Almost nothing in dentistry is better than what Mother Nature gave you (depends on what Mother Nature gave you, of course).

Why do I say that? Because there are always seams where dental fillings and prosthetics meet natural tooth structure (“margins”) and can microscopically harbor plaque and bacteria. These margins do not exist on natural teeth in a vast majority of mouths. Thus, you need to be even more attentive with your oral hygiene at home once you have any dental work done or have to wear any kind of dental appliance. Read: Almost nothing a dentist does prevents new cavities from starting. Or for realists: Almost everything a dentist does actually promotes decay.

Your teeth are with you 24/7, so how you clean and maintain your teeth at home is one of the biggest factors in how long dental treatment lasts. But for the sake of keeping things real you should also know this: All dental work will fail eventually.

Take home: If you are not going to spend the time you need to keep your mouth clean and free of disease, then there is no reason for me to do any work. It would be a waste of our time, energy, and money.