General Dentistry
Restorations (fillings) are used to restore teeth that have been compromised by cavities. After a cavity is removed, they fill in the opening and prolong the life of your natural teeth. We primarily use composite resin fillings rather than conventional amalgams made of metals such as silver and mercury. Composite resins are tooth-coloured fillings that are barely noticeable. Traditional metal fillings can actually reduce the strength of your teeth by up to 50 percent, whereas composite resin fillings can strengthen your teeth. If you have silver fillings, we can remove and replace them with tooth-coloured restoration if you so choose.
Extractions
At times a tooth cannot be saved, and will require an extraction. A tooth extraction, is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. Dental extractions are most often performed because a tooth has sustained damage or decay, or cannot be saved by Root Canal treatment. It could also be extracted to prepare for the placement of a Dental Implant. Advanced gum disease may be another contributing factor in a tooth extraction.
Root Canal
A root canal is a treatment option available to “save” a tooth that has sustained damage, inflammation, or infection in the pulp, deep inside the tooth. Put simply, the damaged internal sections are removed from your tooth and replaced with material to seal the tooth. In most cases, a crown is placed over the tooth to protect it from further decay and damage.
Crowns
A dental crown is a type of dental restoration and serves as a component in many different types of restorative treatments. Dental crowns are also known as “caps,” as they fit on top of existing teeth or over dental implants. Dental crowns are most often made of porcelain, a material that is both strong and non-porous (thus more resistant to staining like tooth enamel), and reflects light in much the same way as a natural tooth.
The crown is a very important part of the tooth structure. Crowns are usually the part of the tooth that people can see. Crowns have different shapes and surfaces for the different functions of each type of tooth. Another very important job of a dental crown is to protect the interior portion of the tooth from bacteria and decay. Crowns are covered with enamel, which is very hard and strong, but still vulnerable to damage and decay.
If a tooth is broken, cracked, or damaged, the ability of the enamel and crown to protect the tooth is compromised. Dental crowns are needed in order to protect the inside of the tooth and seal out bacteria and food particles. Otherwise, the tooth is vulnerable to infection and decay, and eventual tooth loss or other dental emergency.
Dental crowns are often needed after root canal therapy, and are also used when creating a dental bridge. They are also placed over a dental implant when replacing a tooth. Dental crowns can be used as an alternative to dental veneers when correcting issues such as broken or chipped teeth.
