Tooth decay can quickly become something much worse if you ignore it. The same is true for a broken or cracked tooth. We aim to repair teeth, to protect and preserve your smile.
At our Shorewood, IL dentist office, we have two wonderful ways that can help you avoid serious long-term problems.
A dental crown can be used to repair teeth that been damaged (for any reason), and dental bridges can replace teeth you may have lost or had removed.
You can learn more about either one of these services by calling 815-725-5991 and setting up an appointment at Shorewood Family Dental Care.
Repair Teeth for Practical & Pretty
A long time ago, people tried anything and everything you could imagine to replace missing teeth. Animal teeth and bones, seashells, and stones are just a few of the things archaeologists have discovered among ancient cultures attempts at teeth repair and replacement.
Closer to our modern age, metal crowns made of gold or amalgam (a blend of mercury and other metals) were often used between they were durable and could restore the function of damaged teeth.
But, mercury in fillings (along with other metals) tend to stand out for the wrong reasons.
So … people designed ceramic teeth with the aim of making them look more “natural.” The problem with these was that the early ceramics were fragile and broke easily.
Thankfully, dental researchers were persistent. Through their efforts, today we have new materials that allow us to make crowns that look and feel like real teeth and are sturdy enough to withstand the daily “grind” of replacing teeth. Here’s a newer post where we also recently discussed removing silver fillings!
Modern crowns are practical in that they let you eat anything you want. They also look great so your smile can be as pretty as it was before … and maybe even a little better.
Who Needs a Crown?
There are so many reasons to get a dental crown, as they help many people with many problems. Getting one also can prevent a small problem from getting worse.
Let’s say you have a cavity that you either didn’t know you had or ignored in hopes that it would go away. (Hint: it won’t.)
If a cavity is large, a filling won’t be an effective treatment. This is when a dental crown is a better option.
In this process, the decay will be removed and your tooth will be reshaped to so the crown can fit over it. This can prevent your tooth from becoming infected, which can be painful and requires a root canal treatment to fix.
We also recommend crowns to fix broken and cracked teeth as well. Like cavities, breaks and cracks can expose the inner layers of your tooth to bacteria that cause infections. Getting a crown as soon as you are able can prevent those kinds of problems from developing.
But if You Do Lose a Tooth …
If your tooth does become infected, it’s also possible it may need to be removed. We’ve also treated several patients who lost teeth as a result of accidents and injuries.
In those situations, a few crowns can be bonded together to form a dental bridge. Like crowns, bridges can restore the appearance of your smile and allow you to keep eating the foods you love.
We would prepare the healthy teeth on either side of the gap in your smile to support your bridge. Then we would bond the two outer crowns of your bridge to those teeth. The crown in the middle would fill the empty space.
When we are finished, your smile will look as good as it ever has.
Bridges are just one way to replace a missing tooth, however. Another option would be an implant-supported crown.
Dental implants replace the roots of missing teeth. They can support your crown, just as the root of a damaged tooth could. Again, your implant-supported crown would give you back your smile and more!
Repair Teeth So You Don’t Lose Your Smile
At our modern, advanced dentist office, we can repair damaged teeth and replace lost teeth for you. It gives us a good feeling anytime we can give a patient a reason to smile again.
If you are looking for a family dentist in Shorewood, Illinois you can request an appointment by calling 815-725-5991 or contact us online. You just might save your smile if you do!
