How We Repair Damaged, Worn Teeth
Do you find yourself concealing your smile in pictures? Do you want to repair damaged and worn teeth? Maybe you refrain from enjoying your favorite foods because eating causes discomfort. San Diego, CA dentist Dr. David Eshom repairs weak, fractured, or otherwise damaged teeth with dental bonding or all porcelain crowns. These procedures correct minor smile imperfections and return your teeth to their proper function.
Tooth decay and gum disease easily ruin the integrity, function, and appearance of a tooth. Our dental bonding procedure uses composite resin to non-invasively sculpt a new surface on your affected tooth. Porcelain crowns protect severely damaged teeth by capping the entire tooth, creating a barrier from bacteria and future harm.
All About Dental Bonding
Dr. Eshom uses composite resin to fill in visible cracks and chips on affected teeth. In a single dental visit, he can restore your smile to its once beautiful and radiant appearance.
Dental bonding corrects:
- Cracks
- Chips
- A broken tooth
- Gaps
- Discoloration
- Misalignment
- Oddly-shaped tooth (such as a tooth that’s shorter than the rest)
At your dental appointment, Dr. Eshom will begin by preparing the affected tooth for bonding. He will then mix and apply the composite resin onto the imperfect tooth. Multiple layers are applied and manipulated to resemble the shape of your natural tooth. When shaped properly, Dr. Eshom will cure (harden) the resin with a special light. Finally, he will smooth and polish your tooth. At the end of your visit, you will notice dramatic results.
We use composite resin because it’s strong and durable, yet natural looking. Dr. Eshom has found that this material blends seamlessly with surrounding, natural teeth to create a cosmetically appealing repair. Many patients decide to receive bonding because it is affordable and is completed in a single visit.
All Porcelain Crowns Cap Imperfections
A damaged tooth creates discomfort during mealtime. When left untreated, damage can lead to frequent headaches and even tooth loss. Dr. Eshom recommends dental crowns to regain the strength of the impaired tooth when the damage is too significant for dental bonding.
We use porcelain crowns to repair:
- Fractures
- Cracks
- Broken tooth
- Severe tooth decay
- Gum disease
- Facial trauma
- Cover a tooth after root canal therapy
At your consultation, Dr. Eshom will review your past medical and dental history, as well as inquire about current medications that you’re taking. He will examine your tooth to determine if it’s strong enough to support the restoration. At your first appointment, he will prepare the damaged tooth by removing a thin layer of enamel. This allows a smooth surface for the crown to adhere to. He will take an impression of the tooth, as well as surrounding teeth. The impression is sent to an off-site lab, where your permanent crown is custom-made. Before the end of this visit, he will temporary affix a provisional crown over the weakened tooth to provide protection until the permanent restoration is created.
At a follow up visit, Dr. Eshom will remove the temporary crown and permanently bond your customized restoration onto the affected tooth. With proper care, your dental work will last 20 years or more.
Porcelain crowns blend within your smile and won’t stand out from surrounding teeth. The appearance of your smile will increase after receiving this procedure from Dr. Eshom. Unlike before treatment, you won’t experience discomfort when you chew, because the damaged tooth will be completely covered by the dental crown. You can think of a crown as a protective barrier than blocks out future bacteria from negatively affecting the tooth.
What Else Can Crowns Do?
Although porcelain crowns can save natural teeth, sometimes a tooth must be removed, in order to prevent damaged from affecting neighboring teeth. In this case, Dr. Eshom uses a dental implant and crown to replace a single missing tooth. Multiple teeth are replaced with a dental bridge, which uses two crowns or dental implants to support the restorative device. For more information about dental implants, check out our implant page.
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