Losing a tooth can be a traumatic event. Smiles can open doors, but when a missing tooth makes you scared to smile, you may feel like you are missing out on life. In any case, a dental post can help you to replace your natural tooth with a natural-looking, sturdy tooth. And while a dental post can last for decades, you still need to know how to take care of one.
Advantages of a Dental Post
A dental post is made from two key components. For one, you have the post itself. Dentists use a short rod of titanium to anchor your replacement tooth to the jawbone. In order to place this post, the dentist has to open a hole in the jawbone, place the post, then let it heal for six months. Once the bone has had a chance to heal around the post, the dentist can attach the crown.
A Word about Crowns
The crown attached to a titanium post is made from porcelain and can either be cemented in place, or the dentist can use a screw-on crown. The cemented crown will be as durable as is the post, while the screw-on crown may sometimes work lose. However, if you damage the crown, it is easier to replace a screw-on crown than a crown which has been cemented in place. Thus, you should make your choice based on how likely you are to damage your crown. If you think it is unlikely that you will crack or chip the crown, then choose a cemented-on crown. On the other hand, if you play a contact sport and either think you might damage the tooth again, or you want to take it out before dangerous activities, then a screw-on crown is the way to go.
Care for a Crown
A dental post is not susceptible to tooth decay, but that does not mean that you don't have to take care of it. The gums around the crown can still become infected, and if they do, your post can fail. Thus, it is just as critical to brush and floss around your post as it is to care for your natural teeth. Furthermore, you need to warn hygienists that you have a post so that they don't use dental instruments that could scratch the root as they clean. Such scratching can allow bacteria to travel down the post and infect your gums.
Getting a post is a long ordeal, so once you have your new tooth, you should do everything you can to make sure your crown is successful so that you don't have to replace the whole process again. As long as you take care of your crown, you should be able to enjoy your crown for decades to come. Look for local dentist, such as A Q Denture Services to get quality work done on your teeth!
Share29 December 2016
I have always brushed and flossed my teeth daily, but I still had the occasional cavity when I visited the dentist for a check-up. He told me it was normal to have a cavity on occasion and that I shouldn't let it stress me out too much. Well, I am not one to just accept any problem I am having, so I started looking into how to improve my oral hygiene even more. I had always thought mouthwash was just to improve your breath, but I found some that said they helped keep cavities away. I started using one every day before bed. I haven't had a cavity in two years now, and I think the mouth rinse is the reason! I created this blog to remind other people that even if they brush and floss regularly, they can always find ways to take even better care of their teeth.
