“I am notoriously afraid of doctor’s, especially dentists. I hadn’t been to a dentist in years before I came upon Carp Dental. Wow! What a difference having a knowledgeable, compassionate, and gentle dentist makes. Dr. Carp and his staff were so efficient and calming that I couldn’t believe I was done with my visit that quickly and without any pain. They now have a patient for life!”
Michael Feinman Patient
Regular Check-ups
Do you think you only need a check up once a year? That may be a mistake. After your next visit, ask your dentist how often you should have a check-up. Simple, regular check-ups using fluoride and/or the sealing of small pits in the enamel of your teeth may severely limit your chances of tooth decay and other more serious and painful problems.
Eat A Healthy Diet
Do you love Gummy Bears, Swedish Fish and other sticky treats? We do too! But, eating sticky or dry foods that remain on your teeth increases the risk of cavity development. So, if you can’t eat healthy all the time, remember to brush your teeth after each meal. It will significantly decrease your risk of cavities!
Floss Daily
We realize that flossing can be a pain but it is very important if you want to have a healthy smile and odorless breath! Try to use dental floss at least once a day to remove harmful plaque and left over food from between your teeth. In addition to flossing, regular brushing with a soft brush will prevent gum disease, which causes bad breath and can lead to loss of teeth.
We are always welcoming new patients to our practice. Request a new patient exam here.
Research has shown that almost everybody has a 95% chance of experiencing some tooth decay. When tooth decay does occur, it is highly important to remove the decay, clean the tooth and repair the tooth with some type of restoration. In addition, lost or missing teeth need to be replaced to protect your overall oral health.
In this section, we will look at the various restorations we can use to protect and restore decayed or missing teeth.
Protect and keep badly decayed or fractured teeth.
The Problem:
Badly decayed teeth
Fractured teeth
Need to protect and strengthen teeth
The Solution:
A crown (often called a cap) covers the tooth and restores it to its original shape and size. Decay is removed and cleaned from the tooth and a highly accurate impression or mold is made of the prepared surface. This mold is used to create a model of the tooth, which is then sent to a special laboratory that will create a gold or porcelain (tooth colored) crown. The crown is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the tooth.
Advantages:
Crowns are incredibly strong due to the fact that they are created in a laboratory. This protects and strengthens the remaining tooth structure. In the hands of a skilled dentist, a crown will fit almost perfectly onto the prepared surface of the tooth, reducing the size of the seam between the crown and the tooth. This helps keep decay from eventually occurring under the crown.
Crowns should be placed before the tooth is so decayed that it may fracture. This can often help prevent the expense of root canal therapy in the future. It can also prevent the possibility that a fractured tooth may need to be removed, requiring the expense of a bridge or implant to replace the missing tooth.
Disadvantages:
Crowns are excellent restorations and have few disadvantages. They are highly durable, but they will eventually need to be re-cemented or replaced due to normal wear. Occasionally, a tooth may still need root canal therapy after being crowned. However, this indicates that the interior of the tooth was already sick (infected) and would have eventually needed root canal therapy anyway.
Alternatives:
In the event that a tooth is so decayed or fractured that it needs to be removed, the best alternatives to a crown are bridges and implants that replace the missing tooth
A great way to replace missing teeth.
The Problem:
A missing tooth or teeth
Potential bite and jaw joint problems from teeth
shifting to fill the space
The "sunken face" look associated with missing teeth
Desire to improve chewing ability
Desire for a more permanent solution than dentures
The Solution:
A bridge is a single appliance that is generally attached to two teeth on each side of the space where a tooth is missing. An artificial tooth attached in the middle of the bridge fills in the gap where the missing tooth was. The teeth on either side of the gap are prepared for crowns (see crowns) and a highly accurate impression or mold is made of the prepared area. This mold is used to create a gold or porcelain (tooth colored) bridge in a special laboratory. The bridge is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the teeth, effectively creating the appearance of a "new" tooth.
In some instances, a resin-bonded bridge may be used. In this case, the two teeth on each side of the gap are not prepared for crowns. Instead, the bridge consists of a false tooth with metal brackets on the back of each side of the gap. The brackets are attached to the backs of the real teeth on each side.
Advantages:
Unlike dentures, a fixed bridge is never removed. It is stable in the mouth and works very similar to natural teeth. By filling the gap and stopping the movement of other teeth, a fixed bridge is an excellent investment, providing better chewing ability, heading off jaw joint problems and saving money that might otherwise be spent on future dental treatment.
Disadvantages:
Fixed bridges are excellent restorations and have few disadvantages. They are highly durable, but they will eventually need to be re-cemented or replaced due to normal wear.
Alternatives:
In the event that the use of a fixed bridge is not feasible, the best alternative is a dental implant.
Protect and keep a sick or dying tooth.
The Problem:
Infected or sick tooth due to decay or injury
Chronic tooth pain from contact with hot and cold liquids
Pain from pressure or biting down
Danger of infection spreading
The Solution:
Inside each tooth is a pulp chamber that contains the nerves and blood supply for the tooth. When the pulp becomes infected due to decay or injury to the tooth, the pulp must be removed from the center of the tooth and the canals of each root. Once the infected pulp is removed, the remaining chamber is filled with a rubber-based material to seal it off.
All teeth that have had root canal therapy must be protected with a tooth-like artificial covering known as a crown (see crown section.) This is because teeth that have had the pulp removed are more susceptible to fracture.
Advantages:
Root canal therapy is an excellent way to save a tooth that would otherwise die and need to be removed.
Disadvantages:
If a tooth is sick, there are no disadvantages to root canal therapy. On rare occasions, however, root canal therapy may need to be redone to ensure that all of the infection has been removed.
Alternatives:
The only real alternative is to remove the sick tooth. However, this will require a dental implant or bridge to fill the empty space and prevent the shifting of surrounding teeth. These solutions will ultimately cost more than the root canal therapy, and they will never equal the quality of keeping your natural tooth.
