Dental Rehabilitation: Types of Treatments, and Benefits

Dental care is vital, and since it is linked to our internal health, it plays an important role. Dental experts suggest paying a visit to the dentist at regular intervals for check-ups. We also need to take care of other concerns regarding our oral health and hygiene, such as tooth decay, chipped teeth, missing teeth, and root infections. These are common issues that may create problems for us, such as the inability to eat, which can lead to headaches or difficulty in speaking. However, this can all be dealt easily through dental rehabilitation or full-mouth rehabilitation.

What is Dental Rehabilitation?

Dental rehabilitation is a procedure tailored to a patient’s concerns. The full-mouth reconstruction process restores your dental health, which may have been harmed by trauma or other factors. Since this procedure includes full oral rehabilitation, the benefits are better oral health, gum health, and restored facial structure.

The procedure involves using crowns, bridges, and veneers. You may also require specialised treatment such as orthodontics (treatment for the position of the mouth and tooth movements), periodontics (treatment for gum health), and endodontics (treatment for dental pulp). Since this is a customised treatment, the full mouth rehabilitation cost will require treatment plans.

Did you know that children also suffer from dental problems?

A child’s tooth enamel is sensitive & thinner.. Babies suckle their fingers or use a pacifier. This can cause various oral issues such as misaligned bites, tooth decay, speech problems, and overbite. On the other hand, children love eating and drinking milk, soda, raisins, candy, cake, and fruit juices. All these food items contain carbohydrates (sugars and starches). This may cause them to develop dental health problems.

Here is where oral rehabilitation in paediatric dentistry comes into the picture. The choice of dental rehabilitation surgery will depend on the individual needs of the child and the family. Therefore, it is best to instill good habits in children early.

Types of dental rehabilitation treatments

If you need dental rehabilitation surgery, you must undergo an examination by the dentist. They will determine the cause and the treatment options best suited for you. The dentist will examine the health of your teeth, gums, face and jaw structure, and the colour, shape, and size of your teeth. Let’s take a look at the various types of restorative dentistry services.

1. Dental fillings

This type is the most popular type of dental rehabilitation. When bacteria cause tooth decay and a hole, it is known as a cavity. Composite fillings are the same-coloured fillings as your teeth and are more durable than conventional ones. They last more than 10 years, and since they’re the same colour, they look appealing and are mostly preferred. Tooth fillings prevent tooth decay and further damage.

2. Crowns

When teeth can get damaged due to tooth decay, injuries, or casual use over time, they tend to lose shape. Dental crowns are used to cover, protect and restore the shape of the teeth when dental fillings aren’t helpful. It is a cap made of metal, all-resin, all-ceramic or all-porcelain, pressed ceramic, or porcelain-fused-to-metal and fits over the tooth. The dentist may need to shape the tooth to fit the crown.

The process begins with the dentist taking an impression of the damaged tooth. Using these measurements, a crown will be made either in a lab or at the office. Until then, a temporary crown will be placed over your teeth. This helps protect cracked teeth and teeth with large cavities that cannot be filled with dental fillings, and they can occasionally be used as an anchor for a bridge to replace missing teeth.

3. Inlay and Onlay restorations

Inlays and Onlays are made of gold, composite, or ceramic materials and are used to fill cavities. They are mostly used in premolars or molars when the tooth has experienced too much damage to support a basic filling but not so much damage that a crown is required. The main difference between inlays and onlays is the section of the tooth they cover.

An inlay is a pre-moulded filling fitted into the grooves of the tooth. In simple terms, it is used as restoration for cavities that are in the centre of your teeth rather than the other edges. It is a custom-made filling used for tooth decay, worn down teeth, and damage that cannot be restored by using classical filling materials. They are the best solution for concerns like broken or fractured teeth.

Note: Inlays are not always a permanent solution and may require replacement someday. However, they are long lasting and durable.

An onlay is a pre-moulded outside of the tooth made of porcelain, ceramic, or composite resin by a technician in a laboratory. It is then fitted into the outside portions of the tooth. Your dentist will then bond the onlay to the tooth using dental cement.

4. Root canal

Root canal treatment is a dental procedure that relieves the pain caused by an abscessed or infected tooth. During this process, the inflamed pulp is removed, and the surface inside the tooth is cleaned and disinfected. A filling is then placed to seal the space.

Let’s take a look at the inside of your tooth for a better understanding. Inside your tooth, under the white enamel, is a hard layer called dentin and inside it is a soft tissue called the pulp. The tissues contain blood vessels, connective tissues and nerves that help grow the root of the tooth during its development. During a root canal treatment, this inflamed pulp is extracted. The pulp can get infected due to the following reasons:

• Numerous dental procedures on the same tooth
• Deep decay due to untreated a cavity
• A crack or chip in the tooth.
• An injury to the tooth.

 

5. Bridges

This procedure replaces a missing tooth, closing the gap between teeth and giving you a mouth full of teeth. They are false teeth made from materials such as gold or porcelain. To prepare for a dental bridge, the dentist usually files down two healthy teeth on either side of the gap and then takes a mould to create a bridge. A temporary bridge will be provided while you wait for your permanent bridge to be ready. Once it is ready it will take the place of your temporary bridge. When it is in place, dental cement is used to attach it to the surrounding teeth.

Dental bridges contain the following parts:

1. Abutments: These support the natural teeth.
2. Pontics: They are false teeth that bridge the gap between the abutments.

Dental bridges will take several appointments to complete the procedure.

6. Implants

Dental implants are false roots that hold the bridges and crowns and replace a missing tooth. They appear just like natural teeth and do not require surgery or alterations.  They are also used to improve bite and speech problems. The two types of dental implants are:

1. Endosteal: A false root is drilled into the jawbone.
2. Subperiosteal: A false root is placed directly on top of the jawbone.

Implants require multiple procedures and are implanted in the mouth by periodontists or oral surgeons.

Benefits of dental rehabilitation

Overall, oral health has multiple benefits. As mentioned earlier, it is linked with the internal system, because poor oral health can lead to diseases such as heart disease. Some other benefits include:

1. It revitalises the appearance of your smile

Missing teeth, damaged teeth, or difficulty speaking can hurt one’s confidence. Hence, oral rehabilitation can help restore that confidence.

2. Your jaw and mouth are repositioned

You may find difficulty eating when your teeth are sensitive to certain foods. With restorative dentistry, you can enjoy whatever you like to eat because of the procedure.

3. Improves overall oral health

A full mouth rehabilitation treatment can help cure bad breath and crooked teeth. You can also improve your gum problems and save your teeth from further decay.

Conclusion:

In these times, it has become important to take care of overall health because of the availability of junk food at every corner. One must eat right, and avoid sugar-laden drinks and foods. And also, teach young children early habits such as flossing, brushing their teeth regularly, and going for check-ups. At Sunshine Coast dental clinic we aid in the preservation of teeth to help brighten your smile.

If you have any further questions about your dental health care, check out this blog!