Frequently Asked Questions About Dental Restorations
If you are about to visit a dentist because you need what is known as a restoration, you may not know what type of dental procedures are required in these instances. So to help you understand the full range of restorations that a dentist can offer you, here are the answers to some important questions about dental restorations.
What Are Dental Implants and When Does One Need Them? -- A dental implant is a titanium post that a dentist inserts into your mouth when one of your teeth has been extracted. It is an anchoring post on which an artificial tooth known as a crown is bonded to replace the tooth you lost. Your dentist must first ensure that you have enough bone in your jaw to sustain an implant. If you don't have enough bone, your dentist can perform a bone graft. Once the implant is inserted into your mouth, you typically must wait several months for the bone in your jaw to grow around the implant. After the implant sets, your dentist will make the dental crown from an impression he takes of your mouth. The entire process can take as long as six months to complete, but an implant is much stronger than a denture and is intended to last your lifetime.
What Are Fillings? -- Fillings are one of the most common restorations offered by a dentist. They are used to fill in the space in your teeth once your dentist cleans out a cavity. Most fillings are made from gold, silver amalgam, porcelain or composite. Gold and silver are stronger than porcelain or composite, but are also more noticeable, which is why many dentists use them less often than the other two options, which are made to match the existing shade of your teeth. After your dentist has cleaned out a cavity, he fills the space with the filling so that when you smile, no one will notice you ever had a cavity.
When Is a Root Canal Necessary? -- A root canal is necessary when an infection has seeped into the root of your tooth and bacteria has inflamed the nerve to such an extent that your dentist has to clean out the infection and drill away the parts of your tooth that have already been infected. Once your dentist has cleaned out the infection, a filling material is placed inside the canals of your tooth and a dental crown is bonded onto your tooth to restore it to its former appearance. Some patients who don't lose much of the existing structure of the infected tooth may only need a partial crown, which costs less money.
For more information about your situation, schedule an appointment at a clinic like Woodvale Dental Surgery.