The Main Dental Solutions for Damaged and Missing Teeth
The enamel of your tooth is the strongest and the most mineralizing tissue in the body. However, some unfortunate circumstances can lead to breaking and chipping of teeth. Some of the common causes of such damaged and missing teeth are tooth decay, tooth injury, or accident.
The most visible impact of a missing or damaged tooth is on your appearance. However, this can also cause a major impact on your self-confidence and self-image. Even a single missing tooth can cause difficulty in speaking, brushing, biting, and chewing.
Also, gum diseases and tooth decay impact other organs of the body. Bacteria can enter the body through the mouth and travel to other parts of the body causing severe ailments like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, etc.
Springfield dental solutions include many methods that can fix your damaged or missing tooth. Let us discuss them in more detail.
1. Veneers
Broken, chipped, or damaged teeth on the front side of the face are generally fixed with dental veneers. A veneer is a thin shell-like tooth-colored porcelain or resin composite material that can make your tooth look healthy again.
Veneers are widely recognized for their cosmetic benefits. However, they also strengthen the broken tooth and fix issues with biting and speaking. They are durable and can be colored to match the natural appearance of your teeth.
Veneers are also used for stained teeth or teeth with gaps and provide you with a healthy and beautiful smile.
2. Dental implants
Dental implants are one of the most preferred solutions for missing teeth. Dental implants look and feel like your natural teeth. They can also be brushed and flossed like natural teeth to keep them clean and free of stains.
Another advantage of a dental implant is that it does not damage the adjacent tooth rather provides support to the jawbone. Biocompatible titanium is screwed to the jaw bone to create the base for the missing tooth.
They prevent resorption of the jaw bone and provide support for other dental procedures like dentures. Dental implants are customizable and can be a permanent solution for missing teeth.
3. Root canal treatment
The chipping, breaking, or decay of your teeth can expose the center of the tooth known as pulp. The pulp contains nerves and blood vessels. If the bacteria from your mouth reaches the exposed pulp, it can cause severe infection. This can be painful and can cause tooth sensitivity.
A dentist, in such a case, can perform a root canal treatment. The treatment involves extracting the dead pulp cleaning the root canal, and then sealing it.
However, sometimes the decay is severe, and the tooth may not be able to hold the filling. In such a case, a dentist creates a base for the crown and covers the tooth area with a dental crown.
A dental crown can be made of metal, ceramic, porcelain, or a combination of these. Porcelain is the preferred choice for a dental crown as it has a similar translucent appearance to a natural tooth.
4. Dentures
With modern materials and advanced technology, dentures have become a great means of replacing the missing tooth. They are natural-looking and comfortable.
The dentures can be partial, which replaces a few missing teeth. Full dentures replace all the teeth in the upper or lower jaw.
5. Filling
If the damage to the tooth is not severe, a simple filling procedure can fix the tooth. Unlike silver-mercury amalgam fillings, composite fillings are custom-made to match the color of your teeth.
These fillings look like natural teeth and are extremely durable. With a simple painless procedure, you can restore your damaged teeth.
Dental issues can become severe if left unattended. Hence, it is important to replace damaged or missing teeth with the above-mentioned methods.