Southern York Smile Care

7 WAYS TO FIX A TOOTH

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In a perfect world, each of your cherished teeth would stay healthy, strong, and brilliantly white throughout your life. The truth is, however, that most people will need to restore a tooth at some point.

A tooth can be compromised by dental caries, enamel erosion, a chip or crack, gum disease, or injury. Sometimes old restorations break and need to be replaced or root canals performed decades ago develop an abscess.

Here are 7 different options for repairing a damaged tooth:

Dental Bonding

Bonding, officially called direct composite veneers, is used to fix minor cosmetic issues – small chips, cracks, discoloration, and spaces between teeth. A skilled cosmetic dentist applies moldable tooth-colored composite resin and shapes as desired. The resin is then cured with a special light to harden and adhere tightly to the tooth. Composite bonding is typically the most cost-effective option for improving healthy teeth with minor cosmetic issues.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are wafer-thin tooth-shaped fronts that are permanently bonded to your natural teeth. They are used when the underlying tooth is structurally sound and free of dental caries. A beautiful veneer can cover a chip or crack, or fix the alignment of a tooth.

Fillings

Modern white fillings are strong and inconspicuous. A minimally invasive filling at Southern York Smile Care leaves you with more of nature’s ideal dental material — your own enamel and dentin. We can also replace old amalgam fillings with white fillings. This makes your teeth look a lot better every time you open your mouth. Get rid of all that metal!

Inlays and Onlays

A traditional filling is shaped and molded after it is applied to the tooth. Because inlays and onlays are fabricated in a dental lab, they are typically called indirect fillings. A less invasive inlay or onlay may be used instead of a traditional filling or, in some cases, a crown. Inlays are applied to just the center of the biting surface of a tooth (not to a cusp or point) and are commonly smaller than onlays. An onlay restores one or more cusps of a tooth.

Crowns

crown replaces the entire visible portion of the tooth, restoring appearance, strength, and function. A crown is commonly necessary for a tooth that has had a root canal, a tooth with extreme decay, or as the replacement tooth in a dental bridge. Attaching a crown to the abutment is the final step of a tooth implant procedure. Crowns can be made of all metal (such as gold), porcelain-fused-to-metal, all ceramic, or all resin.

Soft Tissue Grafts

Gum recession puts teeth and underlying bone at risk. Soft tissue grafting can cover the exposed root of a tooth to prevent further damage. Gum surgery is also carried out for cosmetic reasons such reshaping a gumline to eliminate a “gummy” smile.

Dental Implants

What if a tooth has to be extracted because it is beyond saving? For many Southern York Smile Care patients, a dental implant anchored into the bone is the optimal solution. A tooth implant consist of a strong metal post (artificial root), abutment (connecting piece), and beautiful crown. A dental implant had many advantages over a dental bridge. They are stronger, provide virtually natural function, prevent bone recession, and do not impact the surrounding teeth. For patients with numerous missing teeth, customized implant-anchored dentures can be designed in any configuration necessary.

For more specifics about any of these procedures, call Southern York Smile Care at 717-235-3871. Thanks for visiting the Southern York Smile Care blog. We appreciate your interest in our Shrewsbury dental practice.

VISIT SOUTHERN YORK SMILE CARE TODAY!

Call Southern York Smile Care for all of your sedation dentistry needs Your comfort and safety are our utmost priority, which is why we’ll go the extra mile to ensure you feel completely relaxed throughout your visit. To learn more about dental anxiety treatment options, call us at (717) 235-3871 or fill out a convenient contact form on this page. We look forward to meeting you and building the beautiful, healthy smile you have always wanted.