Fillings are used to repair a cavity in your tooth caused by decay. Where a cavity is very large your dentist may recommend composite resin or porcelain inlays or onlays as cosmetic alternatives to white fillings. White fillings are used to correct the same damage or decay a metal amalgam filling would correct, but white fillings provide a more natural look.
Teeth may be extracted for a variety of reasons. Teeth may be so broken down that they cannot be restored. Wisdom teeth may be impacted and causing problems. Sometimes teeth are taken out for teeth alignment. Generally the procedure is straight forward and once healed over, causes no further problems.
Tooth decay or trauma can destroy the living pulp tissue within a tooth and leave the tooth prone to infection resulting in a tooth abscess and pain. Root canal treatment cleans and removes any remaining pulp tissue leaving a space which is filled to prevent further infection. Without a root filling, a tooth with a dead pulp would probably have to be taken out in the end. There is also a possibility of infection spreading beyond the tooth itself. Root fillings are usually successful and can last many years, but re-treatment is also possible if infection recurs.
Dental cone beam computed tomography (CT) is a special type of x-ray equipment used when regular dental or facial x-rays are not sufficient.
Your doctor may use this technology to produce three dimensional (3-D) images of your teeth, soft tissues, nerve pathways and bone in a single scan.
What Is CEREC®? CEREC® is an advanced form of dental technology which gives our dentists the ability to design and create new custom fit restorations for damaged teeth in a single appointment.
The process saves you time and is a far more pleasant experience. Previously (and in other practices without this technology) patients wanting a crown or veneer would need to have gooey and messy impressions made and multiple appointments to allow the crowns and veneers to be fabricated in a dental laboratory and then sent back to the dentist ready for fitting.
With CEREC®, the whole process takes place on site and within one day; teeth are digitally scanned, these images are converted into 3D virtual models and the information is sent to our state of the art 3D milling machine so the restoration can be manufactured. It uses high quality ceramic material to produce a crown or veneer that matches the natural colour of other teeth.
Everything from scanning to fitting of the crown/veneer, is done within the same day, and we pride ourselves in being able to offer this efficient service for our patients.
Inlays and Onlays are similar as they are a type of indirect restoration. However, the difference is that Inlays are indirect restorations which do not have cuspal coverage and are within the body of the tooth. Onlays are indirect restorations that cover both body and cusps of teeth.
If you have a missing tooth, a bridge will attach a replacement tooth to the natural teeth on either side of the gap. Bridges are made of metal and porcelain or just porcelain. A bridge will let you almost forget that you have missing teeth. A bridge can last many years, if you keep it clean and if there is no accidental damage.
A removable denture replaces missing teeth. ‘Partial’ dentures replace a few missing teeth and ‘full’ or ‘complete’ dentures are needed if all the natural teeth are missing.
