As an Encino restorative dentist, we specialize in correcting teeth that have been damaged due to an accident or an infection. While most of the time, our patients come in for preventative care like teeth cleanings and dental exams, we have found that accidents can happen to everyone. While keeping your teeth in good condition and healthy will decrease the likelihood of them cracking or chipping, there are some things that are beyond your control. For example, there are 9 million emergency room visits every year due to slip and fall accidents, 5.4 million car wrecks, and over 5 million children injured while playing sports on an annual basis. This creates a lot of opportunities for you to damage your teeth. If this does happen to you or your children, remember to call a dentist.
Visiting the ER will help to relieve some discomfort but will not do anything for your long-term oral health since dentists are not trained in how to treat or restore your teeth. We, however, are. When you visit us with a damaged tooth, we can restore it in short order.
Here are some of the solutions that we offer in our Encino restorative dentist office.
- Dental veneers. This is one of the most common solutions in cosmetic dentistry because of how versatile a veneer is. It is a shell that is made of ceramic or porcelain and sits on top of the damaged tooth. It essentially replaces the enamel and is thin enough that your natural tooth can remain intact. It looks completely natural and can also be used to change the shape and size of teeth, cover dark stains, and even straighten them.
- Dental crowns. As a restorative dentist, crowns are one of the solutions that we provide on a frequent basis. A crown is often the best solution for a damaged tooth because it is a cap that surrounds the tooth entirely. Once in place, nothing can touch the tooth underneath, allowing you to bite down with force and not worry about feeling discomfort. They can be tooth-colored or metal.
- Dental bridge. If your tooth was knocked out, it is important to replace it right away both for your health and your appearance. A dental bridge is a semi-permanent, non-surgical solution for tooth replacement. We can secure the bridge and new tooth in place by placing dental crowns on the two surrounding teeth. The crowns serve as anchors so that your new tooth will be durable enough to eat your favorite foods and smile with confidence.
- Dental implants. For a more permanent tooth replacement, we use dental implants. In this procedure, we insert a metal post under the gums and secure it to the jawbone. Through the process of osseointegration, the two will fuse together to create a new root system that the new tooth (crown) can be attached to. This is the longest process but also the most durable long-term solution.
As an Encino restorative dentist, we specialize in giving you a full set of natural-looking and healthy teeth. If you need assistance, give us a call.