Dental issues like tooth decay, gum disease, and chipped teeth can be fixed with the help of dental labs. As a dentist, partnering with a lab gives you access to a fully equipped facility built for fabricating various dental prosthetics. Whether you have regular or occasional clients who need custom prosthetics, labs offer flexible arrangements based on your needs. Here are five dental issues that labs help fix:
1. Tooth Decay
Dental caries and cavities are a result of tooth decay. The issue affects people of all ages and occurs when mouth bacteria form a biofilm known as plaque on the surface of teeth. Plaque buildup provides a habitat for more bacteria, which produce acids from sugars in food. The acid eats away the enamel and softens the dentin, resulting in cavities, pain, increased sensitivity, and bad breath. Partnering with dental labs allows you to offer clients effective solutions for tooth decay. If fillings don’t suffice, labs offer custom crowns or dentures and dental implants following a root canal.
2. Broken Teeth
Biting on a hard object may chip or break an individual’s teeth, resulting in pain and exposure to bacteria. Labs offer various solutions for broken and chipped teeth, including crowns, veneers, and inlays. Crowns are permanent prosthetics that cover the broken or chipped tooth, restoring its shape and function. They’re designed using porcelain, ceramic, and composite resins that match your client’s natural teeth color and shade. Veneers are thin covers placed on top of damaged or misshapen teeth to enhance aesthetics and prevent further damage. Crowns and veneers can be used to fix heavily decayed teeth after addressing the underlying condition and removing plaque buildup.
3. Misaligned Bites
Bite issues occur when the upper and lower jaws or teeth don’t align perfectly, resulting in an overbite, underbite, or crossbite. Fixes for bite issues, also known as malocclusion, involve shifting the teeth to the desired position. Some individuals need aligners and retainers specifically designed for the client.
Labs provide clear aligners that offer a discreet straightening solution. Labs offer clear ceramic-based aligners and traditional metal options to accommodate all preferences. After aligners have shifted the teeth, retainers maintain the outcomes. Correcting bite issues improves jaw alignment, chewing function, and speech. Labs offer night splints and mouthguards to prevent tooth wear and protect prosthetics in clients with bruxism.
4. Discolored Teeth
Labs fabricate custom veneers for discolored, chipped, or uneven teeth. Veneers offer aesthetics and bright shades, concealing the look of your natural teeth. Labs can provide snap-on smiles that fit over your client’s natural teeth. Such solutions fix cosmetic concerns without requiring aggressive teeth whitening agents that may damage the enamel. The veneers and snap-on smiles are customized to fit your client’s mouth and teeth, enhancing aesthetics and comfort. They’re fabricated to blend in with natural shades of the gum and surrounding tissues.
5. Missing Teeth
People may lose their teeth at any time, and replacing the lost tooth is often a priority. Partnering with a lab allows you to offer quick solutions like dentures, flippers, or bridges. Flippers provide temporary solutions while the client decides on a more permanent fix. Partial and full dentures replace the missing teeth to restore function and aesthetics and prevent bone loss. Bridges are more permanent because they’re bonded to existing teeth on both sides. If the client qualifies, you can work with labs to provide implant-supported restorations, which involve drilling into the jawbone for a secure fit.
Find Quality Dental Labs Today
Labs allow you to outsource work whenever your clients need custom dental prosthetics. Instead of hiring in-house technicians and investing in costly equipment, partner with a lab that already has everything you need. Start working with dental labs today to provide effective solutions for tooth loss, misalignment, and other issues.