Maintaining good dental hygiene is a critical part of holistic health. Routine visits to your dentist can help support healthy teeth and gums, and they also provide an opportunity to address any problems that may develop.
Root Canals
If a tooth is painful or sensitive to hot or cold, it could have nerve damage that requires root canal therapy. This treatment saves the natural tooth and relieves pain caused by infection. The procedure is done by removing the infected pulp tissue, cleaning and disinfecting the space inside, and then filling and sealing the tooth.
Root canals have a bad reputation, but modern treatments are efficient and effective. The procedure is relatively painless and can be completed in one to two appointments. The Clayton NC dentist inserts a topical anesthetic into the area and covers it with a rubber covering to prevent bacteria from getting in. The dentist then uses small tools to remove the damaged pulp tissue and cleans the empty canals. The tooth is then filled with a latex material and sealed.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are a great way to restore damaged teeth. They can cover and protect a weak or broken tooth, fill a cavity, repair a cracked or chipped tooth, close spaces between teeth and help prevent a root canal-treated tooth from fracturing.
Modern dental technology offers more restorative options than ever before. Modern ceramic and plastic compounds are crafted to mimic the appearance of your natural teeth and can be used for direct (fillings) or indirect (inlays, onlays, veneers) restorations.
These types of restorations are designed to last a lifetime, but need proper care to avoid new cavities. Daily brushing and flossing are the keys to maintaining good oral health. These routines will also extend the life of your dental bridge or crown.
Dental Bridges
Missing teeth have a detrimental effect on your appearance and oral function. Not only do they leave gaps in your smile, but they also put additional stress on healthy adjacent teeth. Thankfully, you can correct this with a dental bridge.
Traditional bridges require your Clayton NC dentist to reshape healthy nearby teeth or “abutment” teeth to fit crowns that support the artificial tooth, known as a pontic. However, this puts those healthy teeth at greater risk of deterioration over time.
Instead, we use zirconia bridges, crafted from one of the strongest materials in dentistry to ensure superior strength and longevity. These fixed bridges are anchored to either healthy natural teeth or dental implants. Unlike traditional bridges, implant-supported bridges don’t require altering healthy teeth to support the bridge and help preserve jawbone health by stimulating the area.
Dental Implants
Losing a tooth can dramatically affect your smile and quality of life. Implants offer a permanent solution to improve your appearance and chewing abilities. They also reduce the load on existing teeth and prevent bone loss.
A consultation with an oral surgeon determines whether dental implants are a good option for you. Patients with certain health conditions (like uncontrolled diabetes or blood clotting problems) may not be candidates for dental implants.
During the implant surgery, the oral surgeon surgically places a metal screw, which serves as an artificial tooth root, in the jawbone. A fabricated replacement tooth called a crown is then placed on top of the implant. Routine home care and periodic follow-up visits to our office are essential to maintain the health of the implant and surrounding natural teeth.
Dental Extractions
Tooth extraction addresses immediate and long-term oral health concerns such as tooth decay, infection, overcrowding and impaction. Typically, teeth are removed under local anesthesia in the Clayton NC dentist office. However, impacted wisdom teeth and severely damaged or decayed teeth require surgical extraction by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
The procedure is usually painless and requires the use of dental elevators and forceps to loosen and remove the tooth from its alveolar socket. Occasionally, a tooth is so firmly anchored or has curved roots that it must be extracted in sections.
After the procedure, the person must bite down firmly on a piece of gauze for 30 to 45 minutes to stop bleeding and promote clotting. Avoid rinsing vigorously or using a straw, smoking or brushing the affected area for several days to help the blood clot and heal.
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