Lost confidence in the strength of your teeth? Let Melbourne Dentist help.

So, you’re concerned about your teeth.
You’re doing your research and you’ve likely come across a lot of information about how you can fix a damaged or broken tooth. But how much have you read about why this tooth may have broken in the first place.
There’re always underlying reasons why teeth break.

In their original form, teeth are extremely strong – in fact they are by far the strongest structure in the body. So why would such a thing break? And why would it break when you’re doing all you can to prevent it?
Most people I see with broken down teeth actually spend time on looking after them. They see a dentist with some regularity to fix problems as they arise.
So, the underlying cause is not always neglect…there’s lots of other factors involved.

And if you don’t search for and address these underlying causes, all attempts to fix your teeth will likely come up short.
You can complete the best rebuild on a tooth, using the best materials, the best lab and the best dentist. But if the underlying cause of the original break isn’t addressed, then the new rebuild will be subject to the very same conditions that broke the tooth in the first place. This rebuild will fail…and in a shorter time than you’d like.

The solutions to rebuild teeth

The material and technique used to rebuild teeth is determined by:

The size of the defect in that exists after removing all old filling material, decay and fractures.
Your budget

These can last a very long time if 60% of your tooth structure remains.
Below this figure the tooth has lost a significant amount of its strength and rigidity.
Porcelain inlays are an alternative to composite fillings and in almost all circumstances they offer an even more durable and beautiful solution.

These porcelain restorations are used when only 40% to 60% of your tooth structure remains.
They are made in a laboratory by master ceramicists and are much stronger than the plastic restorations.

They require two visits:
On a limited budget you may consider using composite resin in this situation – but you should always have a longer-term plan in place to convert it over to an onlay within a couple of years. Close monitoring is required if you chose to take this option. While this resin is in place, the tooth is at a greater risk of breakdown. But it’s better that the alternative of leaving a faulty filling in place and waiting until you can afford the onlay! Sometimes this option is chosen to spread out costs, or to allow me to assess the underlying health of a tooth.

These are useful when less than 40% of your tooth structure remains.
When only this much of the tooth remains, there is not enough solid structure to reliably hold a filling or an onlay.

A crown covers the whole tooth and acts to splint and protect it from further breaking or fracturing.
On a limited budget you may consider using composite resin in this situation – but you should always have a longer-term plan in place to convert it over to a crown within a couple of years. Close monitoring is required if you chose to take this option. While this resin is in place, the tooth is at a greater risk of breakdown. But it’s better that the alternative of leaving a faulty filling in place and waiting until you can afford the crown! Sometimes this option is chosen to spread out costs, or to allow me to assess the underlying health of a tooth.

Composite (plastic) fillings

These can last a very long time if 60% of your tooth structure remains.
Below this figure the tooth has lost a significant amount of its strength and rigidity.
Porcelain inlays are an alternative to composite fillings and in almost all circumstances they offer an even more durable and beautiful solution.

Porcelain onlays

These porcelain restorations are used when only 40% to 60% of your tooth structure remains.
They are made in a laboratory by master ceramicists and are much stronger than the plastic restorations.

They require two visits:
On a limited budget you may consider using composite resin in this situation – but you should always have a longer-term plan in place to convert it over to an onlay within a couple of years. Close monitoring is required if you chose to take this option. While this resin is in place, the tooth is at a greater risk of breakdown. But it’s better that the alternative of leaving a faulty filling in place and waiting until you can afford the onlay! Sometimes this option is chosen to spread out costs, or to allow me to assess the underlying health of a tooth.

Porcelain Crowns

These are useful when less than 40% of your tooth structure remains.
When only this much of the tooth remains, there is not enough solid structure to reliably hold a filling or an onlay.

A crown covers the whole tooth and acts to splint and protect it from further breaking or fracturing.
On a limited budget you may consider using composite resin in this situation – but you should always have a longer-term plan in place to convert it over to a crown within a couple of years. Close monitoring is required if you chose to take this option. While this resin is in place, the tooth is at a greater risk of breakdown. But it’s better that the alternative of leaving a faulty filling in place and waiting until you can afford the crown! Sometimes this option is chosen to spread out costs, or to allow me to assess the underlying health of a tooth.

Costs of rebuilding teeth

The answer to this question is quite complex because there may be associated planning costs for x-rays, models, diagnostic work-ups etc.

It should be noted that here at Melbourne Dentist we only use the very best of materials. All laboratory work is carried out by master ceramicists in a large Melbourne city-based lab (TDSA)

The basic restoration costs are as follows;