662.453.5143 | info@stuckeydmd.com912 Medallion Drive
Greenwood, MS 38930
Dr. Victor Stuckey, Jr. DMD
In addition to performing diligent oral care at home, you should see your dentist every six months for an oral exam to ensure continued health of your teeth and gums. Regular checkups ensure that problems can be caught early and treated conservatively, and some oral health issues can even be reversed if spotted in the earliest stages.
Teeth cleaning usually involves three simple steps:
Scaling: This procedure is carried out with a tool called a scaler. In cases where there are only a few small spots of hard calculus, your hygienist may use a manual scaler to remove tartar deposits from the teeth by gently scraping them.
Polishing: This step involves using a handheld tool with a spinning rubber head that polishes all tooth surfaces using a slightly abrasive paste.
Fluoride: In most cases, your dentist and/or dental hygienist will recommend a fluoride treatment after each cleaning. Applied as a rinse, gel, foam or a varnish, fluoride is a mineral that helps strengthen the enamel, which is the outermost layer of the teeth, helping it resist the acid attack that can lead to tooth decay.
Dental crowns, also called caps, fit over worn or damaged teeth. They can also serve a cosmetic purpose, restoring a discolored tooth to its former hue. Depending on the material used to make them, the wear they get and the care they receive, permanent crowns last about 5 to 15 years.
A dental bridge spans the gap where a missing tooth once was, filling the space with a synthetic tooth. Like a bridge over a river, most dental bridges need support at either end, although cantilever bridges are an exception. Fitting a bridge requires reshaping the abutment teeth and capping them with crowns to hold the bridge securely.
Dental fillings replace parts of a tooth that has been damaged due to injury or decay. Also known as dental restoration, a filling preserves the integrity of the tooth and prevents further damage from cavities. Fillings can also restore the chewing surfaces of teeth that have become worn.
An implant is a synthetic tooth root in the shape of a post that is surgically placed into the jawbone. The 'root' is usually made of titanium (the same material used in many replacement hips and knees), a metal that is well-suited to pairing with human bone. A replacement tooth is then fixed to the post. The tooth can be either permanently attached or removable. Permanent teeth are more stable and feel more like natural teeth.
Implants look more natural and feel more like normal teeth, with a stronger biting force. Implants can outlast dentures or bridges. Also, implants are self-supporting structures that do not rely on neighboring teeth for support.
Consider your replacement teeth to be the same as natural teeth. They require the same daily brushing and flossing, and the same amount of regular checkups.
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Dental fillings replace parts of a tooth that has been damaged due to injury or decay. Also known as dental restoration, a filling preserves the integrity of the tooth and prevents further damage from cavities. Fillings can also restore the chewing surfaces of teeth that have become worn. Avoiding damage from decay or injury is preferable, but fillings are a good way to prevent the eventual loss of a tooth. Most cavities and fractures that are caught early are good candidates for restoration with fillings.
Who Needs Dental Fillings?
If your teeth are chipped, cracked or damaged by tooth decay, they need fillings. Large cavities are obvious and often painful, but small pinhole cavities and hard-to-see areas between teeth may also need attention. Your dentist can find cavities and sites of tooth decay that you may not see in the mirror. X-rays, dental probes and dyes can reveal areas that need dental restoration. Your dentist can also see areas that you may not be able to spot, which is one reason why regular dental check-ups are vital for your oral health. Regular visits allow the dentist to see small problems before they become large ones.
Although cavities are the most common reason for fillings, they are not the only reason your dentist may recommend reconstructive work. If you grind your teeth, bite your nails or use your teeth as tools, you may erode the chewing surfaces enough to require a filling to restore a healthy bite. Signs that you may need a filling include:
- Visible holes or dark spots on teeth
- Visible chips or cracks
- Sensitivity to heat and cold
- Sharp pain when biting down on the affected tooth
- A constant dull pain or ache
What to Expect During Your Dental Appointment
Your appointment for dental restoration starts with numbing the area with a local anesthetic. After the anesthetic takes effect, you may be fitted with a dental dam to isolate the tooth that needs work. To fill a cavity or rebuild a chipped tooth, the dentist must first remove damaged dental tissue. The high-speed dental drill files away damaged portions of the tooth and prepares the area for the filling. Although you may feel some pressure during this process, it is typically painless.
Depending on the purpose of the filling, your dentist may paint the prepared region of the tooth with a fluoride solution to prevent future decay or place a liner over the area. Composite resin fillings may also require a coating of adhesive to prepare the tooth's surface to bond with the compound. Dentists have various techniques for applying the filling to the tooth; some dispense resin directly into the prepared space while others transfer it to the tooth on a specialized instrument. The dentist then shapes the material, curing it with ultraviolet light if it is a composite resin.
Some porcelain fillings follow a different application technique that resembles how bridges are installed. The filling is cast and shaped after the first appointment and cemented into place during a subsequent visit. These innovative fillings may also use computer-aided design to visualize and create the inlay.