Visit a Cosmetic Dentist if You Damage a Tooth in an Accident

As a cosmetic dentist, we work with patients that do not enjoy the appearance of their smile.  This is often due to dark stains or yellow teeth, gaps in between teeth, crooked teeth or those that are uneven in shape.  The aesthetic challenges that people have with their smile are vast, and we have a solution for addressing virtually all of them, including dental veneers and dental implants.  In most cases, our patients plan ahead for their visit and carefully consider what they want fixed with their smile.  There are times, however, where patients come to see us with a damaged tooth.  If this happens to you, we invite you to give us a call.

The likelihood of your tooth becoming cracked, chipped, or even knocked out is higher than you may think.  Most people do not consider whether or not they will be in an accident or what they would do if their tooth became damaged.  This is unfortunately because over 9 million people visit the ER after a slip and fall accident every year, there are around 5.4 million car wrecks, and over 5 million children will suffer from a sports-related injury.  The chances of being in an accident are incredibly high, and the only question is whether or not your teeth will become damaged in the process.  If they do, we encourage you to call us instead of seeking treatment from the emergency room.

When you visit the ER for a chipped tooth, the doctor can give you medication and send you on your way.  They are not trained in how to restore teeth.  Simultaneously, if you see a dentist that specializes in general care, they may be unable to restore your tooth in a way that looks natural.  As a cosmetic dentist, we specialize in dental restorations, dental veneers, and dental implants, and have multiple solutions for correcting a tooth that is cracked, chipped or otherwise broken while helping it to blend in with the surrounding teeth.  This way, when you smile, no one will be able to tell that you ever damaged your tooth in the first place.  This is our goal – to create a natural and beautiful restoration in a timely fashion.

Any time that you are in an accident and damage your tooth, it is imperative that you have it restored quickly.  A tooth that is cracked or chipped is susceptible to becoming infected.  Bacteria can enter the center of the tooth this way, infect the dental pulp and create the need for a root canal.  This can be uncomfortable on top of the damage that already exists.  By using dental veneers or crowns to restore your teeth, we can prevent this from happening and give you the ability to use your tooth without restriction.

Our solutions
Some of the restorative solutions we use in our cosmetic dentist office are dental bonding, dental veneers, and dental crowns.  We can also replace your knocked out tooth using a dental bridge or dental implant.  Regardless of how your tooth was damaged or how bad the damage is – give us a call for a natural looking restoration.

A Cosmetic Dentist Can Help You With Bite Balancing

As a cosmetic dentist, we can complete bite balancing procedures to improve the appearance and function of your bite.  When most people think about a beautiful smile, they think of bright, white, and straight teeth.  Few consider the jaw.  However, the jaw and bite often have the largest impact on how the smile looks.  This is because if you have an overbite, underbite or crossbite, it can alter the shape of your face.   Very often this is improved with orthodontics as part of a braces treatment.  It can also be corrected by cosmetic dentistry.

Whether you are best served by orthodontics or cosmetic dentistry depends on what is causing your bite to be off in the first place. As a dentist, we will examine your teeth and gums, take x-rays and watch for signs of anything that could disrupt how your teeth come together.  

Some common reasons are –

• Old dental work that has worn down such as an older crown
• Chipped teeth
• Uneven tooth wear
• Receding gums
• Adult tooth loss
• Teeth moving out of position due to a tongue thrust, accident, etc.

If we notice any of these issues during your dental examination, we can talk about the procedures that can be used to aid in your bite balancing.  For example, if your bite is off due to a chipped tooth, we can restore the tooth in our cosmetic dentistry office.  This can be done with a bonding procedure or a dental crown.  Both appear natural, and both will restore the full functionality of the damaged tooth.  Once the chip has been restored, your teeth should come together properly.  Another example is if a few teeth are worn down and the bite is not coming together correctly as a result.  This too can be fixed with dental crowns and once done, your bite should be improved.

Some other ways that bite balancing can occur is by replacing any teeth that have been lost.  We can use dental implants or a dental bridge to replace missing teeth.  As a cosmetic dentist, we perform these procedures on a regular basis, and once all of your missing teeth are replaced, it will be easier to bite down correctly.  Your smile will be improved at the same time.  Any time that we complete a procedure like this for bite balancing we will not only replace the tooth but ensure that the shape is a perfect for your bite.  This requires the skill of an expert, making it necessary to visit a cosmetic dentist that completes restorations on a regular basis.

If you have more significant issues with your smile or your bite, we may recommend retention or an orthodontics procedure. We will discuss the pros and cons of all options, which procedures can be completed the fastest and what is best for your particular situation. Our bite balancing procedures are incredibly effective and as a cosmetic dentist, we can make sure that your bite and smile are beautiful.