Once upon a time, a well-known Hollywood actress might have hired a private eye to keep unflattering pictures from appearing in the media. Today, that’s no longer the case. Take timeless beauty Demi Moore: In a widely circulated set of photos, her gap-toothed grin showed she was actually missing one of her front teeth!
It turns out the actress released the pictures herself, as she live-tweeted the tooth replacement procedure from her dentist’s office. Moore later explained that the tooth fell out suddenly as she was sitting at her desk.
Celebrities are just like regular folks… except they have more followers on twitter. So we’re happy when they show us that no matter how bad a dental problem may seem, there’s almost always a way to regain a gorgeous-looking smile. We’re not sure exactly how Demi’s dentist chose to restore the damaged tooth — but depending on the individual circumstances, modern dentistry offers a number of ways to close the gap.
A crown (or cap) is a replacement for the entire visible area of the tooth. It may be needed due to accident or trauma, or as a follow-up to root canal therapy. Placing a crown usually requires more than one office visit. First, the tooth is prepared by removing any decay and shaping it, and a precise model is made of the bite. Next, the permanent crown is custom-made in a dental laboratory; this is placed during a subsequent visit. Advances in technology, however, have made it possible in some instances to deliver the permanent crown in a single office visit. If the tooth still has a healthy root structure, a crown is usually a viable option — even when most of the visible part is gone.
What if the entire tooth, including the roots, are missing? Then your replacement options could include bridgework or a dental implant. A fixed bridge is a series of crowns joined together as one unit. The teeth on either side of the gap are prepared just as they would be for crowns, and the bridge (including a replacement for the missing tooth in the middle) is attached. Bridges have been used successfully for many years, but they have a drawback: They require enamel to be removed from the healthy teeth on either side of the gap, which could lead to a greater chance of decay, gum disease, or a root canal in the future.
The optimal solution, however, might be a dental implant. With this remarkable technology, the replacement tooth is solidly anchored into the jaw via a screw-shaped post made of titanium — a metal which actually becomes fused with the living bone tissue. A custom-made, lifelike crown is then securely attached to the metal implant. Dental implants are the most successful tooth-replacement procedure; they help preserve bone quality in the jaw — and with regular care, they can last a lifetime.
So if your smile is making you camera-shy, why not talk to us about your tooth-restoration options? If you would like additional information, please contact us to schedule an appointment for a consultation. You can learn more by reading the Dear Doctor magazine articles “Crowns & Bridgework” and “Dental Implants.”
