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A smile can be the most eye-catching feature of a face. With
dentistry's many advances, you no longer have to settle for
stained, chipped, or misshapen teeth. You have choices that can
help you smile with confidence. Talk to your dentist about the
options most suitable for you, what your expectations are and
the dental fees involved.
Bridges
Crowns
Extractions
Fillings
What's Right for Me?
Root Canals
Inlays, Porcelain or Gold
Removable Partial or Complete Dentures
Dental Implants
Bridges
If you're missing one or more teeth, you may notice a difference
in chewing and speaking. A bridge may be used to replace missing
teeth, help maintain the shape of your face and alleviate the
stress in your bite.
There are two types of permanent tooth replacement –fixed bridge
and implant.
A fixed bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth,
looks great, and literally bridges the gap where one or more
teeth may have been. The restoration can be made from gold,
alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials and is
bonded onto surrounding teeth for support.
An implant attaches artificial teeth directly to the jaw or
under the gum tissue. A small titanium fixture may be used to
surgically place the implant in the upper or lower jawbone to
replace the root of your missing tooth and provide an anchor for
a crown.
The success of any bridge or implant depends on its foundation –
the other teeth, gums or bone to which it is attached. So it's
very important to keep your remaining teeth, gums and jaw
healthy and strong.
Crowns
A crown covers a tooth and restores it to its normal shape and
size. A crown can make your tooth stronger and improve its
appearance. It can cover and support a tooth that has a large
filling. It can be used to attach a bridge, prevent a weak or
brittle tooth from breaking or restore one that's already
broken. A crown is a good way to cover teeth that are discolored
or badly shaped or out of position. It's also used to cover a
dental implant.
A crown may be made of gold and porcelain. It is made to fit the
tooth precisely. It looks somewhat like a thimble and is
cemented onto the prepared tooth.
If your dentist recommends a crown, it's probably to correct one
of these conditions. Your dentist's primary aim, like yours, is
to help you keep your teeth healthy and your smile bright.
Extractions
There are times when it is necessary to remove a tooth.
Sometimes a primary tooth has long or misshapen roots that
prevent it from falling out and the tooth must be removed to
make way for the permanent tooth to erupt. At other times a
tooth may have so much decay that it cannot be restored, or it
puts the surrounding teeth and jaw at risk of decay so the
dentist may recommend removal and replacement with a bridge or
implant. Infection, orthodontic correction or problems with a
wisdom tooth can also require removal of a tooth.
When it is determined that a tooth needs to be removed, the
dentist may request another visit for this procedure. It is
important to share any concerns or preferences for sedation that
you may have.
Fillings
Restoring Your Smile: Dental Filling Choices
Advances in modern dental materials and techniques have provided
new ways to create more pleasing, natural-looking smiles. As a
result dentists and patients have several choices when it comes
to selecting materials used to repair missing, worn, damaged or
decayed teeth.
Traditional dental restoratives include gold, porcelain, silver
amalgam and composite. The strength and durability of
traditional dental materials continue to make them useful for
situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces
that result from chewing, such as in the back of the mouth.
Newer dental restoratives include ceramic and plastic compounds
that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. These compounds,
called composite resins, are often used on the front teeth where
a natural appearance is important. They can be used on the back
teeth as well depending on the location and extent of the tooth
decay. Composite resins are usually more costly than the silver
amalgam fillings.
What’s Right for Me?
Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity
and expense of dental restorations. These factors include: the
components used in the filling material; the amount of tooth
structure remaining; where and how the filling is placed; the
chewing load that the tooth will have to bear; and the length
and number of visits needed to prepare and adjust the restored
tooth.
With so many choices, how do you know what’s right for you?
The ultimate decision about what to use is best determined by
the patient in consultation with the dentist. Before your
treatment begins, discuss the options with your dentist. To help
you prepare for this discussion it is helpful to understand the
two basic types of dental restorations: direct and indirect.
Direct restorations are fillings placed immediately into a
prepared cavity in a single visit. They include dental silver
amalgam, glass ionomers, resin ionomers and composite (resin)
fillings. The dentist prepares the tooth, places the filling and
adjusts it during one appointment.
Indirect restorations generally require two or more visits. They
include inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns and bridges fabricated
with gold, base metal alloys, ceramics or composites. During the
first visit, the dentist prepares the tooth and makes an
impression of the area to be restored. The dentist then places a
temporary over the prepared tooth. The impression is sent to a
dental laboratory, which creates the dental restoration. At the
next appointment, the dentist cements the restoration into the
prepared cavity and adjusts it as needed.
Root Canal (Endodontic) Treatment
In the past, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve, you'd
probably lose that tooth. Today, with a special dental procedure
called root canal treatment you may save that tooth.
Inside each tooth is the pulp and the nerve. The nerve is the
vestige of the tissue that originally formed the tooth. Once the
tooth has been in the mouth for a time, the functioning of the
nerve is no longer necessary.
When a tooth is cracked or has a deep cavity, bacteria can enter
the pulp. Germs can cause an infection inside the tooth. Left
without treatment, pus builds up at the root tip, in the
jawbone, forming a "pus-pocket" called an abscess. An abscess
can cause the pulp tissue to die. When the infected pulp is not
removed, pain and swelling can result. Certain byproducts of the
infection can injure your jawbones and your overall health.
Without treatment, your tooth may have to be removed.
Treatment often involves from one to three visits. During
treatment, your dentist removes the diseased pulp. Next the pulp
chamber and root canal(s) of the tooth are cleaned, shaped and
sealed. Often posterior teeth that have endodontic treatment
should have a cast crown placed in order to strengthen the
remaining structure. Then as long as you continue to care for
your teeth and gums with regular brushing, flossing and checkups
and the root(s) of the restored tooth are nourished by the
surrounding tissues, your restored tooth can last a lifetime.
Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple procedure
with little or no discomfort involving one to three visits. Best
of all, it can save your tooth and your smile!
Inlays, Porcelain or Gold
Porcelain Inlays are another option to discuss with the
dentist.
Removable Partial or Complete Dentures
Looking for a Seattle denture dentist? Dr. Nomura provides
removable partials and complete dentures.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that a
periodontist places into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or
bridge. Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good
general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to
periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.
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