General dentistry includes preventive dentistry and reconstructive dentistry. Preventive dentistry focuses on providing preventive measures meant to protect your mouth against tooth decay and gum disease. As advanced as preventive dentistry has become, however, sometimes it fails and you can lose out. For some this means filling cavities or undergoing root canals, and for others, this could mean losing an entire tooth. For many patients, this experience can be embarrassing and demoralizing. Like a trip to Vegas or Atlantic City that has left you down on chips, you can feel like a failure, and it can take a lot to feel like you’ve won back what you’ve lost.
Fortunately, though, there are other forms of dentistry out there that focus on restoring a smile damaged by tooth decay, trauma, or gum disease. If your smile regularly embarrasses you, reconstructive dentistry can help bolster your confidence, as well.
What Is Reconstructive Dentistry?
The goal of reconstructive dentistry is to restore damaged teeth by making them functional and beautiful. Though many patients have different parts of their smile that make them sensitive, reconstructive dentists work closely with patients to assess the damage. Damage may occur all at once or over time. The dentist then asks about a patient’s own cosmetic goals. In this way, patients can enjoy a smile that is functional and beautiful. It can also makes them feel more confident in their appearance. Even if you currently have several things you dislike about your smile, procedures such as a Smile Makeover can ensure that all of your issues are addressed. The guiding principle of reconstructive dentistry is to make your mouth whole again.
What Sort of Damage Can Reconstructive Dentistry Address?
The most common form of damage to teeth is tooth decay. The process of tooth decay begins after the demineralization of our enamel, the hard outer layer of the tooth. This occurs when specific strains of bacteria such as streptococcus mutans attach to our teeth. The bacteria create protective, sticky envelopes for themselves and come together in large colonies. They feed on sugars and simple starch and produce an acidic byproduct which slowly eats away at the enamel. If we catch tooth decay early, we can minimize damage by filling a cavity, practicing better oral hygiene, and changing your diet. If enough bacteria have already invaded a tooth, infecting the root and threatening the tooth’s structural integrity, reconstructive interventions like root canal therapy and a dental crown is needed.
What Other Options Are Available
Even if you’ve lost a tooth, there are several reconstructive options available. For those whose mouths have sustained considerable damage over the years, porcelain veneers can be a fantastic option. Porcelain veneers are a thin facade of ceramic. We attach them to to the visible surfaces of teeth. In this way, porcelain veneers can give you a completely new smile, correcting stained or chipped teeth, and even that that appear misshapen. If you’ve lost a tooth, dental implants can help you to regain the smile you once had, and they can last a lifetime.
No matter the reason why your smile has been damaged, we can help. If you are looking for comprehensive, effective, and attractive reconstructive dentistry in Westchester County, please contact us today for an appointment at Advanced Dentistry of Mohegan Lake.
