Taking care of your oral health is a lifelong effort, and you must do what you can at home to keep your teeth strong and healthy. In tandem with in-office treatment, you can protect your smile’s health from decay, infections, and more. Though you may take strides to brush, floss, and maintain an otherwise involved preventive dental routine, sometimes issues arise and complicate matters. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO dentist describes the need for restorative dental treatment, the different treatment options available, and what you can expect from a procedure in our office.
What is Restorative Dentistry?
When a person takes necessary preventative measures, he or she reaps the benefits of a strong, healthy smile. This includes both in-office and at-home care. At home, we recommend brushing at least twice a day and flossing at least once daily. In an ideal world, you should be flossing after every meal. Meanwhile, an in-office checkup and cleaning helps remove difficult deposits that brushing alone could not help. It also allows our team to carefully monitor your smile’s health over time.
One of the biggest threats to a person’s oral health is unmanaged dental decay. Decay occurs when oral bacteria present in the hard-to-reach places of the mouth feed on sugars and produce a destructive acid. This material eats away at a tooth’s otherwise healthy structure, creating a small hole known as a cavity. Without proper intervention, the cavity will continue to worsen until it has compromised the entire structure. In situations such as these, our office may recommend restorative dentistry to treat the issue. Give our office a call today to learn more.
Simple Treatment For Minor Cavities
When a cavity forms, decay has begun to eat away at a tooth’s protective layer of enamel. To address the issue and prevent further damage, our team may recommend a dental filling. During this process, your dentist will numb the affected area, then carefully but thoroughly remove any and all infected areas. After this, a biocompatible composite resin material is placed and appropriately shaped. Finally, a special light is used to cure the material, and your procedure is complete!
In addition to cleaning and reinforcing your tooth, a biocompatible filling offers a virtually lifelike finish. The composite material can be tooth-colored to match your surrounding structures, so you do not have to sacrifice your confidence and appearance to ensure your smile is cared for.
Options for Progressing Decay
If timely intervention does not occur, tooth decay will continue to spread and wreak havoc on your smile. A cavity will become larger and larger as the harmful bacteria work their way deeper into the inner portion of your tooth. Fortunately, a dental crown may be an apt solution. Crowns – also known as caps – fit snugly over and are shaped to the natural dimensions of your tooth. They can be used to protect a filling or other restorative treatment from outside harm while it heals.
A unique feature of a dental crown is that you can select from a few different options, depending on your needs. For example, porcelain crowns are an aesthetically-pleasing solution for front teeth, or for anyone looking for a lifelike appearance. Metal crowns – though less popular today – may be recommended for special circumstances. Finally, porcelain-fused-to-metal caps combine the visual appeal of porcelain crowns and the durability of metal. Contact our office today to learn more about your restorative cap options and how you can get started.
When Tooth Nerves Are Damaged
As decay progresses, the infection will gain access to and begin damaging the sensitive nerves housed in the roots of your teeth. At this stage, routine tasks such as biting, chewing, and more will become very painful and difficult to perform. It is best not to put off seeking treatment at this point, and root canal therapy may be exactly what you need to salvage the structure entirely. A root canal procedure is a bit more extensive than a filling, as it requires your dentist to remove even more of the infected material inside of your tooth. To maintain its strength and integrity, a material is used to fill the open canals.
Tooth Extraction
In the event a filling rejects or a root canal fails, the last viable option for your oral health is to have the tooth removed. While losing a tooth is the last thing a person may want, if an infected structure were allowed to remain, eating, speaking, and more would become unbearable. Moreover, there is a greater likelihood that the infection will continue to spread to healthy teeth, potentially compromising your smile one tooth at a time. A dental extraction may be recommended for extreme decay, fractured roots, significant misalignment, and more.
Prosthodontic Care
Whether you lost a tooth as a result of an injury or due to an infection or extraction, it is important to recognize the need to fill the new gap. Not only can a gap in your grin be an eyesore, but it can lead to further complications with oral function, pronunciation, and even bone erosion in the jawbone.
Prosthodontics, or artificial tooth replacement, can help not only complete your smile, but restore function as well. Our team offers an array of options, from single-crown replacement to implant-retained bridges. These restorations can provide greater comfort and support than traditional bridges, as well as offer improved long-term oral health and more lifelike functionality.
Learn More Today
Dental restorations offer you the ability to not only restore your oral health and function, but can be customized to closely mimic the shape, color, and texture of your natural teeth. Contact Delightful Dental Care in Kansas City, MO by calling (816) 942-7669 to learn more and schedule your next appointment with our team today. We will work with you to determine the treatment option that will yield the best results for your needs.