Because of the way they blend in naturally with a tooth’s structure, tooth-colored fillings are often preferred by people who need to treat a mild or moderate cavity. Unlike more conspicuous metal fillings, tooth-colored ones remain discreet enough to be virtually unnoticeable when you speak and smile. However, your teeth benefit from the more lifelike tooth fillings in more than just their appearance, and your dentist appreciates their ability to more successfully restore your teeth in the long-term. (more…)

Dental crowns are one of the most effective ways to restore a damaged or compromised tooth for several reasons. That’s partly why they’ve been an important part of restorative dentistry for centuries. Today’s modern crowns are designed to not only restore a tooth, but also closely blend in with its appearance, allowing for a highly effective and cosmetically appealing tooth restoration. Yet, their appearance isn’t the only benefit that comes with more lifelike dental crowns. They can also do more to save your compromised tooth in the long run, and reestablish its vital role in your smile, oral health, and bite function. (more…)

Once you learn that your tooth needs root canal treatment, the treatment itself may be unavoidable. At that point, waiting much longer could lead to even more severe damage to your tooth structure and, in severe cases, the need to extract and replace the tooth. However, the good news is that it’s possible to avoid the need for root canal treatment, even if your tooth has already become decayed. (more…)

If you’ve never received a tooth filling to treat a cavity, or haven’t had one placed in a long time, then you might expect yours to be made of metal, and have a few questions about how that might impact your smile. However, more and more of today’s tooth fillings are designed to be more lifelike and discreet than traditional metal fillings. Crafted from more biocompatible composite resin, a tooth-colored filling not only treats your cavity, but also helps restore your tooth’s healthy, natural appearance in the process. (more…)

When most people think about restorative dental care, they envision different ways to save a tooth that’s damaged or infected. While saving a tooth is the typical goal of restorative dental treatment, the overall mission is to restore your overall oral health and your bite’s ability to function properly. In some cases, that means extracting a tooth that has become a serious threat to your oral health, and often, replacing the tooth with a highly lifelike restoration. Today, we examine a few situations in which restoring your smile requires extracting a tooth, and why the procedure may be necessary. (more…)

In the field of dental health care, some concepts are so solid that they’ve remained consistent for decades, or longer. Dental crowns are an excellent example of this; as one of the oldest forms of restorative dental treatment, crowns haven’t changed much in their general purpose. Dental crowns are designed to protect teeth by completely capping their visible structures, which can sometimes be necessary to save the tooth from becoming severely compromised, or even lost. However, over the years, dental crowns have advanced significantly in several key areas; namely, in how they’re designed, and what they’re made from. (more…)

Tooth decay can affect nearly anyone, but when patients seek treatment for it, the specific ways in which it should be addressed can often differ greatly. For instance, if you catch tooth decay before it has a chance to completely destroy your tooth enamel, you may be able to save your tooth without the need for any dental restoration. If it’s already formed a cavity in your tooth, then your dentist may recommend treating it with a tooth-colored filling. However, for more serious cases of tooth decay, the most appropriate solution is often root canal treatment, which may be the last chance you have to save the tooth from being lost or needing extraction. (more…)

Since most people will develop a cavity at least once in their lives, it’s likely that you may benefit from a filling sooner or later. When a cavity develops, your dentist may be able to treat it by cleaning away the infection from the tooth structure and filling the cavity to seal it. For most patients with cavities, a tooth-colored filling can offer the best solution for treating a cavity. Not only is the filling tooth-colored, but also significantly more tooth-friendly than traditional fillings made from metal. (more…)

Preserving your healthy, natural smile is the ultimate goal of your dental hygiene and professional dental care routines. However, that sometimes requires more than regular preventive care, such as checkups and cleanings. For many patients, the time will come when preserving their smiles means proactively addressing a concern that has developed, despite their best preventive efforts. Today, we explore a few ways in which we can help you better preserve your smile by designing the right restorative treatment. (more…)

One of the reasons why dental crowns have been a part of professional dental treatment for so long is that they’re effective. A dental crown completely covers, or caps, a tooth’s visible structure, which can do a number of different things, depending on the tooth’s specific concerns. Today, modern crowns are crafted with greater precision and more biocompatible, lifelike materials than ever. At our Cleveland, TX, dental office, we can custom-design the right dental crown to save your tooth, as well, restoring its health as well as improving its (and your smile’s) healthy appearance. (more…)