How General Dentistry Can Prolong the Health of Your Teeth

Going to your general dentistry clinic can help enhance your oral health. Dental damage and wear can happen to anyone. They can lead to tooth loss without getting the right kind of treatment. If you want to know how general dentistry can lengthen the life of your dentition, here are the details.

What dental restorations are

General dentistry offers different types of restorations to bring back a patient’s dental health. Over time, there may be some tooth structures in need of extensive repairs. Deteriorated structures need removal. This will prevent the damage from worsening. Dental restorations can rebuild teeth. These improve the appearance and the function of dentition.

Dental crowns

Crowns or caps cover the exposed upper part of teeth. They reinstate the tooth’s strength, appearance, and function. A crown can cover a tooth with a large filling. It can then hold the tooth together and protect it from future damage. This restoration can also be added after dental implant surgery or another procedure performed to save one’s natural tooth.

The dentist must shave off a significant amount of healthy tooth structure. This will make sure the crown will fit over the tooth. Trimming off some of the natural tooth may cause some sensitivity. For this, the dentist will need to inject a local anesthetic into the area around the tooth. Impressions of the shaved tooth will go to the dental lab for constructing the custom-fit crown.

A crown can also complete a dental implant surgery. The dental crown will fit over the abutment of the titanium rod. Impressions of the abutment and remaining teeth will again go to the dental lab for the crown’s construction. It will be the synthetic tooth in place of the lost natural tooth. Traditional dental crowns often take weeks to finish. Modern ones from digital printing only take one day to create and install.

Dental fillings

These general dentistry restorations are common. A dentist can fill a cavity with silver amalgam, gold, or composite resin. General dentistry clinics use fillings to repair small dental cracks as well. Most patients prefer tooth-colored fillings. These fillings are often invisible. Each one blends well with the patient’s natural dental structure.

Dental implants

General dentistry uses these restorations as permanent replacements for missing teeth. The dentist drills holes into the patient’s jaws. Then, the dentist will place titanium posts into the holes. These posts will act as dental roots. These posts will help prevent jawbone loss. Each one will also support the custom-fit dental crown.

Bridges

This restoration consists of synthetic teeth capable of bridging the gap from the loss of at least one tooth. The dentist cements the synthetic bridge to both sides of the gap with the help of crowns. These are permanent or fixed restorations. They can be made from various materials like gold or porcelain.

Dentures

These removable dental replacements attach to the remaining teeth through metal clasps. Dentures are easy to get. These are traditional dental replacements. Those who have dentures can remove them and clean them separately. Soaking them in water overnight keeps them in good condition. Most patients find dentures unstable over time.