Strong Teeth – A Confident Bite

Helping our Wickford patients bite and chew with confidence

How many of us can truthfully say that we have every confidence in our teeth to withstand the pressure when we eat our food, and especially when we eat harder foods such as nuts?

Even some foods that we might not expect to be challenging, such as bread, can contain harder particles such as seeds or grains that are much harder than we were expecting.

However careful we are about what we eat, we can never be sure that our weakened teeth aren’t going to encounter something that might cause them to chip, crack or break.

Even if we do manage to avoid hard foods such as these, isn’t it potentially limiting our nutritional intake, as well as the sheer enjoyment of eating too? Opting for foods from a menu that you know your teeth will be OK with whilst eyeing a far tastier, but riskier, meal, can certainly take away some of the fun of eating.

Don’t just ‘make do’

Too many of us perhaps put up with our teeth, perhaps thinking that there is little that can be done about them. Others may know that there are options available but prefer to avoid seeing a dentist for all but essential treatment. At the Cygnet Dental Practice, we know that dental anxiety is a real issue for some people and you can be sure that you will receive excellent care available when you attend our Wickford practice. We do understand that most people have some degree of nervousness when seeing a dentist and we will do all that we can to put you at ease so that you can receive your treatment in as a relaxed manner as possible.

Tooth restoration

So, what are your options for having stronger teeth that can withstand the strains of daily life without having to navigate around certain foods? The answer to this question will depend on the nature of the damage to your teeth. The first thing that you should do is to have your teeth examined by one of our dental team. There may be an undetected problem that is causing the issue. A small crack or fracture of a tooth can significantly weaken it and needs to be treated before it breaks or decay sets in.

The goods news is that there are a number of options available for dentists to treat teeth that are causing us problems.

Fillings

Fillings are great at restoring teeth that have been damaged or decayed. This is usually the first option that we look to due to the procedure being successful and usually relatively straightforward. Fillings do have a limited lifespan though so if you have had your filling for ten years or more and you find that you don’t feel confident about biting with that tooth any more, it may be time to have it checked. The solution may be as straightforward as replacing the current filling with a new one, providing you with the additional strength needed to bite confidently.

Those of you have older amalgam fillings might be interested to know that these can shrink slightly over time and move away from the natural tooth. Although this gap may be small, it may make your tooth feel a little weaker. There is also the risk of bacteria entering the gaps which may lead to additional tooth decay that will need treating.

Crowns

In cases where a tooth is badly damaged or has decayed to a point that a very large filling would be needed, or indeed, if you already have a very large filling, a crown may provide a solution. Sometimes referred to as a dental ‘cap’, these are usually added to the top of a tooth to provide it with a high level of strength as well as providing a damaged tooth with a natural appearance.

In order to fit the crown, your tooth will need to be prepared and shaped and an impression will then be taken and sent to a dental laboratory for your crown to be produced. You will be given a temporary crown to enable you to eat and to protect your tooth during this time. Generally speaking, the crown should be back at our clinic in around a week or so when you will be recalled so that we can attach your new crown using a strong clinical adhesive.

If you have a crown fitted already and it is that tooth which you are not confident about, please tell your dentist. It may be that the adhesive has started to lose adhesion if you have had the crown a long time. There is also the possibility of decay on the natural part of your tooth that may require treating.

Dental implants

Finally, where a tooth is badly damaged or decayed and where you are having to have it refilled at regular intervals, it may be time to consider an alternative option. We offer dental implants which are an excellent alternative to dentures to replace missing teeth and which will help you to eat with every confidence.

If you are tired of thinking what you can or can’t eat or if you face each mealtime wondering if a weakened tooth will survive it, why not contact our Wickford dental clinic to see how we can help you eat with confidence once again?

To arrange an appointment with us, please call the Cygnet Dental Practice on 01268 733078.