Having white, healthy, and gleaming teeth is everyone’s dream. Basic oral hygiene techniques can go a long way in ensuring that. Regular dental visits are also a critical part of maintaining healthy teeth. While most people endeavor to see a dentist every once in a while, most of these visits are usually as a response to some tooth problem. For instance, dental cavities can cause severe pain once the bacteria-induced rot reaches the nerve endings past the root canal. Such excruciating pain is one of the main reasons people schedule an appointment with North York Dental Services.
The old adage that prevention is better than cure is probably more relevant to dentistry than many other fields. Seeing your dentist before experiencing dental problems is one of the best ways to avoid many dental diseases. Unfortunately, most dental visits reveal dental problems when they are past the stage of preventive measures. As such restoration becomes the only option.
All You Need To Know About Restorative
Restorative dentistry is the practice of repairing damaged teeth or completely replacing them when necessary. While tooth decay and other diseases cause a significant number of these problems, trauma can also necessitate restorative dental procedures.
These procedures include:
- Root Canal Treatment
Sometimes a tooth decays to the point where a dental filling is not sufficient to resolve the problem. In such cases, removing the decaying matter within the tooth structure becomes crucial. The dentist will clean the rot inside the tooth structure (pulp) to ensure that the tooth root is free from bacteria.
After that, an inlay and dental crown are added. The inlay is a composite material that fills up the space left due to the removal of the soft tooth pulp. Both the inlay and the dental crown ensure that the tooth regains its original appearance and the ability to break down food.
- Cavity Filling
Tooth decay tends to cause significant portions of the tooth to develop holes(cavities) due to bacterial infections .When the hard, outer part of the tooth (enamel) is breached by bacterial action, the soft part inside the tooth (pulp) becomes at risk of getting a bacterial infection. A dentist will remove the damaged tooth parts, replacing them with artificial composite material that can mimic the structural characteristics of the natural tooth material. The prevalence of dental cavities in many people’s teeth means that fillings are among the most common restorative dental procedures.
- Dental Implants
These are also becoming very common. Sometimes tooth decay or accidents can damage a tooth so badly that removal is the only option. In such cases, the dentist may recommend dental implants to restore chewing function and improve the dentition appearance.
A dental implant procedure involves the complete replacement of a tooth, from the crown to the tooth root. A tiny metal structure is affixed to the jawbone, after which the final part of the implant (crown) is attached. This gives the implant the appearance and capabilities of a natural tooth.
- Crowns
Sometimes the top part of a tooth (crown) sustains damage that is not severe enough to warrant a complete replacement. Fortifying such a tooth’s crown becomes essential to its continued normal functioning.
A dentist will shear off the top part of the damaged tooth and seal an artificial crown in its place. This maintains the natural tooth appearance without affecting the tooth root.
- Dentures
Dentures are ideal for those who have lost many natural teeth and cannot chew food properly. Removable dentures utilize suctions to attach to the gums. Sometimes, dental implants are used to hold dentures in their proper position (snap-on dentures).
- Dental Bridges
These are artificial teeth held between two crowns. They are often made up of a row of multiple teeth. The crowns help to support the dental bridge, with such crowns being placed over the existing teeth. To ensure enough support, the crowns are placed at each side of the dental bridge. The bridge is placed on top of the gums without being a part of the tooth root.
All in all, most people will probably require some sort of restorative dental procedure during their lifetime. Improved appearance of teeth and addressing some serious dental issues are the main benefits of these procedures. Ideally, regular dental visits should obviate the need for many of these procedures.
