Dealing With Your Damaged Teeth: Tips For You
If you have teeth that are damaged and cause you pain or discomfort or that are just unsightly, you may find yourself looking for ways that you can improve the situation. There are numerous dental treatments that you can choose from to help you deal with your damaged tooth or teeth and get your smile back to what you want it to be. Get to know some of these treatment options so that you can choose the best option for you and your teeth, and schedule your dental appointment as soon as possible.
Dental Crowns or Caps
One of the best solutions for damaged teeth is to place a dental crown or a cap over the tooth. This is a dental prosthetic device that attaches to the existing tooth structure. In comparison to other options, dental crowns are somewhat easier to have installed because they do not require the damaged tooth to be extracted or removed.
Dental crowns are aesthetically appealing and provide strength and structural support to the tooth. There are numerous different options for dental crown materials. Metals were the traditional option for dental crowns and are still available. However, the more popular options today are ceramic, porcelain, or composite resins. Visually, these materials look the most like your natural teeth and will not draw unwanted attention to your teeth. Composite resins or ceramic and porcelain over metal are the most durable options for dental crowns, as they have the strength of metal and the tooth-like appearance of the resin or ceramic.
Bridges or Dental Implants
Bridges and dental implants are also options to help you deal with your damaged teeth. Both of these are options that involve replacing the teeth that are damaged, rather than covering them.
A dental bridge is an artificial tooth that is suspended over the space where your damaged tooth or teeth was located. As such, the first step is to remove your damaged tooth. The next step will be to file down the teeth surrounding that space to attach the anchors for the bridge so that the artificial tooth can be suspended over the space.
Dental implants are also artificial tooth options, except that instead of being suspended over the gap in the remaining teeth, the artificial tooth is anchored into the bone and gums with a screw-like implant. The implant is a replica of the root of a natural tooth and is topped with an abutment that protrudes just beyond the gum line, to which the artificial tooth is attached. This is the tooth replacement option that is most like a natural tooth.
With these options in mind, you can deal with your damaged teeth in the way that works best for you and your situation. For more information, contact a dentist at a location such as Bae & Bae Family Dentistry.