4 Ways to Treat Tooth Decay and Keep Your Tooth
There are ways to treat a decaying tooth that do not require extraction. Many people are so frightened at the thought of visiting the dentist that they will let salvageable teeth reach the point of no return. There are extraction alternatives that you might want to consider if you are worried about decaying teeth.
Filling
Filling a decaying tooth is one of the easiest dental fixes. A tooth with relatively minimal decay can be treated by filing off the decayed area and putting a filler material, usually porcelain, to fill the area where the decaying tooth was. This will help to prevent an exposed nerve and allow eating to be as normal as it was pre-decay, pre-filling with a healthy tooth.
Crowns
A crown, sometimes called a cap, for your tooth is a protective covering that fits over your damaged tooth. If a tooth is too decayed to save cosmetically, or if too much decay needs to be filed down, a crown can be placed over the tooth. While often cosmetic, a crown also offers a safeguard against the pain of cold or hot on an exposed tooth nerve.
A relatively new treatment for children with the potential for decaying baby teeth is to crown the teeth instead of filling the cavities or extracting teeth. Some tooth decay is genetic, and no amount of early dental care will preclude decay in your child's first set of teeth. Crowns are a way to allow your child to keep their baby teeth so their jaw and bite will stay in alignment until their second teeth come in.
Bridge
Bridges provide an extraction alternative when you have one or more missing teeth. You can save surrounding teeth by affixing a molded dental piece to the side teeth going across the area of a missing tooth or teeth. A bridge is professionally formed to look just like your own teeth, and you will be able to smile and eat as if all of your natural teeth are in place.
Root Canal
Root canals are a way to treat tooth decay by treating the bad tooth without extraction. Your dentist will usually give you a local anesthetic, which will numb your mouth. You will probably feel them working but the procedure should be painless after the pricks of the numbing shots. The total root canal process usually ends with a temporary filling to prevent infection where the dentist drilled your tooth. At a later appointment, a permanent crown will be placed.
For tooth extraction alternatives in Coquitlam, call us today at Brookmere Dental Group to make an appointment to see our gentle, friendly dentist. There are alternatives to pulling your tooth.
