Pros and Cons of Same-Day Dental Restorations

What Are Same-Day Dental Restorations?

They are oral appliances in dentistry that are prepared and installed in one dental appointment. Ideally, the first day you visit a dentist in Encinitas, CA, they develop a treatment plan to address your oral problem. Then, instead of walking away and waiting for a separate appointment, your dentist will begin preparing your dental appliance to install it the same day.

How Does Same-Day Dentistry Work?

Dentists capitalize on modern technology like lasers or optical scanners. After a dental exam, your dentist will create a digital impression of your teeth using the laser or optical scanner, sending it to a computer program. The program will develop a 3D replica of your natural teeth, which your dentist will use to create your dental restoration. The process is different depending on the type of dental restoration.

What Are the Types of Same-Day Dental Restorations?

Dentists in Leucadia can administer treatments with various dental restorations. The ones that can be installed in one day are:

1. Dental crowns – same-day dental crowns can be customized, designed, and installed in your mouth in one dental siting.
2. Dental veneers – similar to dental crowns, veneers for teeth do not always require two separate dental visits to prepare and install.
3. Dental implants – are a little different from other same-day restorations in Encinitas, CA. Since they involve surgery, you still need downtime to heal before the entire tooth replacement treatment is complete. However, you can extract a natural tooth and receive a dental implant on the same day.
4. Clear aligners – orthodontic dentistry also has a provision for same-day clear aligners. Instead of waiting for a few weeks before your invisible aligners are ready, the dentist can use CAM technology to design clear aligners after the impressions of your teeth.

Pros and Cons of Same-Day Dental Restorations

Pros:

1. Immediate results – ideally, you never have to go a day without your full treatment so that you are missing a tooth or have a damaged one.
2. Time efficiency – same-day restorations save you a lot of time moving in and out of the dentist’s office to seek treatment.
3. Reduced risk of oral infections between treatments – wearing temporary oral appliances for several weeks heightens the risk of infection.
4. Cost-effectiveness – you will not need to incur the cost of temporary appliances or different dental appointments.
5. Optimal comfort – temporary dental restorations are often ill-fitting, which can cause discomfort for the few days you wear them.

Cons:

1. A higher chance of failure – even though it is rare, same-day dental restorations are more likely to fail than traditional ones.
2. Same-day dental restorations may not properly cover the entirety of the tooth – particularly the imperfections below the gum line.
3. One-day dental implants will not shorten the healing time necessary for the metal post to integrate with natural bone tissue. Therefore, whether you do it immediately or wait until later, you must undergo a long healing period to allow for proper bone integration.
4. Same-day dentistry is not for everybody, rather depends on a case by case evaluation. At Steve B. Horne, DDS – Encinitas, CA, you must undergo a comprehensive dental exam to determine your suitability for same-day restorations. The stakes are higher with one-day dental implants that require a healthy mouth and body to endure intense dental surgeries.
5. You need a dentist with extensive training to administer same-day dental restorations. Ideally, CAD/CAM systems and digital scans require a high level of training, skill, and experience to provide the best outcomes.

How to Prepare for Same-Day Dental Restorations?

Before undergoing any dental procedure, you should learn a few things about your treatment. It allows you to make necessary adjustments to your daily routine while accounting for after-care measures necessary post-treatment. Some of the areas to pay attention to regarding same-day dental restorations are:

1. Understand the intricate details of the type of procedure – undergoing a same-day treatment for dental crowns is different from one-day dental implants. Learning enough about your treatment will give you actionable insights into areas for preparation.
2. Have a clear idea of your desired outcome – you will not have time to think through your options once your treatment starts. Decide what you want early, then communicate it properly to your dentist.