Nothing is perfect or impervious to damage. No matter how well you drive and take care of your car, it’s going to collect dents and problems as it gets older. The same is true for your smile. No matter how well you brush and floss, chances are you will get cavities, cracks, or other damage over the years. But with the restorative dentistry options at our Alma, MI dental office, we can restore your smile.
How Can You Repair Damage From A Cavity?
Cavities are caused by harmful bacteria giving off an acid that eats away at tooth enamel. Sadly, enamel cannot be regrown. Instead, the cavity needs to be either filled or covered to prevent further damage. Before we can do that, we must remove the decay using our pain-free Waterlase laser. You’ll never have been so comfortable during a cavity treatment! At our Alma, MI dental office, we have a special composite material that we normally use for our fillings. Not only will this repair the damage, but it’s colored to match your natural teeth. That means no ugly metal sticking out like a sore thumb.
How Can A Tooth Get Infected?
The bacteria that cause cavities can also make its way inside your teeth, where the dental pulp resides. This is home to your tooth’s nerve endings, so when the pulp gets infected, it can be quite painful. An infection can happen when damage breaches the enamel, such as a crack from an accident or a severe cavity. But sometimes the pulp can be damaged by trauma and get inflamed without bacteria present, mimicking the effects of an infection. In all these cases, we can use root canal therapy with the Waterlase laser to comfortably remove the bad pulp and replace it with an inert material. This relieves the pain and saves the tooth.
What Are Dental Crowns Used For?
There are times when a tooth gets damaged and a filling just won’t help. Perhaps a cavity is so big that a filling won’t suffice, or perhaps an injury fractured the tooth. In these cases, there is still a chance to repair the damage and save the tooth. We can use a special machine called CEREC to make dental crowns, or caps that fit snugly over damaged teeth. A cap looks just like one of your real teeth, but it tightly seals up all damage and lets you use the tooth normally again. For minor cracks and chips, we may recommend veneers.
What If The Damage Is Too Severe?
Unfortunately, there are times when a tooth is so damaged that there’s no safe way to restore it. In these cases, it’s usually better to remove the tooth and replace it. At Mid-Michigan Dental Excellence, we can use a dental bridge for a non-invasive tooth replacement or a dental implant for a more permanent, stronger replacement.
With our restorative dentistry options, you can get back the strong teeth you need. Call us today at (989)-773-2133 or fill out online form our if you have any questions.