Tooth Filling, Dental Implants, and Dentures in Lakewood

What a great time to live! Just look at cowboy movies and those of a bygone era, nobody really had attractive teeth – especially once they reached an older age. If a tooth was knocked out due to trauma, or extracted due to tooth decay, there was little hope of replacing that tooth with an attractive well-fitting piece.

Your best bet would have been a wooden tooth or finding someone with a tooth just the right size as yours and taking theirs! Don’t even get us started on teeth whitening!

root canal But now in the 21st century, losing a tooth is not a big deal for aesthetically-conscious people. In some cases losing a tooth can be a good thing, because replacing a tooth can lead to a more attractive and just as strong and sturdy replacement.

For whatever reason, people often lose adult teeth. It’s a fact of life and there’s no changing that. What has changed are the procedures in which we go about replacing that tooth, ensuring that our patients have a smile that provides confidence and raises self-esteem.

Here’s a list of the procedures that we call Restorative Dentistry. We will start from the least invasive and the most common and work our way to the most complex.

Dental Bonding. This is also known as dental adhesives. Essentially gluing a piece of resin or other material to the tooth to cover up gaps, reformed it to, order to add a component to any part of the teeth. It is then dried using UV or LED lighting.
Tooth filling. The filling is performed when a person has a cavity or has had a root canal. What is a root canal, you may ask? A root canal is the removal of the interior part of the tooth, which includes pulp, nerves, and veins. A root canal cost is often covered by a dental PPO.
Dental crown. What is a dental crown? It’s a quick and easy solution to covering up a broken tooth or one that has been reduced to remove tooth decay. A crown can be of resin or porcelain material, and will often last 10 to 20 years.
Dental Bridge. A dental bridge is the procedure that helps bridge the gap of a few missing teeth. The replacing teeth can be secured in place by either securing the installation to the surrounding teeth, or by securing the installation to the jawbone through the gums.
Full dental implants. Teeth implants are a good alternative to a bridge. Usually used to fill in the gap of a few missing teeth, the tooth implants are affixed into the mouth by joining the fixture to the jawbone. The cost of teeth implants vary significantly, and depends on your personal situation. Things like number of teeth being replaced and health of the gum and jawbone are considered. People without dental plans will often ask me, “How much are dental implants and do they fit in my budget?”
Dentures. Usually used to replace a full set of the upper or lower teeth, the cost of dentures is something that elderly patients should heavily consider. The truth is that teeth don’t age very well, not nearly as well as our minds do, and certainly not as well as our bodies. Dentures are a good option for those with extensive tooth decay or those who have had countless dental procedures in their life.

impacted teeth In summary, we hope that you’ve you view this list with optimism, which is how we view it. Gone are the years of missing teeth with no better alternative than wooden replacements or unattractive stubs.

There are literally dozens of options to consider when one loses a tooth or a few teeth. If you’re considering any of these options, we are more than able to provide consultation and advice in your search. You should not rush into any of these procedures because you will be stuck with them for years to come. Even more important is selecting the right dental professional to undertake the responsibility for your dental well-being.

So take a minute, fill out our appointment request form and give us a shot! I think you’ll be very happy you did!