Some tooth concerns warrant more attention than just a good cleaning and flossing by your dentist. While routine dental cleanings can alleviate some minor dental aches and pains by removing plaque build-up and protecting your tooth enamel, when it comes to severe cracks and infections in the tooth or below the gum line, it may be time to consider more in-depth attention from your dentist.
No one likes to go through tooth or jaw pain. It disrupts just about every part of your life and can have a ripple effect on your overall health if not addressed timely and appropriately. You may notice that your tooth pain causes you to chew differently or avoid eating and chewing more often, resulting in increased strain and pain in your temporomandibular joints and jaw muscles. The pain from the sensitivity to hot and cold can decrease your fluid intake and even cause headaches and interrupt your ability to sleep. Plus, the infection itself can create not just pain but more severe damage to the pulp, roots, and nerves of your teeth and may even spread to other teeth or your gums.
Pull Your Tooth or Save It – Which is best?
At Charvet Dental Center, Dr. Hunter Jr. and our caring team have years of experience providing restorative dentistry treatments. We believe that saving the tooth is the priority as natural teeth are stronger, provide stability to other teeth and your overall bite alignment, and play a significant part in the self-confidence of our Metairie patients. Plus, saving your natural teeth will often mean less pain and fewer dental visits, saving you time and money.
When you come to us with a toothache caused by cracks, breaks, or infections, we will assess your specific situation and create a plan that prioritizes you and your natural tooth. In many cases where your tooth is moderately decayed or damaged, we can save the tooth but utilizing root canal endodontic treatment. We can implement dental crowns in patients needing more structural support and long-lasting protection due to severe decay. In extreme cases where you have a major or high-risk infection or an impacted or severely damaged tooth, you may benefit most from a tooth extraction.
Saving Your Tooth
Typically, cracked or broken teeth result from an injury to your mouth or cavities that are not addressed and weaken the tooth. In such conditions, the dental issues are considered mild to moderate, and our dentists here at Charvet Dental Center can provide restorative dentistry procedures that save and even strengthen your tooth. By utilizing root canal therapy, also called endodontic treatment, and dental crown options, you will experience faster relief and recovery than you would with a tooth extraction. Let’s take a look at what these options entail.
Root Canal
A root canal is a procedure that removes the tooth’s infected pulp, safely clears any infection or debris, and then fills the space with a biocompatible material called gutta-percha to provide structural stability and protection from future disease. It is much less invasive than extraction and is performed by your dentist in their office using a local anesthetic to numb the tooth and surrounding area.
Many people shudder at the mention of a root canal, but that doesn’t have to be your experience with Charvet Dental Center. We respect you and will listen carefully to your needs to ensure you are as comfortable as possible at all points in your treatment. As a modern dental practice, we use the best methods in general dentistry to offer a full range of services and a variety of ways to eliminate both discomfort and anxiety during your dental treatment.
Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a custom-made artificial tooth cap that completely covers a chipped, cracked, or damaged tooth. Crowns can be made from many different materials but are most commonly ceramic and milled out of solid blocks of porcelain to match the shade and color of your tooth. Dental crowns are the perfect restoration procedure when you need more structural support and long-lasting protection from decay.
To install a dental crown is a relatively simple process that consists of preparing the existing tooth by shaving off the enamel and reshaping the tooth to fit the tooth cap. Before and after it has been reshaped, impressions of your teeth are sent to a licensed dental ceramist who will construct your permanent dental crown to ensure a perfect fit. After this step, you will receive a temporary crown made of acrylic or stainless steel to wear in the meantime. Once your customized crown is complete, it is cemented into place, fully encasing the visible portion of your tooth above the gum line.
Pulling Your Tooth
If your tooth is broken in multiple spots, becomes impacted, or is too weak from infection or decay to be restored and saved, extraction is the only option left to correct the concerns and prevent further complications from arising.
Extractions are a safe and standard dental procedure performed under local anesthesia. Before extracting the tooth, your dentist will evaluate your medical and dental history and take x-rays to assess your tooth’s length, shape, and position and the surrounding bone to determine the best way to remove the tooth. Then, they will anesthetize the tooth and surrounding gum tissue, loosen the tooth, and remove it with dental forceps. Depending on the tooth and the size of the space left, you will likely receive sutures to help the gum tissue heal correctly and keep debris from getting trapped in the pocket.
For answers to all of your dental questions, trust Charvet Dental Center
When you find yourself questioning what to do in your specific tooth situation, let Charvet Dental Center help you make the decision that best fits your smile! You’ll be putting your smile in the best hands possible when you choose our Metairie practice.
Whether you need a root canal, a crown, or an extraction, you can achieve your best smile and top oral health – we can help. Give us a call today to schedule your visit with our expert team and experience the difference our commitment to your satisfaction can make in your smile. We look forward to helping you find lasting relief from tooth pain and infection!