Type of false teeth or dentures

There are two main types of dentures: complete and partial. Complete dentures replace the entire set of teeth on a person’s upper arch, lower arch or both arches. This type of denture contains the entire set of teeth attached to a gum-colored base. A partial denture is also made with this gum-colored base, but is made for people who still have several good teeth intact on an arch. The partial denture only replaces the teeth that are missing — this denture allows for openings for the good, natural teeth that are left to protrude through.

The making of a denture takes around one month and involves several dental appointments. The first step to making your denture is taking a set of dental impressions — these impressions will serve as a mold when creating your new denture. During this initial visit, the dentist also measures your jaw at many different angles. These measurements are crucial to making a well-fitting denture. Before the actual denture is made, there is typically a wax or plastic version of it produced — this is what you could call a “rough draft” of your denture. The dentist can then make any changes needed on this wax or plastic version of the denture, which means the expensive materials can be saved for the final product. Once this “model” of your denture has been perfected, it can then be sent to the lab for a final cast. Once the final version of the denture is created, there are still a few minor adjustments typically made to ensure the absolute best fit.

A new denture can take a bit of getting used to, as with any new prosthetic device. A new denture can typically feel loose the first few days of wearing it because you have not yet learned how to hold it in place properly with the muscles of your mouth. Eating with a new denture can also take a bit of getting used to. It is best to begin with eating soft foods and gradually work up to your normal diet. Talking with your new denture can be one of the toughest challenges you will face. As with anything, practice makes perfect — practice talking to yourself around the house and you will be back to speaking normally in no time.

Cost of False Teeth

The cost of a denture can vary greatly depending on where you live and what dentist you choose. Prices can range from $300 to $2,500 per arch. Thankfully, dental insurance often covers a large portion of this cost if the false teeth are deemed necessary by your dentist.

Gum disease is a serious dental problem that can lead to further health complications down the road if left untreated. In fact, doctors consider gum disease as being the number one cause of heart-related problems in many of their patients. That said, it’s very critical to prevent the onset of the disease in order to avoid more serious health issues. Gum disease treatment is performed in a variety of ways, from surgical scale to non-surgical procedures, like lengthening the roots or grafting the tooth.

Stages of gum disease

Surgical Procedure For Gum Disease Treatment:

Pocket reductions are the most common form of surgery performed to reduce gum disease. This involves cleaning the pockets that have been formed by too much tartar build-up on the gums. A periodontist will peel away the folds of gum tissue to remove the bacteria, and then seal the holes with existing gum tissue. In extreme cases of gum disease, patients have gone as far as having cosmetic work done to treat the problem.

Non-Surgical Gum Disease Treatment:

In some instances, patients infected with gum disease opted to have tooth implants after they have lost their teeth. The scaling and root planing procedure involves scraping away the bacteria away from the teeth surface. This is normally paired with a fairly new laser technique which is non-invasive. A survey of dentists from Texas found that combining the scaling and root planing procedure with laser surgery made the treatment more effective.

Cosmetic Treatments:
For cosmetic treatment, one option is to lengthen the crown of teeth, so that tartar build-up is limited and thus prevent gum disease from occurring . Another cosmetic option would be to have grafting done on the tooth. A soft tissue graft is performed to cover the exposed roots of the tooth, so that tartar does not form at its base. This procedure is ideal for patients with hypersensitive teeth, as it enables them to eat and drink without feeling any discomfort.

Gum disease treatment can also start with making small adjustments to your lifestyle, this includes quitting smoking, eating a well balanced nutritious diet, regular brushing and flossing to reduce plaque and tar tar buildup which can damage gum tissue.

Causes of sensitive teeth

There can be many different causes of sensitive teeth. This condition normally starts when the underlying layer of the teeth, or dentin, starts to become exposed because of gum tissue that is receding, exposing the roots of the teeth. These roots are the home to many small tubules which lead directly to the nerve center of the tooth. This nerve center is what many of us know as the “pulp” of the tooth. This direct exposure of the tubules allows a direct path for the aggravating foods to travel through the tooth, and have direct contact with the nerve center, or pulp. This, in turn, causes the pain that many feel with this condition.

Factors that lead to dentine hypersensitivity include gum disease; teeth grinding; excessive tooth whitening; excessive eating of acidic foods, including citrus fruits; plaque build-up, especially near the roots of the teeth; and excessive use of mouthwashes with a high acid content. One little-known cause of sensitive teeth is brushing the teeth immediately after the consumption of a highly acidic food. While the many people think that they are helping their teeth by doing this, they are actually working the acid deeper into the teeth. Teeth should not be brushed for two to three hours after consuming acidic food and drinks.

Home remedies for sensitive teeth

Tooth sensitivity can often be helped by taking a few proactive steps, at home, to help correct this condition. A soft-bristled toothbrush should always be used opposed to a medium or firm one. These soft bristles help to maintain good oral hygiene, without causing abrasion to the tooth surface and irritating the gums. There are many desensitizing toothpastes available on the market, that can be a great help to dentine hypersensitivity sufferers. These toothpastes contain potassium nitrate, potassium chloride, or potassium citrate. These potassium ions travel through the exposed tubules to the tooth pulp, and chemically desensitize the nerves. These toothpastes should be used twice a day for maximum benefits. A fluoridated mouth rinse can also help decrease tooth sensitivity. These fluoride rinses are available over-the-counter and from your dentist.

If these at-home treatment options fail to provide optimum relief, there are other treatment options available for sensitive teeth through your dentist. A dentist can apply a dentin sealer to the exposed tooth root surface. This sealer can close off the openings of the tubules, so the negative stimuli cannot travel through them to the tooth nerve. Some dentists may choose to apply a flouride varnish to the roots instead. This serves the same purpose as the dentin sealer. White tooth filling or bonding material may also be applied to the worst areas of the sensitive teeth, to give a long-lasting protective coating against painful stimuli.

There are three main types of dental bridges:

These types are traditional bridges, cantilever bridges and Maryland bonded bridges. Traditional bridges are the most common type of bridge. These bridges involve creating crowns for the two abutment teeth, and placing the false tooth, also called the “pontic,” in between. This type of bridge is made of either ceramic, or porcelain fused to metal. Cantilever bridges are used when there is only one abutment tooth available. Maryland bonded bridges consist of a metal frame which supports plastic teeth and gums. This type of bridge is bonded to your existing teeth using metal “wings,” instead of the traditional crowns.
The process of preparing the teeth for a traditional dental bridge first involves preparing the anchor, or abutment, teeth. These teeth must be filed down and contoured to create room for crowns. An impression of all of the teeth in the area the bridge will be place, is then made. This impression is then sent to a dental laboratory, where the entire bridge, including crowns and pontics, is fabricated. The dentist, at this time, gives the patient a temporary bridge to be worn. This temporary bridge is worn to protect the exposed tooth and gum area, until the final bridge is ready. After 2-3 weeks, the permanent bridge is normally shipped back to the dentist.

The patient then comes in for a fitting, to see what type of adjustments need to be made on the final product. This process can involve multiple visits and multiple adjustments of the bridge, to make sure it is perfect. The dentist may then replace the temporary bridge with the permanent one, still using the temporary cement. The patient then tries out the bridge for a couple of weeks, noting any problems or adjustments that may need to be made. Once the bridge is deemed perfect, it is permanently cemented into place.

The cost of a dental bridge can vary widely. This cost depends on the type of bridge, the chosen material that is used to create it, and the dentist’s fees for each visit. The cost of a three-unit traditional bridge typically runs from $1,500 to $9,000. This is a large investment for some, but a healthy, long lasting smile is worth the investment.

When do you need a root canal treatment?
Root canal is required in cases where the protective tooth enamel has suffered a complete or partial decay, exposing the dentin and dental pulp which inevitably leads to infection of the nerve tissue inside the tooth structure.

If the damaged tissue and nerves are not removed, the tooth could become infected and may form abscesses which can lead to serious complications which, in most cases will require a complete extraction of the infected tooth.

Root Canal Cost –  How Much Can You Expect To Pay?

One, of the key questions associated with root canal procedure is the cost. Most procedures are carried out over 3-4 appointments with a qualified dental surgeon. In almost all cases, an artificial dental crown is needed to successfully complete the procedure and fully restore the damaged tooth. Some patients, may even choose complete extraction of the damaged tooth to avoid a hefty price tag.

Root canal cost can vary depending on the severity of the problem and the magnitude of the affected tooth and surrounding tissues. Also, it can depend on which tooth is affected and will be treated. Comprehensive private health insurance in most cases can cover a significant percentage of the overall cost (some funds may require a waiting period for such procedures).

A solid estimate for the procedure itself, not including any further treatments or visits, can range anywhere from $350 to $540 for an incisor and $520 to $800 for a molar. An endodontic dental crown which is required to fully restore the treated tooth can cost upto $1000.

Root canal cost can also vary from from dentist to dentist so it advisable to shop around and request a few quotes before making a decision.

Follow-up visits are typically scheduled to check on your tooth’s progress after the procedure which are often billed as a regular dentist and can be 100% covered by your health insurer. However, if further, more extensive dental care is required in case of post operative complications expect your dental bill to increase.

If not taken care of in a timely manner, a simple root canal procedure will not be enough. Often times, people will wait, allowing for the entire tooth to become infected. If you are experiencing pain or other issues with a tooth, be sure to contact your dentist quickly. The sooner you can get your tooth investigated, the sooner the tooth can be fixed. Normally, this will lead to a simpler and cheaper operation.

A large percentage of people will end up having a root canal performed at some point in their life. Brushing your teeth at least two times a day, flossing daily or every other day, and consistently scheduled dentist visits will ensure long lasting oral hygiene, will keep your teeth healthy and reduce the chances of being plagued with having to receive a root canal and prospect of facing a hefty root canal cost.

A root canal is the cavity inside the tooth structure which contains one or more nerve pathways to the dental pulp or the central nerve tissue. If over time the protective enamel casing, which also forms the tooth structure suffers a partial or complete decay the pulp can get infected and in most cases the tooth will require a root canal therapy. This treatment is often also termed as endodontic therapy, which also refers to the complete restoration of the damaged or decayed tooth with an artificial protective crown immediately following the treatment.

Molars normally have four or more canals and incisors at the front upto two. These canals go from the roots of the teeth up till the center like the lead of the pencil. Most qualified dental surgeons extensively perform root canals but more complicated cases may also be referred to a specialist endodontist.

Steps for the root canal treatment

A typical root canal treatment is performed over several weeks and requires repeat visits to the dentist for a successful outcome.

Creating the tooth cavity

The first step involves cleaning the decay and creating a cavity in the damaged tooth structure to access the infected dental pulp and nerve tissue. The cavity is created using a dental drill which is then also used to perform further treatment on the tooth. In case of molars, the cavity starts from the chewing surface up till the pulp chamber. In case of incisors the cavity starts from the back of the teeth up till the pulp chamber again.

Cleaning and shaping the tooth

This step involves cleaning and extracting the dental pulp or the infected nerve tissue inside the tooth cavity which allows access to the entrance of the individual canals.

Following the creation of cavity the Individual root canals are cleaned of the remaining tissue using precision filers, the canals are then shaped and enlarged to make room for permanent filling which subsequently replaces the residing nerve tissue.

These files are also used to scrub and scrape the inside of the root canal to remove any type of bacteria and infectious material. In the meanwhile the dentists may also use sodium hypochlorite to clean and disinfect the root canal.

At this stage the dentist will pack the artificial cavity with a temporary filling and may allow 1-2 weeks before performing the next step of permanently filling the individual canals.

Filling the root canals and completing the root canal treatment

Stage two of the treatment involves filling the individual root canals with a light pink coloured inert filling called “guttapercha”. The cavity just above the canals is filled with a regular tooth coloured filling. At the completion of this stage the doctor may allow further 1-2 weeks before shaping the tooth to install an artificial crown.

Installing a temporary dental crown

Stage three involves shaping the tooth to make room for the restorative crown, a tooth impression is often required to make the necessary mould for the permanent artificial crown. A temporary crown can be installed to protect the tooth in the interim. The impression is then sent to a laboratory where a permanent crown is typically moulded within two weeks.

Installing a permanent dental crown

During the final phase the permanent dental crown is installed to fully restore the tooth and complete the root canal treatment. Most pure metal or metal infused porcelain crowns are extremely strong and durable which can last a lifetime and ensure a successful root canal treatment.

A dentist must prepare your tooth for the crown carefully. The dentist normally takes x-rays of the tooth, and performs a root canal if necessary. This root canal can help prevent infection of the tooth’s pulp. The dentist then files down the tooth, to make room for the crown. Any important areas of the tooth missing must be built-up, or filled, like a cavity. The dentist then makes an impression of the tooth, using a dental impression paste. The dentist normally makes a temporary crown in his/her office for you to wear, and a form of your tooth is sent to an outside laboratory to make the final product. The production of the final crown normally takes about three weeks.

Dental crowns are made from many different materials. Metal crowns are very affordable, but are normally only used for the very back molars, since not many people find metallic looking teeth attractive. All-resin crowns are also available, but wear down quickly and are more prone to breakage than other types of crowns. All-porcelain crowns offer one of the best color matches to the natural tooth, however, they are prone to wearing down the opposing tooth, and are also not very strong. This type of crown is best suitable when a crown for a front tooth is needed. Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns are deemed as the best overall dental crown to use. They are literally a metal crown covered in porcelain. This gives you the strength of the metal crown and the tooth-matching color of the porcelain crown. The porcelain on these crowns can chip, exposing the metal underneath, so there is no true perfect crown out there.

These crowns can range in cost depending on the material it is constructed from, among other factors, such as the fees your dentist charges for his service in preparing your tooth and preparing the form for the crown. Prices can range from as little as $500, to as much as $3,000 a tooth. The porcelain-fused-to-metal variety can be one of the most affordable. All-porcelain and all-resin varieties are normally the most expensive, because of the greater skill involved in making, and color-matching the dental crowns.