GENERAL DENTISTRY

Complete General Dentistry Services

Let the experienced dental team at Wingo Family Dentistry in Joelton, Tennessee, take care of all your general dentistry needs. Call us at 615-876-2325 for complete details.

Crowns

Crowns are full coverage restorations used to cover a tooth that is likely to break or is too broken down to be restored with a filling. They are most commonly done after root canal treatment when a tooth breaks, or a large filling wears out. The larger the hole made by a cavity/break, the more likely a crown will be needed. Even after a filling is put in a large cavity, a tooth is more likely to break. Keep in mind that the jaw muscles are the strongest in the human body. Teeth are subjected to tremendous pressures. Crowns cover the entire weakened tooth, providing strength and protecting the tooth against breakage. A broken or cracked tooth is a far more severe matter and much more challenging to treat. Crowns prevent this, as well as making for a nice smile.

The Crown Procedure

It takes two appointments to restore a tooth with a crown. In the first, any decay is removed from the tooth and shaped to accept the crown. Then an impression is made of the tooth for use in fabricating a crown. The crown is made between the two visits, usually of high-strength porcelain over metal alloy, all ceramic material, or gold. During this time, a temporary crown is worn. In the second visit, this temporary is removed. Then the permanent crown is adjusted as needed and then cemented in place.

Bridges

Bridges are an option for filling the space created by a missing tooth. It is formed to look like the missing tooth, and it takes its place in the mouth. The sides of a bridge use the two surrounding teeth for support, hence the name. A bridge replaces the missing tooth, both functionally and cosmetically. Bridgework is as much an art as it is an exact science. The materials used may be gold alloys, porcelain bonded to metal alloy, or all ceramic material. The choice of material depends on requirements for strength, wear, and esthetics.

Bridge Placement

A missing tooth must be replaced as soon as possible for several reasons. If not treated, the gap's teeth begin to shift inward, creating a whole chain reaction of bad things. Teeth use their neighbors for support, and, with one missing, they start to "fall." As this worsens, the bite changes in response to the pressure and can eventually result in problems with the entire jaw, e.g., TMJ. The surrounding teeth deteriorate, and it is just a matter of time before they, too, are lost. Gum disease becomes a serious problem, with the difficulty of treatment increasing as the chain reaction continues.

Fillings

Dental fillings are needed when decay or damage has changed the shape of your tooth or threatens to do so. Dental fillings are commonly used to address cavities and other deterioration. Wingo Family Dentistry uses composite restorations to match the color of your natural tooth structure. A dental filling allows for a less noticeable dental restoration to be placed on your teeth.

Restoring Implants For Crowns And Dentures

A dental implant is an option to replace a missing tooth or to anchor dentures. In this procedure, we refer patients to a specialist to place a small titanium shaft into the bone, and it is then allowed to heal. During healing, the bone grows around the implant, forming a tight connection, which also slows or stops bone loss when the root of a natural tooth is missing. Once the implant is firmly set in the mouth, we attach the replacement crown or denture onto the top of the implanted shaft. This permanent solution has advantages over bridge work in that it does not stress the surrounding teeth for support. Additionally, should the implant crown wear out, we can replace another on the shaft.

The Advantages Of Implants

Implants can also be used as support as part of an implant bridge. Implants are an alternative to partial dentures and have several advantages:

  1. There is no adjustment period to acclimatize the patient who only feels teeth and not metal supports intruding into the mouth once the work is done.
  2. Implants slow the bone loss occasioned by missing teeth.
  3. There is no discomfort or difficulty in eating.


Best of all, of course, they don't have to be taken out all the time.

Partial And Full Dentures

There are different types of dentures, but they share their standard function. They replace teeth that have become loose or been lost due to bone loss or decay. When bone loss around the roots of teeth is significant enough to loosen them or let them fall out, it's time for dentures. Relax. No one enjoys losing their natural teeth, but you can still eat and talk regularly.


The entire mouth is examined, and a determination is made as to which teeth will have to be removed and which will remain. The loose teeth are then extracted. Depending on the type, dentures are fitted to go over or around whatever teeth remain in the mouth. There is an adjustment period after dentures are placed in the mouth, and it can take some getting used to. But once accustomed to the dentures, all the normal functionality and appearance return, and one carries on as usual. Often implants can be used to stabilize the dentures further.

Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment (also called root canal therapy or endodontic therapy) is needed when the tooth's nerve becomes infected. It can be due to the nerve dying because of trauma or bacterial invasion through a cavity. (Regular cleanings and checkups prevent and detect problems early) Once infection occurs, it can even extend through the root tip and begin to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is an abscess). By the time the pulp is infected, it must be treated and cannot heal independently. It can even weaken the entire immune system. It is dangerous, not to mention very painful. Symptoms that the pulp has become infected may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, biting or pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth. Sometimes, however, no symptoms are apparent, and the person is unaware of any problem until a checkup.


A root canal is then performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the tooth's canals. The only other treatment would be to extract the tooth. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) are filled in to prevent further infection. Usually, a core build-up and crown are recommended for restoring a tooth with root canal therapy.


To schedule your general dentistry services, call our office today at 615-876-2325.

Share by: