Restorative Dentistry
Restorative Dentistry in St. Louis, MO
Missing teeth or a tooth that has sustained trauma does not let you perform everyday tasks such as eating and speaking to the best of your abilities. Also, not caring for a damaged tooth can lead to the spread of bacteria to surrounding dental structures.
At St. Louis Urgent Dental Group, we provide restorative solutions for people in urgent need of a renewed smile. Our dentists are committed to preserve and improve the oral health of the people in the St. Louis community, as well as other neighboring areas.
We are meticulous towards every detail in regard to your treatment plan, and make sure you obtain a restoration that provides you both functional and aesthetic benefit. If you are looking for an after-hours dentist that makes every effort to rejuvenate your smile, contact our practice today!
Restoring Your Smile in St. Louis
Before we can start the restorative process, we must take digital x-rays of your dental anatomy. This helps us gain a better understanding of which treatments are best to bring your smile back to its optimal condition. We determine what is the right path to start you on to bolster your dental and overall well-being, by examining these images.
Depending on the restorative treatments you require, we may be recommended any of these following dental services:
Teeth experiencing decay are treated with composite filling to stop bacteria from reaching the tooth’s inner structures. The resin material used for our fillings are visually appealing, meaning they do not detract from the smile.
Patients who have previously obtained dental implants and now find themselves with a broken or dislodged restoration of a single tooth can receive an implant-supported crown. This tooth replacement option resolves the issue of a missing tooth anywhere in the smile, and there is no effect on surrounding dental structures. People may get a traditional crown from our urgent dental practice as well.
The restorations we provide at St. Louis Urgent Dental Group are fabricated from either zirconia or e.max® depending on the needs of the person. This means that they allow patients to maintain a uniform smile as they seamlessly blend with surrounding teeth.
For those with dental implants and missing one or more teeth in a row, they can benefit from implant-supported bridges. This restoration option does not impact neighboring teeth. Traditional bridges help those who wish to replace their lost teeth but do not want to go over budget.
People who are experiencing a constant toothache or a sensitivity to temperatures should come to our St. Louis dental practice as they may need root canal therapy. This is where one of our dentists enters the inside of the tooth through the crown and removes the compromised tissues. One of our dental professionals then caps the tooth with an aesthetic crown provided by our office, to protect the natural dental structure from reinfection and to restore function.
Rejuvenate Your Smile!
Learn more about our restorative services by contacting St. Louis Urgent Dental Group. Our dentists pride themselves on their ability to alleviate discomfort and renew oral health and function for our patients in St. Louis and its surrounding communities.
What should I do if a tooth is knocked out?
Answer
We’re all at risk for having a tooth knocked out. More than 5 million teeth are knocked out every year! If we know how to handle this emergency situation, we may be able to actually save the tooth. Teeth that are knocked out may be possibly reimplanted if we act quickly, yet calmly, and follow these simple steps:
- Locate the tooth and handle it only by the crown (chewing part of the tooth), NOT by the roots.
- DO NOT scrub or use soap or chemicals to clean the tooth. If it has dirt or debris on it, rinse it gently with your own saliva or whole milk. If that is not possible, rinse it very gently with water.
- Get to a dentist within 30 minutes. The longer you wait, the less chance there is for successful reimplantation.
Ways to transport the tooth
- Try to replace the tooth back in its socket immediately. Gently bite down on gauze, a wet tea bag or on your own teeth to keep the tooth in place. Apply a cold compress to the mouth for pain and swelling as needed.
- If the tooth cannot be placed back into the socket, place the tooth in a container and cover with a small amount of your saliva or whole milk. You can also place the tooth under your tongue or between your lower lip and gums. Keep the tooth moist at all times. Do not transport the tooth in a tissue or cloth.
- Consider buying a “Save-A-Tooth” storage container and keeping it as part of your home first aid kit. The kit is available in many pharmacies and contains a travel case and fluid solution for easy tooth transport.
The sooner the tooth is replaced back into the socket, the greater the likelihood it has to survive and possibly last for many years. So be prepared, and remember these simple steps for saving a knocked-out tooth.
You can prevent broken or knocked-out teeth by:
- Wearing a mouthguard when playing sports
- Always wearing your seatbelt
- Avoiding fights
- Avoid chewing hard items such as ice, popcorn kernels, hard breads, etc.