Dental Reconstruction: When Is It Necessary?

Until not many years ago, when faced with any dental disease, an extraction treatment tended to be performed, which consisted of the extraction of the tooth. Currently, the extraction is defined for very specific cases (tooth decay and periodontal disease), opting, whenever possible, for a dental reconstruction.

Dental reconstruction is a treatment very similar to a filling, although a little more complex, since it requires partial reconstruction of the damaged tooth, which entails a longer intervention time .

This treatment is not always associated with cosmetic improvement. In most cases, the tooth is reconstructed for functional and sanitary reasons: first because we cannot chew properly, since the tooth cannot perform its function well, and secondly because food is inserted into the hole of the tooth, damaging oral hygiene and, ultimately, our health.

Whenever there is erosion and breakage of a tooth, a dental reconstruction is carried out. This erosion or breakage can be due to several causes, namely:

• Caries: It is the typical infection that affects the teeth. Bacteria settle on the surface of teeth, where they generate acids that corrode enamel and which, if left untreated, can affect the entire tooth.
• Enamel hypoplasty: It is a problem that some teeth have, which have less enamel, which causes holes and grooves on the tooth surface. In the most severe cases, the enamel disappears completely, the teeth shrink and become deformed.
• Fracture: The breakage of teeth due to blows or falls also implies the reconstruction of the piece.
• Endodontic hole : When a root canal is performed, the dentist accesses the canals to save the piece, leaving a hole that needs to be reconstructed.
• Dental abrasion or erosion: It consists of the deterioration and wear of the enamel due to poor brushing.

All these causes lead to dental breakage or erosion, which makes the subsequent reconstruction necessary. In it, the dentist will clean the dental cavity thoroughly and reconstruct the piece . Normally, most professionals tend to use composite , a minimally invasive and highly moldable material . The problem is that it darkens over time and can only be used for small reconstructions.

For this reason, when the reconstruction is greater, crowns or covers are usually used that are placed on the tooth, covering it completely. They are better preserved over time and but it is a more aggressive treatment than composite. And also irreversible , unlike composite, which can be easily removed.

The price of the dental reconstruction treatment will depend on the material used and the additional treatments needed (endodontics…). In general, it can range between 35 and 90 euros .

But what happens when reconstruction is not possible? In these cases, the dentist will carry out the insertion of a prosthesis , which will replace the extracted piece.

The best way to avoid tooth deterioration, which requires a subsequent reconstruction of the piece, is to visit the dentist periodically , since this professional will monitor our oral health and treat, quickly and effectively, any possible problems that may arise. Of course, it is necessary to follow correct oral hygiene . Only in this way will we save ourselves from suffering cavities or dental abrasions.