people, having a healthy set of teeth is not overly difficult. With good home care and regular dental visits, most of us will go through life with relatively healthy teeth, perhaps having a few fillings and even the odd extraction.

On the whole though, our oral health does not affect our lives too significantly. This is not the case with everyone though, and some people seem to be ‘plagued’ with poor dental health throughout their lives.

Some of this may be down to long term poor oral health care or even long term medical issues. Others may just be unfortunate to have very poor quality teeth due to genetics. This can have a major impact on people’s lives, both from a practical viewpoint, but also from a mental health perspective too. Being so embarrassed about our teeth can lead us to avoiding social events, or even people, altogether.

In today’s blog, we take a look at the treatments that we have on offer that can help our local Wickford and Rayleigh patients restore their teeth and get their oral health back on course.

Make an appointment

Whatever the reason for your poor oral health, it is never too late to do something about it. Whilst we may not be able to give you a new set of natural teeth, there are many procedures now available that make a great job of restoring damaged teeth and, where that is not possible, replacing them with a realistic alternative.

Before any of this is possible though, the patient has to take the first step and make an appointment to see one of the dentists at the Cygnet Dental Practice for a thorough examination. This will enable us to discuss an effective treatment plan for your own particular situation. The first step will be to treat any issues of immediate concern such as decaying teeth or gum health issues. Once we have achieved a good level of general oral health, we can then start looking at restoring your teeth to a condition where they are both functional and visually appealing.

Restorations

Once your mouth is reasonably healthy, it will be time to consider the best way to restore any teeth that are badly damaged. Whilst those that were decayed will have been restored, very often with a filling, more badly broken teeth are likely to need a more significant restoration, such as a crown. These are a very effective way of restoring a tooth to a good level of strength and should last the patient for many years. Another option, where a tooth is cracked, but not too badly, may be the addition of a dental veneer. Whilst these are mostly used for improving the colour of a patient’s teeth, or for restoring the enamel surface of the tooth where erosion has taken place, they can also be used for chipped and cracked teeth. This can only be determined following a thorough examination however.

Missing teeth

If you have had poor quality teeth for a long time, it is also likely that some will already have been lost. In addition to this, it may also be necessary to extract some teeth if they are too badly damaged to restore them, or where the prognosis is very poor. Whilst it is better to restore a natural tooth if at all possible, there are now some excellent ways to replace a missing tooth if needed.

Dentures

The most obvious tooth replacement method is the use of a partial denture. These certainly fulfill the aesthetic objective, and many modern dentures are now excellent in this sense. For some patients though, they may still prove unsatisfactory, possibly causing discomfort and moving around in the mouth. They are the least invasive method of tooth replacement though, and modern alternatives are certainly worth considering.

A Bridge

The use of a dental bridge offers a more secure tooth replacement method and will not move around in the mouth as a denture can sometimes do. They do require careful cleaning though, especially underneath the bridge. They often also require adjacent teeth to be prepared so that they can have the crowns that hold the bridge in place attached. Some patients may not wish to have otherwise healthy teeth treated in this way, and, in the case of someone with long term poor oral health, these teeth may not even be available.

Dental implants

Although requiring a minor surgical procedure, dental implants offer the best tooth replacement method for most patients. They look like natural teeth and also, once ‘settled in’, they also feel natural too, enabling the patient to eat as they would with natural teeth. This treatment does require an invasive procedure but it is probably the best current method of replacing missing teeth. Anyone who has long term oral health issues may well require a lengthy treatment period, but with the aim being to fully restore the mouth, dental implants do provide an excellent and long lasting method of doing this and are certainly worth considering.

These are three common treatments that could be used to restore a mouth that is in very poor health. Other treatments such as teeth whitening and orthodontics are also available and may be of benefit in some situations. We will discuss your own personal needs following your consultation.

Although restoring your mouth to good health may be a lengthy process, the journey will certainly be worth it. You are likely to find that you have a new found freedom, with the ability to eat your food normally and without restrictions. Your confidence may well increase too, with your new ability to smile without revealing poor quality teeth.

If you have suffered from long term dental issues, why not take the first step to correct that today? You can call the Cygnet Dental Practice in Wickford today on 01268 733078 to arrange your initial consultation and start your journey towards healthier and more attractive teeth.