Tooth replacement has been around for centuries.As long as teeth have fallen out, broken off, and rotted away, people have sought to replace them with more and more realistic looking alternatives. Historically, common materials for replacement teeth have included teeth extracted from the deceased, wood, seashell fragments, porcelain, acrylic, gold, silver and other metals. Today, dental fillings, teeth crowns, Veneers for teeth, and dental implants provide long-lasting alternatives that are both functional and natural looking.
Once, dental problems resulting in the loss of teeth were devastating, even potentially deadly. Today, people can survive with broken or missing teeth, but there is a strong stigma associated with missing teeth. Most people choose to have a broken or missing tooth replaced if at all possible. Cosmetic dentistry has made great advances in providing natural looking solutions. Substances such as gold and silver are still occasionally used for replacement teeth because these materials last for a very long time. However, not everyone is happy such an unnatural looking replacements; therefore alternatives have been created that look more like actual teeth. Composite resin, made of a blend of materials, is used for fillings near the front of the mouth because the material can be very closely matched with the patients teeth. Ceramic and glass can also be used, and last just as long as gold and silver fillings.Teeth with these types of fillings should hold up to normal wear.
Sometimes composite resin can be used to fix a tooth that is slightly chipped. However, in some cases a tooth may be so badly chipped that the nerve is exposed. Then it is necessary to perform a root canal and use a crown to protect the tooth. Like fillings, Crowns for teeth have traditionally been made from metals, but now are often constructed from porcelain to match existing teeth. Crowns can last several years, and are professionally made using molds of the patients mouth so they are the right size, shape and color.
Dental implants are used when the tooth and the root are entirely missing. A piece of metal shaped like a screw is used to replace the root, so that crowns, bridges, or dentures can be adhered to the surface of the metal. Dental implants are an ideal solution for when teeth have fallen out completely, and have improved considerably in recent years. The dental industry as a whole has improved immensely in the last century through research, training, and improved technologies. Comparing the crowns, fillings, implants and veneers for teeth of today to those in the past are prime examples of the successes of some of todays NC cosmetic dentists.
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