Valluvanad hospital

What are Dental Crowns and Tooth Bridges?
Both crowns and most bridges are fixed prosthetic devices. Unlike removable devices such as dentures, which you can take out and clean daily, crowns and bridges are cemented onto existing teeth or implants, and can only be removed by a dentist.

How do Crowns Work?
A crown is used to entirely cover or “cap” a damaged tooth. Besides strengthening a damaged tooth, a crown can be used to improve its appearance, shape or alignment. A crown can also be placed on top of an implant to provide a tooth-like shape and structure for function. Porcelain or ceramic crowns can be matched to the color of your natural teeth. Other materials include gold and metal alloys, acrylic and ceramic. These alloys are generally stronger than porcelain and may be recommended for back teeth. Porcelain bonded to a metal shell is often used because it is both strong and attractive.

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY:- Pediatric dentists are dedicated to the oral health of children from infancy through the teen years. They have the experience and qualifications to care for a child’s teeth, gums, and mouth throughout the various stages of childhood.

Children begin to get their baby teeth during the first 6 months of life. By age 6 or 7 years, they start to lose their first set of teeth, which eventually are replaced by secondary, permanent teeth.
Without proper dental care, children face possible oral decay and disease that can cause a lifetime of pain and complications. Today, early childhood dental caries—an infectious disease—is 5 times more common in children.

Treatments Provided for pediatric patient:

Provide comprehensive oral health care that includes the following:
• Preventive dental care including cleaning and fluoride treatments, as well as nutrition and diet recommendations
• Habit counseling (for example, pacifier use and thumb sucking)
• Early assessment and treatment for straightening teeth and correcting an improper bite (orthodontics)
• Repair of tooth cavities or defects
• Diagnosis of oral conditions associated with several diseases.
• Management of gum diseases and conditions including ulcers, short frenulae, mucoceles, and pediatric periodontal disease
• Care for dental injuries (for example, fractured, displaced, or knocked-out teeth)

COSMETIC DENTISTRY:- The aims of cosmetic dentistry is to create a beautiful and natural look.
Cosmetic bonding or composite veneers-If the gap between the two teeth is very small, closing the gap with composite bonding provides a quick solution to the problem. Bonding or veneers provides a minimally invasive solution to closing the gap.

Gaps due to missing teeth-If the gap is due to a missing tooth, veneers or orthodontic treatment would be inappropriate. The missing tooth needs to be replaced, both for aesthetic and functional reasons – a restoration would prevent the teeth on either side of the gap from “shifting” towards the gap. Solutions to replace a gap due to missing teeth could be a partial denture, a dental bridge or a dental implant.

VENEERS

Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain veneers or dental porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size, or length.

Porcelain veneers resist stains better than resin veneers and better mimic the light reflecting properties of natural teeth. Resin veneers are thinner and require removal of less of the tooth surface before placement. You will need to discuss the best choice of veneer material for you with your dentist.

What Types of Problems Do Dental Veneers Fix?

Veneers are routinely used to fix:

• Teeth that are discolored — either because of root canal treatment; stains from tetracycline or other drugs, excessive fluoride or other causes; or the presence of large resin fillings that have discolored the tooth.
• Teeth that are worn down.
• Teeth that are chipped or broken.
• Teeth that are misaligned, uneven, or irregularly shaped (for example, have craters or bulges in them).
• Teeth with gaps between them (to close the space between these teeth).

The best time to remove wisdom teeth is between 16 and 19 years of age, before it’s a problem.