General
Tooth-Colored Fillings and Root Canal Therapy at Robson Family Dental
Tooth Decay and Cavities
Tooth decay is a bacterial infection that penetrates the tooth’s enamel and consumes the inner portion of the tooth. This leaves an empty space that’s commonly referred to as a cavity.
The bacteria that causes tooth decay feeds on plaque, tartar, and debris. The best way to prevent cavities is to brush and floss daily and visit Robson Family Dental for regular checkups at least twice a year.
If you or your child develops tooth decay, it’s important for a dentist to treat it as soon as possible. The longer tooth decay is allowed to progress, the larger the cavity will become.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
When a tooth is damaged by decay, Dr. Robson will restore it using a filling. First, he’ll remove the damaged portion of the tooth, and then he’ll fill the cavity with an attractive tooth-colored filling.
Filling the cavity restores the tooth’s structural integrity. Today’s composite fillings have several advantages. They’re extremely durable and they’re custom-designed to match the color of your smile.
Dr. Robson can restore a decayed tooth in just one office visit. The resin-based composite filling bonds directly with your teeth, which prevents bacteria from seeping in and causing further decay.
Dental Crowns
If tooth decay remains untreated for an extended period of time, it can threaten the survival of the tooth. When the damage caused by decay is extensive, a filling might not be sufficient to restore the tooth. In these cases, Dr. Robson will often elect to use a dental crown.
A dental crown is a cap that strengthens a damaged tooth and protects it from further harm. Like tooth-colored fillings, a dental crown is designed to blend in with the rest of your smile.
Root Canal Therapy
When a tooth becomes severely infected due to trauma or extensive decay, root canal therapy is often required to halt the infection and restore the tooth to full function. Every year, dentists are able to save millions of teeth that would otherwise be extracted using root canal therapy.
During root canal therapy, Dr. Robson will make a small hole in the affected tooth to remove the infected tissue from the tooth’s inner region. Then he will fill the space using a material called gutta percha. Following root canal therapy, we’ll restore the tooth and protect it from future infection using a dental crown.
Signs You Could Need Root Canal Therapy
If you’re experiencing a throbbing toothache, you should call Robson Family Dental right away at 616-942-9595. You could have a serious infection that requires root canal therapy to relieve your pain and save the tooth.
Additional signs that you could require root canal therapy include:
- Your tooth hurts when you chew
- The tooth changes color
- The tooth is sensitive to hot or cold beverages
- Swelling around the base of the tooth