Compared to fillings, which just cover a small portion of a tooth, a crown (or cap) encases the entire visible portion of a tooth. In effect, the crown acts as the tooth's new outer surface. A dental crown is used when a tooth is broken or decayed to such an extent that fillings aren't able to repair the problem. The crown is able to provide a protective shell around the damaged or decayed tooth to strengthen it, as well as to improve the appearance of the tooth.
They can also help restore a tooth to its original shape and are commonly used for teeth that have been broken. While crowns come in different materials, the most common crowns typically have some mixture of porcelain in them to give them a look and feel similar to a natural tooth.
The first visit to your dentist involves reshaping the tooth and taking impressions to create the crown. Typically, a portion of your tooth will have to be removed for the crown to fit properly. After the dentist reshapes your tooth, he will use a special material to create an impression of it. This impression will be sent to a dental laboratory to be made into a permanent crown. Before sending you home, the dentist will provide you with a temporary crown to cover your tooth in between visits.
When you return to your Kokomo, IN, dentist, he will have received the permanent crown from the laboratory. He will remove the temporary crown and fit the new permanent one. Before cementing the permanent crown in place, he will ensure that it fits comfortably and matches the color of your teeth.
A dental bridge is a false tooth that is used to fill the gap created by a missing tooth or teeth. A gap between your teeth can be potentially dangerous to your dental health as it can cause your teeth to shift, resulting in a change in your bite that could be painful. Dental bridges help alleviate this problem by using the two surrounding teeth as anchors to hold a false tooth in the place where the gap is. Typically, porcelain crowns are placed over the surrounding teeth, and the false tooth, known as a pontic, is fused between them.
There are three types of dental bridges that are commonly used today:
This is the most common type of dental bridge, in which porcelain crowns are placed over the two surrounding teeth and used as anchors to hold the false tooth in place. The false tooth is usually made of either porcelain fused with metal or ceramics.
A cantilever bridge is used when teeth are present on only one side of the gap. These are used typically in areas of your mouth that don't experience an intense chewing load, such as your front teeth.
In a resin-bonded bridge, metal bands are bonded to the surrounding teeth with resin and used to hold a plastic false tooth in place. This type of bridge is typically used in areas of the mouth that undergo less stress, such as the front teeth.
A minimum of two visits is required for placing a dental bridge. At the first visit, three important steps are completed:
At the second visit, the temporary bridge is removed, and the new bridge received from the laboratory is fitted and adjusted. Multiple visits to your dentist near Kokomo, IN, may be necessary to check and adjust the fit.
Dental bonding is a restoration procedure in which a tooth-colored resin is bonded to a tooth and cured with ultraviolet light. Bonding is faster and cheaper than veneers or crowns and can thus be a good option to make small cosmetic improvements to your teeth. Unlike veneers and crowns, bonding can be done within one office visit since nothing has to be custom-made by a dental laboratory.
Additionally, the procedure typically requires removing less tooth enamel compared to veneers and crowns. However, since bonding typically doesn't last as long as other forms of restoration and is less resistant to stains, it is used more often for small cosmetic touch-ups rather than major restorations.
The bonding procedure typically requires between 30 to 60 minutes to complete for each tooth. First, the dentist determines what color shade your teeth are to select a resin that will blend it naturally. Once this is done, the dentist will prepare the tooth so that the bonding material will adhere more easily. This involves roughening the surface of the affected tooth and applying a liquid conditioner.
Once this is complete, your dentist serving Kokomo, IN, will apply the resin to the tooth and cure it in place using an ultraviolet light. Finally, your dentist will apply the finishing touches by shaping and polishing the resin for a good fit.
Dental inlays and onlays are a more conservative approach to tooth restoration than full crowns. They are used to repair rear teeth that have mild to moderate tooth decay or for cracked teeth where the damage does not warrant a dental crown. Porcelain, composite resin, and sometimes gold are used to create inlays and onlays. Inlays refer to those procedures where the bonded material is limited to the center of the tooth, while onlays refer to those procedures where the bonded material can extend further to one or more cusps of the tooth.
Typically, two visits are required for the placements of inlays and onlays. In the first visit, your dentist will take an impression of your tooth, which will be sent to a lab to create the permanent inlay or onlay. Before you leave, he will fit your tooth with a temporary inlay / onlay to keep the tooth protected between visits. During your second visit, your family dentist in Kokomo, IN, will remove the temporary protective material and fit your tooth with the permanent inlay or onlay received from the lab.
Dentures in Kokomo, IN, can provide a wide variety of benefits to you. Firstly, they improve your ability to chew by replacing areas without teeth. The presence of teeth also helps in providing a natural facial appearance. Wearing dentures to replace missing teeth helps correct facial structure by giving support to the lips and cheeks. By replacing teeth, especially those in the front, patients are better able to speak. Ultimately, the addition of dentures helps patients feel better about themselves and helps increase self-esteem!
Complete dentures can be found in two forms, "conventional" or "immediate". These dentures are inserted into the gums once the teeth have been removed and the gum tissue has started to heal. Conventional dentures are generally ready to be placed in the mouth within 8-12 weeks after the teeth extraction.
Immediate dentures, however, are made to be placed as soon as the teeth have been extracted. The major plus of immediate dentures is that the patient does not have to be without teeth during the healing period. On the contrary, since bones and gums shrink over time, it may be a disadvantage to have immediate dentures because they require more adjustments to fit properly during the healing process. Immediate dentures are usually considered a temporary solution to replace teeth until conventional dentures can be made.
In order to maintain a healthy and quality smile, it is very important to replace missing teeth. The absence of teeth may lead to adverse effects. The most common problem associated with missing teeth is those remaining ones may change position, which ultimately can destroy mouth tissue. Additionally, crooked teeth make maintaining hygiene more difficult. By not taking care of your teeth properly, you may develop periodontitis, which can make you lose even more teeth!
Partial dentures are simply replacement teeth attached to a pinkish or "gum-colored" plastic base. The base is held by a metal framework, which helps fixate the denture in the mouth. Partial dentures help fill in spaces created by missing teeth and help restore a beautiful smile. Partial dentures also assist in chewing food properly, improving speech, and proper facial support for the mouth!
Partial dentures use what are called precision attachments, or metal clasps, which attach to your natural teeth. The beauty of these precision attachments is that they are nearly invisible and make your teeth look almost 100% natural. Often, if you have crowns on your natural teeth, these may improve the fit of a partial denture. As you get older, the denture may require adjusting. The shape of your mouth naturally changes as you age, thus resulting in a partial denture adjustment. It is important that if your dentures do not fit, you have them adjusted by your dentist. Failure to adjust your dentures may result in sores and/or infections. It is important that you see your dentist immediately if your denture loosens.
Initially, the partial denture will feel unnatural and bulky. In time, however, your mouth will become used to wearing the partial denture. Like many new appliances, inserting and removing the denture will take practice. It is important to remember that you should never bite down on a partial denture to help fixate it. This could damage the denture by bending or breaking the clasps.
Partial dentures will help improve your speech. The absence of teeth makes speaking clearly a difficult task. By wearing partial dentures, you may find it easier to pronounce your words clearly. Initially, it will take time to get used to speaking with the dentures, but with practice, your overall speech will improve greatly.
The purpose of getting partial dentures is to make life easier for you! For starters, you should begin with eating softer foods. These foods should be cut into smaller pieces to make chewing easier for you. It is very important that you chew on both sides of the mouth to ensure that there is even pressure on the denture. It is also recommended that you try avoiding extremely hard and/or sticky foods. Initially, you may also want to avoid chewing gum while you get used to wearing the denture.
Patients rely on their dentures every day for a number of items: chewing, speaking, and giving a strong, great-looking smile. Although investing in dentures can be expensive, it's important to properly take care of them! Accidents can happen, but ignoring proper denture care will lessen their lifespan.
Damaging your dentures with tough foods can cause cracks, chips, and breaks. If you continue to use your dentures without fixing these issues, your dentures may be rendered useless, and the repair will cost more than you may know!
We offer hard and soft relines for our denture patients and can usually provide these services on the same day, provided the denture is dropped off by 10 AM.
We offer two types of denture relines here at our dental office in Kokomo, IN:
We can usually provide these services on the same day that the dentures are dropped off, provided that they're at our office before 10 AM.
Mini-dental implants are often referred to as MDIs. MDIs have changed the world of implant dentistry and have eliminated the need for surgery during placement. During this non-invasive procedure, your dentist will place anchors within your jaw. These anchors are commonly used to secure and stabilize dentures.
Due to the reduced size of the MDI, there is no recovery period post-procedure like full implants. This way, there is no lag time between the procedure and the fitting of dentures. Not only are they smaller, but gentler and less expensive.
A Mini-Dental implant resembles that of a screw. This titanium appliance serves in place of the natural tooth root. The top of the implant is round and shaped like a ball. This portion of the implant fits securely within a retaining mechanism that together holds the dentures in the desired position. With the support of the implant, the dentures can now rest comfortably on the gums and take on significant force and pressure.
Some advantages of MDI's include:
The MDI procedure typically takes about an hour. To begin, your dentist will administer a mild anesthetic to avoid any discomfort. A small hole will be drilled into the jawbone to accommodate each MDI being placed. The implant will be secured tightly with a winged wrench and then a ratchet wrench for maximum stability.
Your denture will be measured and marked to accommodate the MDI placement. The denture will then be sent to a laboratory to drill holes based on these measurements. After proper modification, your denture will be affixed to the designated MDIs.
Contact us now at (765) 453-0085 to schedule your general dentistry appointment!