Solutions to Failed Cosmetic Dentistry in Charlotte, North Carolina
 At Ballantyne Center for Dentistry, we sometimes see patients with failed crowns, dental implants, veneers, fillings, or another type of bad cosmetic dentistry come to our Charlotte, North Carolina practice seeking solutions. On occasion, this failed dentistry was bad from the start - in rare but unfortunate cases, dentists fail to correctly bond veneers to teeth, or they place crowns or dental implants that don't fit with the patient's mouth or biting surfaces, putting both their comfort and health at risk.
Bad cosmetic dentistry can be unsightly as well as painful and dangerous. Our Charlotte, North Carolina cosmetic dentists, Dr. Christian Yaste and Dr. Joseph Hufanda, enjoy giving patients long-lasting, beautiful cosmetic dentistry by crafting porcelain restorations in-office using CEREC®.
Bad Dental Veneers
Porcelain dental veneers, which have been used for stunning smile makeovers since the 1980s, can last for a lifetime when properly designed, constructed, and bonded to the teeth. However, many factors can affect their longevity, and some dentists cut corners - leading to a disappointing cosmetic result or structural failure. If you have failed dental veneers, our North Carolina dentists can provide you with a beautiful, long-lasting solution.
Improper Bonding
Dental veneers often fail when they have not been properly bonded to teeth. Specific guidelines must be followed to make veneers tenaciously bond to teeth. However, some dentists fail to follow protocol during this bonding process, or let contamination compromise the strength of the bond.
When dental veneers are not bonded correctly, they can chip or break off - sometimes in one large piece. Another sign of improper bonding is an obvious margin between the veneer and your gums, or the visibility of the underlying tooth.
Bad Construction
Dental veneers can also suffer from less-than-ideal construction. They can be made too thickly, yielding the appearance of overly large teeth. In addition, some dental veneers are not polished to the correct, natural-looking sheen, so they appear dull or monochromatic. Improperly made veneers can become discolored, sometimes as soon as two days after they have been applied.
While disappointing construction issues like the ones described above do not typically result in the structural failure of dental veneers, they do create a frustrating and inferior cosmetic result. Correctly made veneers are lustrous, stain-resistant, and long-lasting.
There are several ways to ensure that dental veneers are properly constructed and yield a superior cosmetic result. One method is to use a computer to simulate the look of your smile before any veneers are constructed, so you can preview and choose the way your dental veneers will look. Secondly, Ballantyne Center for Dentistry uses CEREC® - a computer-guided system that mills veneers right here in our office - to eliminate the possibility of human error.
Improper Tooth Preparation
A necessary step in the placing of dental veneers is some removal of the tooth structure. However, some dentists fail to properly prepare teeth for veneers; most commonly, not enough tooth structure is removed. This results in the teeth appearing oversized. In addition, inadequate preparation makes dental veneers prone to cracking.
Bite Issues
When outfitting someone with dental veneers, a cosmetic dentist has to take into account your bite, tooth and jaw alignment, and other traits of your mouth as a whole. If your bite is not properly taken into account when dental veneers are designed, constructed and placed, they are prone to failure. If your veneers have caused you pain or have made your teeth sensitive to pressure or varying temperatures, or show signs of chipping or grinding, your veneers are probably flawed.
If you have one or more failed dental veneers, we invite you to visit us at our Charlotte, North Carolina dental spa. If you kept any pieces of the veneer that chipped off, we invite you to bring them in; this will aid our dentists in determining the veneer's cause of failure.
Because dental veneers have the potential for such stunning smile makeovers, it's particularly devastating when they fail. We look forward to help you correct this type of bad cosmetic dentistry at our Charlotte, North Carolina dental spa. Whether your dental veneers are simply disappointing or actively failing, we can help. Contact Ballantyne Center for Dentistry today.
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Failed Dental Implants
While dental implants are successful over 90 percent of the time, certain factors can cause them to fail. An implant that is failing may become loose, rotate, fall out, or become painful or sensitive. In addition, some patients notice a strong taste or odor in their mouths when implants are failing. If you suspect you have failed implant dentistry, seek treatment at our North Carolina center immediately.
Bone IssuesDental implants can become loose when the jaw bone is unable to stabilize the implant, perhaps because of periodontal disease or neglect in a situation that calls for a bone graft. It is extremely common for poor bone quality to prevent the successful placement of dental implants. If this is the case, a good dentist will perform a bone graft or seek another treatment for your missing teeth.
Loose or Broken Implants
Dental implants, when properly placed, should stay stable for life. Any loosening is a sure sign of failure that should be treated promptly. Trauma, injury, bone issues, tissue disease, and other oral health issues can cause an implant to loosen. In some cases, these complications are impossible to predict; in other cases, they signal mistakes or bad judgment on the part of the dentist who placed the implant.
In extreme cases, the screw that anchors the implant can break, causing the implant to fall out.
Early Failures
So-called early failures of dental implants are caused by errors made during the implantation procedure: overheating the bone during the placement of the titanium post, using too much force during placement, or contamination of the implant's titanium anchor, which interferes with the successful integration of the post into the bone.
Late Failures
Late failures also stem from errors made during the implantation process, but emerge as time goes on. If you clench your teeth, have a shifting bite, or experience changes in the vertical dimension of the jaw, this can put excessive force on the implant and cause it to fracture.
Dental implants hold a tremendous amount of promise in replacing missing teeth, but placing them is a highly technical, extensive, multi-step process and many things can go wrong. If you have one or more failing or simply disappointing dental implants, contact our North Carolina practice today for an appointment. Our dentists are experienced in making dental implants work the first time, as well as correcting failed dentistry.
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Failed Crowns
Crowns are important to the health, strength, and beauty of your smile. Failing crowns can be extremely painful and pose an increased risk for the infection and major injury of the affected tooth. In addition, old crowns that contain metal can have unsightly margins. Patients coming to our North Carolina practice to have their metal crowns replaced with all-porcelain crowns find the procedure simple and rewarding.
Poor Bonding / Structural Failure
Improperly made crowns, including those that have not been properly bonded, can become loose and uncomfortable. In extreme cases, crowns can fall out with no warning, leaving the patient in pain and scrambling for a solution. In addition, decay or infection under a crown can cause a painful failure which necessitates intervention from a skilled dental professional.
Visible Margins
While today's crowns are often constructed entirely of porcelain, many old crowns contained metal. The look of metal crowns is familiar: a small line of metal is visible at the gum line. Using all-porcelain crowns, our dentists in Charlotte, North Carolina can give you a crown that is strongly bonded and looks completely natural, blending in with the surrounding teeth.
Bite Issues
Crowns, if they are improperly made or bonded, can cause pain when biting, which sometimes begins very soon after the crown is applied. This can occur if the crown has made the tooth extend too far beyond its natural height, or if it was bonded without properly considering the biting surface of the adjacent tooth. In extreme cases, crowns that challenge your natural bite are eventually ground down - a situation that can compromise your health and cause extreme pain.
We are fully qualified to correct this type of bad cosmetic dentistry at our Charlotte, North Carolina practice, so contact us today if you have one or more failed crowns.
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Old dental restorations eventually wear out - a reality that many people have discovered as their old metal fillings have cracked, popped out, or otherwise failed. Because old metal fillings contain mercury, which expands and contracts with changes in temperature, these fillings are particularly prone to eventual failure. In addition, silver fillings grow more visible over time, as the metal eventually blackens during oxidization.
If your silver fillings have failed, or if you are simply dissatisfied with their appearance, we welcome you to have them replaced with tooth-colored ones made of ceramic. Our fillings are precision-milled in our office using CEREC®. In many cases, patients can visit us with old fillings and walk out with tooth-colored ones! Don't put up with failed dentistry - contact our North Carolina dental spa today for an appointment.
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Fixing Bad Cosmetic Dentistry at Ballantyne Center for Dentistry
Addressing failed dentistry and bad cosmetic dentistry - including failed crowns, dental implants, veneers, and fillings - is one of the main missions of our Charlotte, North Carolina practice. Our dentists, Dr. Christian Yaste and Dr. Joseph Hufanda, realize that for too many patients, the dream of a beautiful smile becomes a nightmare. We help patients with failed dentistry by giving them a beautiful and lasting solution to their troubles. To learn more, contact our Charlotte, North Carolina dental spa today.
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