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Damaged or Broken Teeth?
Restorative Dentistry in South Philadelphia
If you have a damaged or decayed tooth and need restorative care, we use high-quality, durable materials and our dentists are highly skilled in restorative treatments. Dr. Bill and Dr. Barnes specialize in restorative care, and we offer everything from fillings to crowns and implants. Call today to schedule a visit and get the treatment you need to smile again.
Repair Cavities
Composite & Amalgam Fillings
Our South Philadelphia dentists offer both composite and amalgam fillings at our office. Composite fillings are made of tooth-colored dental resin and they offer superior aesthetic results because they are made to match the color of your teeth.
Amalgam fillings are another option for restoring a tooth that has been damaged by decay. These fillings are made of a blend of metals, which means that they have a grayish color. However, they are extremely durable and long-lasting, and they are usually completely covered by dental insurance. During your appointment, we’ll go over your options and help you decide which treatment is best for you!
Treat Gum Disease
Periodontal Care
Gum disease affects nearly half of all American adults. With proper care, the disease can be completely eliminated in its early stages. Deep cleaning (scaling & root planing) is typically the first step in gum disease treatment. This procedure involves using special dental tools to remove plaque and bacteria away from between your teeth and gums, and to smooth the roots of your teeth where bacteria tend to collect. Along with antibiotic treatments, this is often enough to treat mild cases of gum disease.
At Mestichelli Barnes Dental Associates, we also offer gum grafting to treat more severe cases of periodontal disease. During this treatment, our dentists use tissue from elsewhere in your mouth to restore and reshape your gums after they have receded or after the gum tissue has been damaged.
Remove Infection
Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy is required to save your tooth if it has become infected due to an untreated cavity or oral injury. When the hard, outer layers of enamel and dentin that surround your tooth are damaged, the interior “pulp” is exposed to oral bacteria. Eventually, this can lead to a painful infection. Root canal therapy is used to open up a small hole in your tooth and remove the decayed material. The tooth is then disinfected, filled, and restored. This treatment eliminates your infection and saves your tooth.
Crowns in One Visit
CEREC Same-Day Crowns
Our office is equipped with CEREC technology, which allows our team to create natural-looking dental crowns in just one visit. This means that you won’t have to wait for a third-party lab to manufacture your crown and you also won’t need to deal with wearing an uncomfortable temporary crown. Crowns are, essentially, a false tooth made of porcelain. They are designed to fit perfectly over your existing tooth after it has been trimmed, covering up your natural tooth structure all the way down to your gum line.
Dental crowns are often the best option for restoring seriously damaged or decayed teeth. They are used to repair teeth that have been cracked or broken due to dental trauma, or to treat deep cavities. Crowns may also be recommended to replace a large dental fillings that have failed, or to cover up your tooth after root canal treatment.
How Can A broken tooth
be repaired?
What can be done to repair a broken tooth depends on:
- the severity of the damage
- if the damage extends into the dental pulp
- how much of the tooth is missing
If you have a chipped or broken tooth, you should first check to make sure that there are no sharp edges that can cut your mouth. If you are bleeding, get the bleeding under control and contact us for an emergency dental appointment. We may need to file the tooth down to get rid of sharp edges that can cause you harm.
Small chips and cracks can be repaired with dental bonding or covered with veneers. However, more significant chips or broken teeth may need to be covered with dental crowns, which offer durability and strength and restore the function of the tooth.
While a filling may be used instead of a dental crown for certain teeth in the front of the mouth, we recommend dental crowns for the rear molars that need to withstand significant chewing forces. Fillings wear away quicker than crowns and cannot withstand as much force.
What If I Have
Severely Chipped, Broken, or Decayed Teeth?
If your tooth’s pulp has been damaged or infected, you may need a root canal or an extraction. We recommend doing everything you can to save your teeth, so if a root canal is on the table, you should try this treatment before having the tooth removed.
Root canals have a 95% success rate. The vulnerable tooth will then be covered with a dental crown. However, in some cases, the damage is too severe or the decay has been left untreated for so long that a root canal is no longer an option and the only option is to extract the tooth.
In this case, you will need to have the tooth replaced to prevent the surrounding teeth from shifting, facial sagging, and difficulty chewing. We highly recommend dental implants as a tooth replacement as this is the only option that will preserve the integrity of the jaw bone and keep your bone from deteriorating.
Should I Have My Teeth Extracted
Instead of Trying to Save Them?
At Mestichelli Barnes Dental Associates, we always recommend saving your teeth whenever possible. Tooth extractions are reserved as a last resort when all other options have been exhausted. Extracting a tooth can cause the following problems:
Shifting Teeth - If the tooth is not replaced, the surrounding teeth will shift and try to lean into the space left behind by your tooth. This will cause a change in your bite and can lead to orthodontic problems like crooked teeth, a misaligned bite, or overcrowding.
Bone Loss - The only tooth restoration that preserves the jaw bone is a dental implant. When you lose a tooth, it leads to irreversible bone loss and while dentures can help restore the function and appearance of your teeth, they accelerate bone loss. This will cause structural changes in your face and cause premature sagging. Bone loss also increases your risk of future tooth loss.
Functional Difficulties - With fewer teeth, chewing and clear speech become more difficult. Even with tooth restorations like dentures, it can be difficult to speak clearly and you will likely have to make alterations to your diet.
Aesthetic Problems - If your tooth is located at the front of the mouth, you will have a noticeable gap in your smile which can cause you to feel insecure. While there are tooth restorations that blend in with your natural teeth, these are usually more expensive.
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