Most people experience some form of tooth decay during their lifetime. To prevent tooth decay from spreading and causing additional damage, it is important to promptly remove any decay and restore your teeth. Schedule an appointment today to discuss your treatment plan!
Once tooth decay or a cavity has been detected, the decayed portion of the tooth must be removed and rebuilt with a filling. To do this, the dentist will numb the tooth with a local anesthetic, remove the decay with a high speed dental drill and layer the filling material into the tooth for a smooth finish. Patients can choose from a number of materials to fill the tooth including tooth-colored fillings, silver fillings and gold fillings. Kid fillings are also available in purple and pink colors with sparkles.
Crowns are also used to help restore and strengthen teeth from major decay and fractures. During this restoration process, decay is removed from the tooth and a mold of that tooth is made. A special laboratory will then use this mold to create a porcelain (or tooth-colored) crown. Once the crown is made to match the tooth, the dentist will cement it into place, capping the existing tooth and protecting it from further decay.
If teeth are missing, a bridge is a great option for restoring your smile. Having a bridge is essentially like having a series of crowns. The teeth on either side of the missing tooth (or teeth) are prepared for crowns and an impression is made and sent to a dental laboratory. Once the laboratory makes the crowns, a false tooth or series of teeth are fastened between the crowns, forming a bridge. The bridge is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the teeth creating a full, strong and natural-looking smile.
