A visit to the family dentist is recommended every six months. For patients with proper oral hygiene, the treatment provided during these visits should be primarily preventative. However, even those who take good care of their teeth occasionally need restorative treatments due to accidents or natural wear and tear over time.
Most patients in need of dental restoration need help in at least one of the following categories.
Teeth that have been damaged in an accident or from decay may need to be repaired with bonding treatment or dental fillings. A cracked or chipped tooth is more susceptible to decay because bacteria can penetrate the enamel. Dental bonding can often repair a crack or chip without being overly invasive or removing much of the existing enamel.
Decayed teeth are commonly fixed with fillings. When decay is allowed to remain in or on a tooth, it will continue to erode the enamel and cause further harm to the tooth. A family dentist may fix many types of decay by removing the dead tissue, cleaning and sanitizing the infected area, and filling or bonding it to prevent the decay from coming back.
There are patients whose teeth have so much decay and erosion that entire portions are missing. Each case is unique and can require anything from inlays and onlays to crowns in order to make the tooth healthy again. While some eroded teeth can be restored with one or more fillings, others have gone beyond the point of filling and must be fixed with a crown. Dentists will most often try to save as much of the natural tooth as possible, but sometimes it is better for the tooth to be filed down and crowned than to risk the tooth decaying further and causing infection and pain in the nerve.
When the natural tooth is unable to be salvaged, dental professionals can replace it with a bridge, an implant, or dentures. If just a single tooth needs replaced, an implant can act as an artificial tooth root inserted into the jawbone. A bridge can be a good choice for those missing two or three teeth, as long as the natural teeth on either side of the gap are strong enough to support the anchors of the bridge. For those missing several teeth scattered throughout the mouth, dentures may be the way to go. It is important to consult with a dental professional before making a decision about which option will produce the desired results with the least amount of risk.
Check out what others are saying about our dental services on Yelp:
Family Dentist Restorative Treatments in Murphy, NC
Teeth that are allowed to remain damaged or missing can end up doing severe damage to the remaining teeth or jawbone. Any time some form of decay, damage, or erosion is present, a family dentist will typically recommend a form of restorative treatment to make the mouth healthy and whole again.
Request an appointment or call Valley River Dental at 828-360-9114 for an appointment in our Murphy office.
Dental sealants are among the services a family dentist provides to help prevent tooth decay. Dentists perform the application on the back teeth, or molars, used primarily for chewing. These teeth have tiny crevices and uneven places where the bacteria that can cause cavities are often found. According to the American Dental Association, sealants can…
When choosing a family dentist, parents may need to consider the ages of the children as well as the family's overall dental needs. If the children are old enough to sit in a dentist’s chair, they are good candidates for being treated by a regular family dentist, but these practices do not always take infants…
Many people get the majority of dental care from a family dentist. These types of dentists are tasked with maintaining patients' oral health and may perform a variety of procedures to do so. From cleaning to crowns to exams, family dentists can cover the essentials of oral health. These are some of the most common…