Information Center

Cosmetic dentistry is wonderful. Often a beautiful smile makeover can take10 years or more off someone’s apparent age. Every dentist loves making their patients feel and look better. A new smile can change your entire life, why would you not want to have a beautiful, healthy smile? This is the point at which most patients ask me, “How long will the new teeth last?”

A beautiful smile is a combination of stunning looking teeth as well as highly functional teeth. As easy as this may sound, it is one of the most challenging aspects of dentistry today. Achieving perfect harmony between esthetics and function is the ultimate goal - I call this “Ideal Dentistry”. Even the most beautiful veneers won’t last very long if they are not designed with this concept in mind.

Would you build a beautiful home on swamp land? Of course not. Then apply the same concept to your mouth, where your gums and the underlying bone support the teeth, onto which you build all your dentistry. If one of the supporting structures such as the bone or the gum tissue is not healthy, then the teeth will not be able to support anything – not even themselves! Building a beautiful smile requires more than just a few veneers…it requires a healthy, functional mouth first.

Now to answer the question, “how long will the new teeth last?”… At this point you probably know that the answer is - it depends – did you have your new veneers built on swamp land? Or, did you and your dentist make sure everything else in your mouth is able to support these beautiful veneers? Are your gums healthy, and do you know how to properly care for your teeth? Do you grind your teeth, do you clench your teeth, or do you bite your nails with them? All these factors and many more are critical in determining how long any type of dentistry will last. Ideal dentistry takes all these factors into account, creating a treatment plan that is geared specifically towards your needs and habits. Prior to any smile makeover you should be free of gum disease and decay, and have a plan to control the habits that have worn down your teeth to the point they are at now. Once you have your new beautiful smile you need to have “engineering checks” on a yearly basis – this is where the dentist checks the function of your mouth and makes certain you are not causing harm to your teeth. A slight adjustment to your bite could extend the life of your teeth for years. Of course, regular visits to the hygienist to remove bacteria and deposits below the gum tissue, among other essential tasks, is a must.

At this point most people are looking at me and saying, “Yes, so how long will my new teeth last???” Here are a few numbers to make it more clear: If the new teeth were build according to the principals of ideal dentistry, and you follow up regularly as directed by your dentist, then you can expect to have an average of 10-15 years out of your new teeth. In my personal opinion, this is a low national average and it can be much higher. Yet insurance companies define success quite differently: Most insurance companies will pay again for a tooth that was treated 5 or 10 years ago. If a new tooth only lasts 5 years, then there was something wrong, in my opinion. The goal of ideal dentistry is to restore every mouth for the last time. I fully expect most of the dentistry that we place to last 20 plus years, if routine engineering checks and hygiene visits are maintained.

Dr. Christian W. Hahn founded The Center for Ideal Dentistry with Dr. Charles W. Vittitow. Dr. Hahn has been published internationally on the subject of cosmetic dentistry and has been featured on The Learning Channel (TLC) nationally performing a Smile Makeover. He has a passion for cosmetic dentistry with a focus on beautiful yet natural looking teeth.