Is There A better Method Than Crowns?
Q. If I have a very large filling in my tooth that is cracked, decayed, or broken, is there a better way to fix my tooth other than a cap (crown)?
A. Yes. Traditional dentistry utilizes the process of crowns (caps) to fix large areas of decay or large defective fillings. The disadvantage of these procedures is that they require the dentist to grind your tooth down to a tiny peg, which is very aggressive and traumatic to your tooth. It not only grinds off all the sick areas of the tooth, but it also grinds off all of the healthy area of the tooth. Current technology is awesome! You can now fix your tooth with very conservative, longer lasting tooth colored “Inlays and onlays.” These restorations are terrific in that they do not grind your tooth down to a peg, may actually strengthen your tooth (by the simple fact of removing less tooth structure), and fix only what is broken, leaving your healthy tooth structure intact. And as an added feature, they are virtually “Invisible” to the naked eye, unlike the porcelain crowns found currently in traditional dentistry. They are metal free. Rubber dam.
Q.When I visit the dentist, how do I know if I have decay?
A. Unfortunately, pain is the last stage of a disease, so waiting for a tooth to “hurt” is not the best way to determine if and when you have decay. For many years, the standard for detecting decay in a tooth was the dental xray, or using the “dental explorer” whereby the dentists “picks” at your tooth to find soft spots (decay). The drawbacks of these methods are that traditional dental xrays emit more 50% or radiation than the digital xrays we utilize. Instead of the “sharp explorer” to “pick” at your teeth, we prefer to utilize a dental laser, which detects decay in advance, sometimes before digital xrays. Poking a tooth with a sharp instrument is essentially not the standard to detect decay, as you can “contaminate” other teeth with the decay from the tooth previously checked, or you can press too hard and penetrate the enamel, essentially opening up a hole for food and sugar to further promote decay. With digital xrays and the dental laser, we can conserve vital and important tooth structure, reducing the need for more invasive procedures such as crowns and root canals.
Q.My dentist told me that I have five cavities to be filled. Is there any way to fix them without being numb?
A. Yes. For moderate and smaller cavities, it is possible to get dental fillings without having to be “numbed” or use needles by utilizing “air abrasion” which is also referred to as “drill-less” dentistry. It works by using air pressure to aim “sand-like” particles at your tooth, gently spraying away decay. However, if the cavity is large, this may not be possible. But for the most part, it is a phenomenal advance in dentistry, and is a terrific technology to offer our guests.
