These days, one of the best reasons to go to a dentist is to improve your smile. While dentists offer a variety of cosmetic procedures to achieve this, their first priority will be the health of your teeth, particularly the prevention and treatment of cavities to avoid tooth loss.
The first sign you might notice when you suffer from a cavity is a small splotch on your tooth that is dark brown or even black. Cavities may also have a lighter appearance that is just a few shades lighter than the rest of your tooth, especially cavities along the gum line. The severity of that cavity determines how the dentist will treat it, but your dentist might suggest a routine filling, an extraction, or an implant.
Filling Cavities
When you visit a Greenville dentist for help with a cavity, the dentist may recommend a traditional filling. This is the best option if the tooth is still in good condition. Most dentists now offer composite fillings that feature different ingredients designed to match the color of the neighboring teeth, but some dentists offer amalgam fillings as well. An amalgam filling is a silver filling that does well when used on a back tooth. The dentist should numb your tooth and mouth before removing the cavity and filling the hole left behind.
Tooth Extractions
An extraction is the last resort that a dentist will take when you come in with a cavity. Removing the entire tooth may be necessary because the cavity is so big and deep that the tooth cannot support a filling. Dentists use anesthetics to numb patients’ mouths, making the entire procedure basically painless.
Implants for Missing or Damaged Teeth
If extraction is necessary for whatever reason, a tooth replacement has to be done soon after, and a dental implant is the best option for this. A dental implant consists of both the implant itself, which is a metal post installed in your gums, and an abutment, which screws onto the visible end of the metal post. While installing the implant may take only a few hours, the patient might may need to wait a few months for the implant to bond with the jawbones. Once bonding has taken place, the abutment will be added to the post, to which an artificial crown will be securely attached.
With healthy and restored teeth, it is now easier for the dentist to perform cosmetic procedures, such as teeth whitening, to improve the patient’s smile and self-confidence.
Sources:
What Is A Filling?, Colgate.com
Dental Implants, WebMD