Dental care is something that many people go through. Having a reliable dental practice to go to for help in the Waimanalo area is important and can help save a patient’s teeth if visited when a problem first appears. Unfortunately for many patients, dental problems can be neglected for long periods of time, resulting in minor situations becoming more severe before being treated. A simple cavity that could have been filled by a reputable dental practice can quickly turn into a severely damaged tooth when neglected. This can lead to more damage to the tooth and, possibly, an infection, which may require a root canal or even a tooth extraction to resolve.
In most cases, a cavity will require a simple dental filling to resolve. Unfortunately for most patients who neglect their Dental Care in Waimanalo, when cavities progress over time they break down more of the enamel on the teeth. This can lead to requiring more severe treatments like crowns or veneers. If the tooth has roughly 70% of enamel left, a dentist will choose to restore it with a crown or dental veneers, depending on which tooth it is. Most front teeth will be restored with dental veneers to keep the patient’s smile looking natural. Crowns, on the other hand, are typically used in back teeth since they are not seen as often. Crowns can come in metal or porcelain, while veneers are usually porcelain.
When a tooth has less than 70% of its enamel left, a dentist may decide a tooth extraction is the best way to fix it. When a tooth is extracted, it is usually replaced with a dental implant. Dental implants work better than bridges and dentures since they have an anchor that attaches the tooth directly to the bone. This anchor acts like the natural root of a tooth, exciting bone grown over time as the patient bites or chews. They still require regular dental care in Waimanalo to help keep them clean and free of bacteria that could affect their neighboring teeth. Dentures and bridges, on the other hand, will wear down the bone under them over time, requiring bone grafts later on in the patient’s life to restore it. Contact us for more information on better dental care practice.