You’ve made yourself more familiar about scaling and polishing, restorations, Dental Implant Treatments, simple extraction, and omentectomy from the first part of this article.
Now, let’s discuss some more in this second part. Learn more about the different options for tooth replacement, as well orthodontic treatment.
Denture Service
Denture service refers to the replacement of missing teeth with fixed or removable prosthesis.
Fixed dentures include your tooth- or implant-supported dental bridges. Removable dentures, on the other hand, are your partial or complete
conventional dentures.
A fixed bridge replaces one or more missing teeth. It is made up of porcelain, metal, or a combination of both, depending on your functional and esthetic needs.
Front teeth call for the use of highly-esthetic porcelain, while back teeth mostly require metal due to heavy biting forces.
Dental Implants
Metal-porcelain bridges, otherwise called a PFM (porcelain-fused-to-metal) bridge, can be used on any teeth regardless of their location because it combines the aesthetics of porcelain with the strength of the metal.
Making a fixed bridge requires removal of some tooth structure on the teeth adjacent to the space left by the missing ones. These teeth will provide support for the prosthesis. Once done, your dentist will now install it in your mouth.
Removable dentures, meanwhile, replace two or more missing teeth. It may also be used to replace a single tooth whenever a fixed bridge or a Dental Implant Treatments is not indicated.
Removable dentures also require impression-taking, and they are made mostly of a plastic-like material called acrylic.
The advantage of having a removable denture instead of a fixed one is that you can take them out of the mouth whenever you need to clean them. Fixed dentures, nonetheless, look and feel more natural and tend to restore function much better.
Dental Implant Surgery
Another option for replacing missing teeth is through the use of dental implants.
The procedure for placing dental implants is called an implant surgery. The dental implant is the best tooth replacement option available due to its excellent restoration of both function and esthetics.
The material of choice for dental implants is titanium, a metal which is inert, biocompatible, and has the ability to integrate into the surrounding bone tissue.
Dental Implant Treatments are usually performed by an oral surgeon, but it can also be done by a dentist trained in implantology.
It consists of two stages, although there are some practitioners who do the first and second stages in one operation. In a two-stage surgery, the first stage involves drilling the jawbone and burying the implant into it.
The area will then be allowed to heal for a couple of months before proceeding with the second stage of the surgery. The second stage involves the uncovering the buried implant and placing a healing abutment into it. This abutment will hold the crown, bridge, or denture.
Orthodontics
Orthodontics is the field of dentistry that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and correction of malocclusion (a.k.a. bad bite).
Malocclusion results when the upper and lower teeth are misaligned. An orthodontic treatment involves the installation of various dental appliances – the most common of which are dental braces – to bring the teeth to their proper alignment and, in turn, correct the patient’s bite.
Dental braces can be used to straighten the teeth, close tooth gaps, or push the teeth backward to make space for other teeth. They consist of metal wires and brackets and are fixed on the teeth using dental cement.
Removable braces are also available, although they work much slower than their fixed counterpart. And if the show of metal is your concern, there are more esthetic braces made of ceramic or clear plastic.
A special type of braces called Invisalign (short for invisible aligners) is an excellent alternative to metal braces as far as aesthetics is concerned.
Conclusion
So that concludes our article for the most common treatments offered by your dentist. Hopefully, knowing more about these treatments will make your next dental visit as comfortable as possible. Don’t hesitate to ask questions so you can have a full understanding of whichever treatment you are about to undergo.
Don’t hesitate to ask questions so you can have a full understanding of whichever treatment you are about to undergo.