Cosmetic dentistry can be very long-lasting, giving you a beautiful, healthy, functional smile for decades. But sometimes it doesn’t last as long as you would like. They may have been damaged or turned unattractive.  Here are some of the reasons why cosmetic dentistry fails prematurely, and how to make sure replacements last much longer.

Woman smiling showing off her teeth

Your Dentist Wasn’t Trained or Experienced

You have to use a lot of care when choosing your cosmetic dentist. Legally, any dentist can claim to be a cosmetic dentist, even if they have little or no training or experience in the discipline. You may have been a “learning experience” for the dentist, who didn’t know how to deal with common challenges in cosmetic dentistry.

When replacing your old restorations, choose a dentist who is highly trained specifically in cosmetic dentistry. Ask them about their experience and see examples of their work. Ask them how long their patients tend to enjoy the beautiful results of their smile makeovers.

Older Materials Weren’t as Durable

Cosmetic dentistry has benefited from many recent technological advances. Modern materials are as beautiful as older ones, but they’re stronger and more durable. You may have gotten restorations at a time when you had to choose fragile restorations in order to make them attractive.

To get longer-lasting results with your replacement restorations, make sure you choose quality, durable restorations.

You Tried to Get a Bargain

Another problem with dental materials is that long-lasting restorations aren’t cheap. But maybe you hoped that cheap restorations would be “good enough.” If you thought that you could save money with “bargain” materials, you learned that these materials are actually more expensive because you have to replace them so much more frequently.

To avoid this problem in the future, make sure you choose quality materials that can give you a much longer lifespan.

Your Dentist Didn’t Account for Risks

One common problem with dentists who don’t do a lot of cosmetic dentistry is that they don’t take into account many of the things that can cause your restorations to fail early, such as lifestyle factors and risks like bruxism. Or maybe the dentist tried but couldn’t properly account for them.

Choosing a cosmetic dentist with additional training in neuromuscular dentistry means your dentist will be able to harmonize your bite and make sure it’s not damaging your restorations.

You Didn’t Care for Restorations Properly

Most people who invest in cosmetic dentistry want to protect their investment and carefully follow the recommended care guidelines. But some people don’t always. And if this was you, you realized why that care plan was recommended. Not caring for your restorations will cause them to fail prematurely.

To make sure your next set of restorations really goes the distance, you should make sure to care for them properly as directed by your cosmetic dentist.

Are You Ready for Long-Lasting Restorations?

If you were unhappy with the length of results from your old restorations, we can help make sure your new ones are much better suited for going the distance. Please call (843) 706-2999 today for an appointment with a Hilton Head cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.