Dental Care for a Chipped or Broken Tooth

Even though the outer layer of your tooth, the enamel, is the hardest mineralized tissue in your body, it is not foolproof. Teeth that are weakened by decay are susceptible to breaking when biting on something hard like ice and any tooth can be damaged by oral trauma. It’s always best to call your dentist as soon as they are available, but there are some things you can do yourself until your appointment arrives.

• If your tooth is aching, take an over the counter pain reliever and rinse your mouth with salt water.
• If there is a sharp edge that bothers your tongue or cheek, you can purchase dental wax at a local pharmacy or use sugar free gum to cover the jagged edge.
• Eat soft foods and try to avoid biting and chewing on that side of the mouth.

Treatment for a broken or chipped tooth

Your dentist will evaluate the damage to the tooth with an x-ray or digital image of the tooth to determine what procedure would work best to restore its integrity. Depending on the severity of the damage, there are several procedures that will bring health and beauty back to your smile.

Tooth-colored fillings - If you have lost off a small piece of tooth enamel, your dentist will fill the void with a composite resin. This material will bond to your tooth for a seamless smile.

Inlay/Onlay - Will restore a larger area that covers more than one surface of your tooth.

Crown (cap) - If you lost a large piece of tooth, or there is decay or other fillings present, your dentist will file away a portion of the weakened tooth and place a permanent crown on top to protect the remaining tooth, restoring your bite and the aesthetic look of your smile.

Root Canal - If the entire top part of your tooth has been compromised, your dentist will perform a root canal treatment then place a pin or a post in the canal of the tooth and attach a crown to it.

When restoring teeth with a crown or root canal treatment, you can expect to have at least two dental appointments. The first involves pre-treatment with a temporary tooth in place. The second visit is a simpler process of fitting the final restoration permanently in place. Some dentists have the equipment to build a crown in the office in an hour during your initial visit.

Lublin Dental Center care for damaged teeth

When left alone, a damaged tooth will progressively get worse. Please contact our Brooklyn office to schedule an appointment right away. Our friendly staff at Lublin Dental Center will listen to your concerns and fit you in as soon as possible.  

Let’s Talk About Osseointegration

Osseointegration is what we’re talking about, but it can do more than earn you a pretty big score in Scrabble.  It can work wonders to bring your smile back!

This is a pretty simple word when it is broken down into its parts - Osseo is direct from the Greek word Osteon, meaning bone, and integration which we know means to combine with the existing structure.  

Accurately describing the process, Osseointegration is just that.  Swedish orthopedic surgeon Per-Ingvar Brånemark pioneered the field during the 1960’s when he discovered that a metal screw (also known as the implant) inserted into the jawbone was accepted by the skeletal structure, allowing a false tooth to be permanently implanted. This discovery revolutionized oral health care as people could now turn to alternate corrections for missing teeth.

Natural teeth are made of two parts - the crown and the root.  The crown refers to the part of the tooth above the gum line while root refers to the part below the gum holding it in place much like the roots of a tree.  Osseointegration is referring to the metal which is integrated into the jaw to serve as an artificial root.

Brånemark found that not just any metal would be accepted into the jaw. The body would reject certain metals and treat them as a foreign invader.  Titanium is generally used for the anchor due to its strength and bio-compatibility (a fancy term meaning your body will not find any reason to reject this new addition).

The ‘integration’ part of the word comes from the fact that the bone grows around the implant to attach itself, making it permanent!  That’s right; the body will see this metal anchor as a part of its jawbone and actually strengthens the placement of the dental implant!

The term implant ‘dental implant’ can be broken down as well.  It typically consists of three parts:

1. The implant itself, which is a titanium screw that is placed directly into the bone to anchor the tooth securely.
2. The abutment sets directly on the implant to provide the crown further support, holding the crown in place.
3. The crown that has the look, feel and function of the tooth it replaces while it is firmly mounted in place.

Osseointegration has led the way for several fields in reconstructive medicine, including facial reconstruction and internal hearing aids. The method is even used for joint and artificial limb replacement!If you would like to know more about dental implants or to find out if they will improve your oral health, please contact Lublin Dental Center and schedule a consultation with your Brooklyn dentist. 

Dental Implants and Bone Grafting: What You Need to Know

Dental implants have significantly impacted the field of restorative dentistry and are currently the closest option to having natural teeth. Although dental implants produce natural-looking results, obtaining them may become an obstacle. Particularly for those who have worn removable dentures for some time, patients may need pre-operative treatments before receiving dental implants.

Bone grafting is a way for patients with insignificant jaw bone density to strengthen the bone and increase the chance of success for dental implant placement.

Why Would You Need a Bone Graft?

Our jawbones are only able to retain their strength due to the amount of teeth present in our mouths. So when teeth go missing, it’s only natural that our jaw bone loses some density. This is especially true for traditional denture wearers, who may not have had natural teeth in their jaws for years. However, many denture wearers – as well as others who are missing one or more teeth – are interested in receiving a fixed and durable solution for their smiles and opt for dental implants.

Bone Grafting and Dental Implants

In order to place dental implants in the jaw, your oral surgeon will need at least 6mm of bone density to work with. If you have less than 6mm worth of bone density, your dentist may recommend a bone or tissue graft. There are a variety of bone grafting materials available, but overall the purpose of a bone graft is to regenerate the bone you have lost over time so that you are able to withstand dental implant placement. Depending on the procedure used, a bone graft can take anywhere from four to twelve months to heal. Afterward, you will be able to proceed with regaining a healthy and beautiful smile.

Contact the Brooklyn Dentists at Lublin Dental Center for More Information

If you are interested in receiving dental implants, contact Lublin Dental Center and find out whether you are qualified for implant placement. To determine whether you are a candidate, your dentist will assess your medical history and take digital x-rays or perform a CT scan in order to determine the density of your jaw bone.

For more information about dental implant placement, contact Drs. Adam and Theodore Lublin today and schedule an appointment.