The American Dentistry Association (ADA) has recommended that dentists across the country should focus on emergency dental care, postponing routine and elective dental care until May. However, if you are in need of emergency dental care, you can still get beautiful results.
Emergency dental care can actually be cosmetic, and there are good reasons why it should be.
Overlap between Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry
You don’t need to look very hard to see the tremendous overlap between restorative dentistry and cosmetic dentistry. Most of the procedures used in restorative dentistry can also be deployed in cosmetic dentistry.
For example, we often use dental crowns as part of a smile makeover or full mouth reconstruction. But dental crowns are often the first choice in many restorative dentistry procedures, especially in emergency situations, such as for a cracked or infected tooth.
Other times, the difference between what is known as restorative dentistry and cosmetic dentistry is simply the choice of materials. Tooth-colored fillings have become the standard of care, but while many dentists favor composite fillings, we often like to use ceramic fillings because of their many benefits (more on this later).
And if you can get cosmetic dentistry during emergency dental care, there are many reasons why you should try to.
Restorative Dentistry Is Long-Lasting
When done right, restorative dentistry can give very long-lasting results. How long? Usually, the results can last for decades.
If that’s the case, why should you spend the next ten or twenty years with an unattractive dental restoration? Don’t let yourself suffer long-term consequences from a short-term decision to get low-quality dental care when high-quality dental care is available.
Some procedures have even longer consequences. If you need to have a tooth extraction, the effects of what happens next will resonate for the rest of your life. It’s often best to get a dental implant right away, as this stimulates the bone in the area to remain strong. Getting a partial denture, especially a cheap one, can not only make it hard to get a dental implant, but can lead to the loss of more teeth.
More Cosmetic Choices Can Be Better Choices
Cosmetic dentistry choices can also be better choices from a health standpoint.
Of course, there are many reasons to choose tooth colored fillings over metal mercury fillings, which are still used by many dentists. However, there are also good reasons to choose ceramic fillings over composite ones. Not only do ceramic fillings look better, but they can also be much longer-lasting. While a composite filling may last up to ten years, a ceramic filling may last up to 30 years! And the ceramic filling has the ability to restore strength to the damaged tooth and protect against pressure sensitivity, too.
There are similar benefits to full ceramic crowns, too. Ceramic crowns provide better protection against temperature sensitivity compared to metal crowns. And ceramic crowns are much more durable than porcelain fused to metal crowns.
Emergency Dentistry Can Be Quality Dentistry
If you are experiencing a dental emergency, you still have options. You don’t have to choose a dentist who will just take care of the immediate problem and send you on your way. You can choose a dentist who is concerned about the long-term health of your teeth.
If you need emergency dental care in the Hilton Head area, we can help. Please call (843) 706-2999 today for an appointment with a cosmetic dentist at Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
