Question: If I neglected my teeth for years, am I able to get them back to a completely healthy state?

Answer: If your teeth have been neglected for years, chances are you have already done some irreversible damage. Gum disease can cause a loss of bone support, which will not grow back once the mouth returns to a completely healthy state. The gum recession that follows the bone loss will remain evident, unless you are a candidate for certain gum and bone grafting procedures. The good news is that you can arrest bone loss and gum recession by taking perfect care of them. In other words, while you may not get back to where you started, you can prevent further damage from occurring.

Teeth that are broken and/or have decay can often be restored and brought back to proper function and esthetics. Teeth that are beyond repair can be removed and replaced with implants and bridge work to regain chewing surfaces and enhance the mouth’s esthetics. Take one step at a time, and once you are at a completely healthy state, make sure to see your dentist regularly to maintain.

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The composite resin (tooth-colored) fillings have come a long way in recent years. Their strength and longevity are now comparable to that of the silver fillings, but with much-enhanced esthetics. The dentist has the capability to match the filling exactly to the shade and color of your tooth such that no one else will ever know you had a cavity. Another advantage of these tooth-colored restorations is that the preparation is relatively conservative. Only decay is removed, and the filling is then bonded to the area that has been prepared.

Silver fillings do not have the same bonding capacity, and therefore rely on mechanical retention to hold the filling in place. As a result, good tooth structure is taken away to create the ideal depth and undercuts required to achieve adequate retention. Another advantage of composite restorations is that they are typically less sensitive to hot or cold, as metal tends to conduct temperature more readily. Since 1990, when “60 Minutes” ran a story on the alleged risks of dental amalgam (Silver-Mercury fillings), there has been a tremendous amount of media coverage.