When you have your dental implants placed, you may be able to get dental crowns or bridges placed on them that day. Sometimes you may not be happy with the appearance of these temporaries. But does it matter? They are temporary, after all, and once you get your final restorations, all problems should be fixed, right?
Not necessarily, and we all want to make sure we have attractive dental implants–that’s part of the point of getting implants. Here’s how to respond if you are unhappy with your temporary dental implant restorations.
Temporaries Aren’t as Good as Permanents
First, it’s important to acknowledge that your temporaries will never be as good as your final restorations. There are many reasons for this.
First, the materials and placement of temporaries are determined partly by the need to avoid too much pressure on your dental implants during healing. This means that your temporaries may not be as naturalistic in their appearance or placement as your finals will be.
Temporaries are also made under very different conditions than your final restorations. Temporary restorations have to be made, at least partially, “on the spot.” Most temporaries are made in the office using materials that are less durable and less attractive than final restorations. Even if temporaries have been crafted in a lab, they can’t actually be fitted until your dentist knows about the exact placement of the dental implants. So final fitting has to be done in the office, and may not correspond well to the previously designed temporaries.
These are problems that will definitely be resolved when your permanent restorations are made.
Not All Problems Are Temporary
On the other hand, problems with your temporary restorations may indicate permanent problems. In particular, if they are problems with the dental implants, such as the appearance of black triangles or other shapes showing between implants, then these will not go away with permanent restorations. Even covering them with the final restoration may not work as problems with soft tissue healing, bone healing, or unbalanced bite force can all be progressive and will lead to increasing aesthetic complications and potentially even dental implant failure.
Problems with the temporary may also indicate problems with your dentist’s smile design. Your dentist might not be capable of creating an attractive smile for you.
You can’t just trust a dentist’s assurance that aesthetic problems will simply resolve with the permanent crowns.
Talk to Your Dentist
Whenever you have problems with the appearance or fit of a dental restoration, it’s important to talk to your dentist about it. Your dentist can’t fix problems they don’t know about, and if you don’t say anything your dentist may assume that you’re happy with your results. Many complaints you have about the appearance of your temporary will naturally be fixed by your final restorations, but it’s good to check with your dentist to make sure you agree about what changes need to be made. Make sure you understand what the problems are, why they happened, and how they’re being addressed.
If you’re unhappy with your dentist’s response, then you might want to consider getting a second opinion to see what might be done to ensure your final restorations are more attractive than your temporaries.
If you are looking for attractive dental implants, please call (843) 706-2999for an appointment with a Hilton Head cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
