Bad Habits Play A Role In The Appearance Of Your Smile - By: Dave Stringham

Erase years of wear and tear with porcelain crowns. Sometimes called "caps," porcelain crowns are customized for you, covering broken, cracked, severely decayed or discolored teeth. Crowns are a durable, strong, long lasting method of enhancing both the look and functionality of your smile. After some preparation of the tooth or teeth that will receive the crown(s), your dentist will position a custom milled, lifelike porcelain crown over your damaged tooth, restoring and rejuvenating your oral health.

Bridge-Sometimes gum disease, injury, decay or simple every day wear and tear can result in the loss of a tooth. A large gap in your smile can create significant problems for your dental health. Neighboring teeth may begin to move about, moving into the gap and resulting in discomfort, pain and more problems down the road. Unreplaced teeth that lead to malalignment will lead to increased chance of periodontal (gum) disease and TMJ disorder. Porcelain bridges can fill the gap in your smile. Your dentist can create a lifelike, functional bridge to correct your smile, restore your bite and alleviate your discomfort.

A porcelain bridge is created out of metal, alloys or porcelain and utilizes the teeth on both sides of the gap as its supportive structure. After some preparation of the two neighboring teeth, crowns are created for them. A prosthetic tooth, or pontic, is fused between the crowns to fill the gap. A bridge is a semi-permanent dental restoration, meaning it can only be removed by a dentist, so you can rest assured that your porcelain bridge will be a lasting restoration to your oral health.

TMJ-The temporomandibular joint, known as the TMJ, is in front of the ear where the upper and lower jaws meet. When the joint doesn't work properly, or becomes inflamed, it leads to headaches, locked jaws and other issues. In some cases, the symptoms of a TMJ disorder persist and your dentists must recommend one or more conservative, non-surgical treatments or behavioral interventions to alleviate pain, to correct dental problems that contribute to the disorder or to change habits that amplify the severity or frequency of the symptoms.

Treatment may include the use of a plastic biteplate or splint worn over your teeth to help align your upper and lower jaws. A biteplate may also reduce pressure in the joint structure. Some may benefit from the use of a night guard appliance. If you grind your teeth in your sleep, a night guard appliance, which is a soft or firm device worn over your teeth, can help prevent grinding and excessive wear of your teeth.

Inlays / Onlays-Sometimes removing tooth decay effectively requires the removal of a portion of your tooth. An inlay or an onlay is a restorative option that is utilized when the lost portion of the tooth is too large to be replaced with a filling, but not so great that a crown is necessary. Traditionally, inlays and onlays were made out of metal, much like traditional fillings. Now, porcelain-milled inlays and onlays are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth and provide relief from chewing pain, cavity pain and tooth degeneration.

About the Author

Dave Stringham writes about cosmetic dentists in Edmond Oklahoma. They offer all aspects of restorative dentistry including dental implants, dentures, crowns and bridges.

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