Restorative Care
Teeth are subjected to high forces every day when we chew. Teeth which have decay or cracks in them are prone to breaking or crumbling. Heavily filled teeth that have old amalgam fillings in them are prone to expansion and contraction, which can cause further cracking and breakage. Modern materials including ceramics are stronger and able to expand and contract at the same rate as the teeth, giving greater durability. We have a range of treatments that can improve the strength and longevity of your teeth and improve your quality of life.
Crowns and Bridges
Teeth are subjected to high forces every day when we chew. Teeth which have decay or cracks in them are prone to breaking or crumbling. Heavily filled teeth that have old amalgam fillings in them are prone to expansion and contraction, which can cause further cracking and breakage. Modern materials including ceramics are stronger and able to expand and contract at the same rate as the teeth, giving greater durability. Our range of treatments including composite resin fillings, crowns and bridges can improve the strength and longevity of your teeth. This improves your quality of life as you will be able to chew properly and eat a variety of nutritious foods.
Crowns are a strong and long lasting solution for teeth that have cracked or have been heavily filled. They restore the function and appearance of teeth and can be made of porcelain or porcelain/metal combinations. They are like a crash helmet for your tooth, and allow you to chew properly again.
Bridges are an alternative to a partial denture to replace a missing tooth. The bridge is attached to real teeth or implants and spans across a gap to retain strength and the shape of your mouth and face.
Root Canal
When tooth decay has progressed deep into a tooth it begins to damage the nerve. If a tooth is left too long and untreated, the bacteria will cause an abscess and cause the nerve to eventually die. An abscess can be very painful and a full-blown toothache usually requires root canal treatment or extraction. Sometimes you may need referral to a specialist endodontist for Root canal treatment.
The aim of Root canal treatment is to remove infection and prevent bacteria spreading and causing infection or loss of the surrounding bone. Root canal treatment will relieve pain and save your tooth. It involves a series of stages to remove the active infection. The tooth contains hollow tunnels which are cleaned with tiny files, irrigation solutions and special disinfectants to remove any residual bacteria. This may be repeated several times. The final stage is strengthening your tooth and this may involve placement of a crown.
Fillings
A tooth may be damaged as the result of decay, from trauma, fracture or due to wear. To restore teeth that have been damaged the dentist will assess the extent of damage and determine the size of filling that you require.
We use tooth-coloured composite resin filling materials at Kingston Beach Dental.
Fissure seals are a great preventative care option to protect the fissures or grooves in the teeth or children or teenagers. They provide a thin layer over teeth that children may find difficult to keep clean from food and bacteria that lead to decay and can avoid children needing to have fillings done.