Common General Dentist Treatments to Repair a Tooth

Patients often run to the general dentist to have a tooth repair. Dental damage can result from decay or an accident. Your dentist will always make sure you have the right kind of restoration for your dental needs. If you want to know more about the common dental repair treatments from your general dentist, here are the details.

Porcelain crowns

These are common teeth restorations. The general dentist can place a custom-fit porcelain crown over a sensitive, chipped, or cracked tooth. The dentist will shave off some of the healthy tooth structure first before placing a porcelain crown over it. Dental crowns may also be acrylic. Most patients prefer porcelain. This element looks and feels like natural teeth.

A dental crown can improve the look of the damaged tooth. It can hide imperfections like discolorations and chipping. A crown can also protect the treated tooth. Its tooth-colored porcelain material allows the crown to blend with the neighboring natural teeth.

Porcelain veneers

These thin porcelain shells can cover the front part of the tooth. Porcelain veneers can hide any damage, staining, and other imperfections. The general dentist will roughen the surface of the tooth first. This will allow the veneers to bond well to the patient’s teeth.

Veneers are quick and realistic restorations. The patient can have a brand-new smile without going through oral surgery. Porcelain veneers can restore cracked, crooked, or chipped teeth. The shells go on the front surface of teeth. Proper care and maintenance can make these dental restorations last for decades.

Root canal

Trauma, decay, and deep cracks can damage the pulp. Infection can then set in and cause more problems. The dentist must remove the damaged pulp and clean out the space. Disinfecting and drying the space will come next. Then, the dentist will fill the space with gutta-percha. A dental crown will cover the treated tooth to strengthen, protect, and hold the tooth together.

Dental bonding

This is a quick solution to a damaged tooth. Here, the general dentist will place a composite resin material on the damaged tooth and shape it accordingly on the missing part of the tooth. A curing light will harden the material. The dentist will then shape and polish the tooth to look and feel like neighboring natural teeth.

Dental implant surgery

The general dentist recommends this treatment for patients who have severe dental damage. A crack or decay can reach below or above the gumline. The dentist will need to remove the damaged tooth. Then, the dentist will place biocompatible titanium rods into the extraction site. Osseointegration will take place. The dentist will attach the abutment and dental crown.