The Role of a Cosmetic Dentist in Sterling

The role of a cosmetic dentist in Sterling is to help you have the most beautiful smile possible. What many people do not realize is that we also have additional duties when it comes to taking care of your teeth, especially when you have a broken, cracked, or chipped tooth. There are three elements in a broken tooth that we strive to quickly correct. The first is the vulnerability of the tooth. When a tooth has been exposed to trauma in an accident or has experienced a fracture due to decay, it is vulnerable to an additional element of bacterial infection. The mouth is awash with oral bacteria, which under normal circumstances has no access to the root or pulp of the tooth.

However, when the tooth is damaged, there is a strong potential for an infection to set in. We want to avoid this at all costs and will use a number of treatment options to prevent it, including dental crowns, dental veneers, and fillings. There are times when a dental filling can do the job perfectly, in which case, we would choose this option. At other times, a filling would not be sufficient, so we would use a dental crown.

The second element that a cosmetic dentist in Sterling is concerned about when it comes to your teeth, and a damaged tooth, in particular, is the element of function. It is easy to forget that the primary role of the teeth has to do with basic survival and sustaining the body. The teeth are the first step in digestion, meaning we have to ensure they are able to do their work of chewing and tearing food effectively. Often, when a tooth is damaged, it is the cusp of the tooth that takes the most damage.

The cusp is the sharp and pointy surface of the tooth, used for chewing and tearing. When damaged, we have to replace the cusp with a dental crown. If the damage is extensive, we may even consider removing the tooth and the root to replace it with a strong and stable dental implant. Cusps are also one of the easiest things to damage. Unfortunately, when this happens, your cosmetic dentist will have to replace the enamel with either the two above options or a partial denture to restore the functionality of the tooth.

The third element is something people should associate with a cosmetic dentist, and that is the aesthetic elements of a broken tooth. A broken tooth is ugly, and having a tooth that is cracked, chipped, or damaged will lead you to smile less, which falls directly into the realm of the cosmetic dentist. There are multiple solutions for broken teeth, and some are more aesthetically pleasing than others. For example, when performing a filling, there is the choice of using amalgam, which is a silver-colored filling that clearly shows up or we can use a porcelain filling that matches your teeth perfectly. As a cosmetic dentist in Sterling, you know we will always lean toward the better-looking option.