When a person thinks about dental care, the prevention of teeth problems will automatically come to mind. People are encouraged to follow strict dental care guidelines to ensure that their teeth will be able to last for the longest possible time. However, there can be unforeseen situations wherein people may get into accidents or severe cases of dental cavities that would be the cause for people to lose some or all of their teeth. Situations like these need to be addressed so people can still eat and talk normally.
For these cases, the use of dentures may be the course of action. With the help of dentists, patients will be evaluated if they would be eligible to use certain types of dentures.
Important Things to Know About Teeth Restoration
There are many types of dental problems that dentists try to solve on a regular basis. Different patients have unique dental problems which would need to be treated in certain ways. Teeth restoration options vary, depending on the current circumstance of the patient. There are times wherein patients actually have teeth that may still be saved with the proper dental treatment. This makes it necessary for people to understand the cases and treatments done for teeth restoration. The following list shows important details people must know about teeth restoration:
- Teeth restoration is all about improving the dental well-being of patients. There are patients that have some problems that may be milder than others. These patients would need simpler forms of treatment which may include regular deep cleaning of their teeth. However, for milder to severe cases of dental issues, there may be need for the dentist to schedule more complex treatment procedures.
- For patients with issues that involve decayed or damaged teeth, there may still be chances for these teeth to be saved. Dentists will try to save any of your permanent teeth before opting to go with more extreme measures. If the current teeth can still be saved, you may refer to the common treatments offered by dentists:
Dental filling
Dental fillings can be made out of different types of dental materials. However, each type of material has its own characteristics and may be used for specific situations. Application of dental fillings is a treatment meant to save any of the teeth that have been mildly affected by cavities. Tooth decay is the outcome when bacteria have formed inside the teeth of patients. If the teeth are not cleaned, the bacteria will have time to move deeper into the pulps of the teeth. This is why cases wherein bacteria have not reached the dental pulp can be treated with dental fillings. The process involves the dentist giving the patient local anesthesia to help him avoid feeling any pain or discomfort during the procedure. All signs of tooth decay are removed by the dentist using an air abrasion tool. Depending on the type of dental filling that would be used; the dentist may remove additional surface area from the affected teeth so that the dental filling material can be applied without any possible issues. The filling material used will eventually harden and the strength of the affected teeth will improve.
Dental Crown
This procedure involves ridding of the cavities inside the patient’s teeth. Afterwards, the top of the tooth may be trimmed to make it possible for a dental crown to be installed. Dental crowns may be made from different types of materials such as zirconia, ceramic, porcelain, metal or even a combination of any of the items. It may take the patient 2 visits to the dental clinic. Usually after the procedure of cleaning and trimming of the tooth, the dentist will first install a temporary crown. A permanent crown will be fabricated and will be installed during the second visit from the patient.
- When the patient’s permanent teeth are already missing or are damaged beyond repair, the dentist will have no other option but to perform procedures that will involve the creation of artificial teeth to replace the missing teeth. Here are some of the common types of treatments offered by dentists for such cases:
Dental bridge
This is a type of solution wherein there would be a need for available adjacent teeth to be used as part of the structure of a dental bridge. Natural teeth are normally used as the abutment. These teeth may be trimmed as they will be used to hold on crowns that will be placed on top of them. These crowns are holding the pontics, which act as the artificial teeth. Depending on the setup of the person’s missing teeth, a dentist will have to evaluate which type of dental bridge will be installed. This is one of the costly solutions to missing teeth.
Denture
This is a treatment wherein a dental prosthetic is used to replace any missing teeth and surrounding tissues. This is a cheaper alternative to dental bridges and depending on the type of dentures chosen by both the dentists and patients, dentures will be able to fix issues patients have with chewing and talking.
How Does A Denture Work?
Dentures may be fabricated from dental materials like nylon, porcelain, acrylic, resin, or metal. Dentists evaluate their patients to see if they would need complete dentures or partial dentures. A complete denture is necessary if all of the permanent teeth are missing. The prosthetics will be fitted to the structure of the patient’s mouth. When it comes to partial dentures, these are prosthetics that will have artificial teeth and surrounding tissues on the affected areas of the mouth.
The dentist needs to ensure that the current structure would be followed to avoid giving complications to the patient. They are removable in most cases. This would mean that patients should regularly clean them like the way they clean their permanent teeth. Doing so will preserve the longevity of the dentures. There are also dentures that can be permanently installed. This will include the installation of dental implants to securely hold on to the dentures. Once installed, they can only be removed by the dentist.
These are more secure and can give the patient more force when chewing. However, this type of denture may pose some risks since you will be cleaning them while they are attached to your mouth. The risk of leaving some areas of the denture dirty will promote the growth of bacteria. This is why you must have a regular scheduled visit to the dentist to have your denture cleaned thoroughly.
Dentures Are Meant to Improve Oral Motor Skills
After losing some teeth, people develop difficulty in chewing or talking. This makes it hard to live and communicate with others. But by using your dentures constantly, you will eventually adapt to wearing them. Always make sure that your denture is properly maintained. If you feel discomfort, you must report your problem to your dentist, so any issue will be fixed before you develop infections or complications. If you are in need of dentures, you may schedule an appointment with Osmin Denture Clinic & Premier Dental Health & Facial Esthetic Center Inc. at 647-294-3310.