Any kind of damage to your teeth can feel like a nightmare scenario if you don’t know what treatments are available to you. Several varieties of procedure are available, each one being better suited to treating certain types of damage.

Treating a chipped tooth

We’ll start with the least severe of the three. In minor cases, where the damage is purely cosmetic, you will most likely be recommended dental veneers. Veneers are wafer thin shells of material that are bonded to the teeth and help conceal aesthetic blemishes. If the chip is more extreme, or if you are experiencing difficulty eating or drinking with that tooth, a crown may be more appropriate. A crown is like a cap, which sits upon the damaged tooth, both protecting it and improving its appearance.  Cosmetic bonding may also be deemed appropriate. This is a process where a dental composite material is applied to the teeth, which can be used to fill in and conceal a chip.

A tooth is knocked out 

It is possible to re-insert a knocked out tooth, provided you haven’t lost it! In such a situation you should contact your dentist immediately. If you’ve lost it, or the tooth itself cannot be salvaged, there are plenty of options available outside of an unsightly gap, the most common being dentures, bridges and implants. Dentures are removable replacements for your teeth and can look incredibly convincing and feel extremely comfortable for patients near Carrickmine with missing teeth. Dental bridges are a little more permanent than dentures. A bridge is essentially a false tooth that is anchored to the surrounding teeth. Dental implants are the most effective in the replacement of teeth and shouldn’t affect the surrounding teeth during the replacement surgery, something that can occur with bridges. 

Fractured Teeth

Fractured teeth are handled in a similar way to chipped teeth and use the same procedures. Which treatment is the most appropriate is determined by the extent of the damage.