We work hard to help patients keep their smiles whole and healthy for life, but even the most comprehensive dental health plan may have gaps from time to time. When patients come to Pazmino Dentistry with dental decay or damage, we are happy to provide a comprehensive array of restorative dental services that repair damaged smiles and renew the full form and function of patients’ smiles. We welcome patients from Salado, Temple, and other nearby locations to contact our team to schedule an appointment for restorative dentistry in Temple, TX at the first indication of dental decay or damage.
Dental crowns and bridges are two of the most commonly recommended restorative treatments because they allow us to return form and function to even extensively damaged teeth. Dental crowns fit over the top of damaged teeth to restore the shape, preserve remaining healthy structures, and maintain proper bite alignment. Dental crowns replace missing teeth by connecting a prosthetic tooth to two dental crowns. The crowns are then placed over surrounding teeth for support.
Learn More About Crowns & Bridges
Traditionally, amalgam fillings were used to repair decayed or minimally damaged teeth, but this material has a number of drawbacks. The silver or dark metal color of amalgam is the most obvious disadvantage, but there are also a number of oral health concerns. Amalgam expands and contracts at a different rate than tooth enamel which may lead to further damage to the tooth or cause the filling to become dislodged. Because the amalgam filling is not directly attached to the tooth, there is also a greater risk for future decay. Tooth-colored fillings offer superior cosmetic results, but in addition to blending seamlessly into patients’ smiles, the composite resin material they are crafted with is applied directly to the tooth in a malleable form. It is molded into position filling in small dips and grooves in the treated tooth. Once the filling is properly positioned, we use a curing light to harden it into place restoring the tooth.
Patients with extensive tooth loss may experience diminished self-confidence and struggle to comfortable and confidently speak, chew, and smile, but our skilled dentists are able to repair these smiles with partial and full dentures. Partial dentures are crafted to fill in gaps in smiles with numerous, nonconsecutive missing teeth. A series of prosthetic teeth are placed along a gum colored base that fits between teeth like a puzzle piece completing patients’ smiles. They are held in place with metal clasps anchored to remaining healthy teeth. Full dentures are similarly crafted, but they are composed of a full arch of replacement teeth set into a gum colored base that is crafted to remain firmly in place through natural suction.
Many patients cringe when they hear the words root canal, but we have good news. Root canals actually significantly relieve the painful toothache that precedes the treatment. Every tooth is made up of three layers. The hard outer enamel layer, the middle dentin layer that provides strength and stability, and the soft inner pulp layer where the nerve system is housed. When tooth decay or damage reaches this inner layer, the tooth’s nerve is directly affected which can be very painful. Root canal therapy removes the damaged tissue, including the nerve of the tooth, relieving the painful toothache almost immediately. A small access hole is drilled in the top of the tooth down to the root system. We then carefully extract the decayed or damaged tissue, refill the tooth, and in many cases, we place a dental crown to ensure the tooth is protected from future decay or damage.
The goal of our dental office is always to help patients maintain their natural smile for life, but there are some cases where tooth extraction may actually be the best option to maintain overall oral health. In some situations, we work with patients to create a plan to replace the tooth, but in others, such as wisdom tooth extraction, replacement may not be necessary. Some of the most common reasons tooth removal is recommended include:
In most cases, we work to ensure patients are able to keep their naturally healthy smiles for life, but whether due to severe damage, lack of space within the jaw line, a tooth’s inability to erupt from the gums, or other oral health concerns, there are certain times when extraction is the best option for patients. The most frequently extracted teeth are also the last to erupt. This third set of molars, sometimes referred to as wisdom teeth, are often removed as the full formed adult bite may be incapable of accommodating this extra set of molars which causes a number of oral health concerns.
