Taking care of you and your family’s teeth is an important part of your well-being. Everyone needs to visit their dentist at least once every two years even if they are not experiencing any teeth or gum problems. If you are able to find a good local dentist it can really help in situations where you need to email or call for a consultation or need to speak with someone because something unexpected has happened like a chipping a tooth.
Many people are terrified of going to the dentists for many reasons but here are some good things to know to help ease those fears. Dentists are certified professionals that have many years of education and training. As much as you may dislike going, dentists are able to prevent you from getting any teeth or gum disease. You are able to trust these professionals to take care of your teeth. Dentists have been practicing since 7000BC. That is a very long time and they are very well trained. Many people also wonder about getting their teeth whitened and dentists are able to do this cosmetic procedure. They also are able to do preventative dentistry services which is where a dentist will do a procedure or treatment that is meant to prevent oral health issues in the future.
An example would be applying a sealant.
A sealant is a layer of thin, protective, long-lasting special plastic and it is painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth. Usually, on the back teeth, the premolars, and molars to prevent tooth decay. The sealant quickly bonds into the depressions and grooves of the teeth, forming a protective shield over the enamel of each tooth. Dentists are also able to do tooth restorations. Tooth restorations are the different ways that your dentist can replace missing teeth or fix missing parts of the tooth structure. Tooth structure could be missing because of decay, deterioration of a previously placed restoration, or fracture of a tooth.
Dentists are able to do many restorations including fillings which are the most common type of dental restoration. Teeth can be filled with gold, silver amalgam, or tooth-colored plastic materials called composite resin fillings. Crowns are another restoration dentists are able to do. Crowns are a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, appearance, hold a bridge in place, or cover a dental implant. One other restoration is dentures. Dentures are a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. They are made up of acrylic resin that is sometimes combined with metal attachments.
