Tooth decay is often the product of poor oral hygiene practices encouraging the bacteria living in your mouth to afflict an area of compromised tooth enamel. With early treatment, a small cavity can be repaired with a simple dental filling. If a large amount of tooth enamel is lost to tooth decay, it might require a dental crown restoration.
In an extreme case where the untreated decay is allowed to infect the root, the tooth might not be viable for restoration with endodontic therapy. This is even more likely to be an issue if the tooth decay caused a severe dental fracture.
In a situation like this, Drs. Hobart, Yu, and Ulbrich might advocate extracting the tooth and suturing the gums. This will help dissipate the pain and prevent further infection. When your gums have healed, our dentists can help you understand your dental restoration options. One of the more effective and popular options is to have a dental bridge restoration.
The process starts with Drs. Hobart, Yu, and Ulbrich forming two abutments out of the two closest teeth. To do this, they will use a drill to remove the tooth enamel layers. An impression will then be created of the abutments as well as the void and your personal bite pattern. This will be sent to a dental lab where your new bridge will be created.
Our dentists will then secure a temporary crown over each abutment. This will keep each abutment safely protected while the lab technician is busy producing your new dental bridge.
Once it’s ready, we will call you back in to cement the bridge into place with a strong dental adhesive.
If you live in Bluffton, South Carolina, and you have a tooth suffering from an untreated cavity, you should call 843-757-2828 to have it examined and treated at First Dental of Bluffton.