Do Dental Restorations Ever Fail?

Dental restoration is more common now than it ever was before. Patients can walk in and out of the dental office and, within an hour, are back to their lives like nothing ever happened. Dental procedures are not painful, and they cause much less stress and anxiety on the patient. 

Dental procedures can relieve our pain discomfort and improve the look of our smile with a few simple steps in the dentist’s chair. Most everyone knows that going to the dentist will keep their oral hygiene for a lifetime. 

Any work the dentist has completed will give you back your confidence, but it is up to the patient to follow through with regular visits and routine oral hygiene to help the restorative work last if possible. 

Why would my dental restoration fail?

If you think of your mouth like a car, it makes sense to picture why things need to be kept up and fixed more than once. You don’t just change your breaks once and never have to do it again, do you? The same can be said for having an oil change. There are things you need to do to keep up with regular wear and tear on your car. 

The same can be said for your teeth. If you have a filling put in a tooth, chances are it will last for a long time but not a lifetime. You can do things to make sure you keep the filling in your tooth for as long as possible.

Your dentist will tell you not to chew anything sticky or bite into anything hard. Never use your teeth as a tool to open anything either; this can weaken your teeth. 

You will see that as time goes on, any restorative work may need to be redone just because of normal wear and tear. Chewing and eating cause a lot of strain on your teeth, and if you add in dental work you have, such as fillings, crowns, bridges, etc., you may speed up the chances of needing the work replaced sooner rather than later. 

You may need work redone sooner than you would think because of an accident that caused major trauma to your face, such as a fall, car accident, athletic injury, and so on.

What happens if my dental work fails?

One positive point to think about is that if you have any issue with your dental restoration, dentists can help you with emergency appointments or seek treatment in the emergency room. 

Dentists can fix most dental issues relatively quickly, and you will not need to wait around or be in pain for very long at all. 

Call or go to your dentist right away if you are in pain or need immediate attention to your teeth and gums for any reason. 

Ways to prevent restoration from failing

Establishing a regular oral hygiene routine right after receiving a dental restoration is strongly encouraged. You should want to do anything you can to ensure your dental work stays in place for as long as possible.

Brushing and flossing twice a day and in between meals is one of the best habits you can get into when it comes to taking care of your oral hygiene. 

If you cannot travel with a toothbrush during the day, there are several other options you can practice to help keep your teeth and gums healthy. 

Drink water whenever possible. If you drink water after a meal, you will have fewer bacteria settle on your teeth and gums, which will prevent the start of gum disease.

Chewing sugarless gum will also help keep bacteria from forming between your teeth between meals. Any food particles left behind will attach to the gum instead of your teeth. 

Make an appointment today

If it has been a while (longer than six months) since your last dental visit, please do yourself a favor and make an appointment today. Keeping up with your regular dental visits is the best way for your dentist to examine your entire mouth to see if your dental work needs fixing. 

 If your dentist can catch and treat any issues right away, this will prevent you from needing more complex restorative work redone over time. Always follow your dentist’s recommendations to the best of your ability, and this will help you keep your smile bright and white for years. Your dentist is a great source of information for all things related to your oral hygiene. 

Request an appointment here: https://www.roderickgarciadmd.com or call Roderick A. Garcia, DMD PC at (505) 634-5029 for an appointment in our Albuquerque office.

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