Dental fillings often play an important role in sealing off a void in a tooth’s enamel layer to treat a small cavity or a chip. The durable artificial material also helps to restore the structural integrity of the tooth.
As the years go by minor inconsistencies in your daily oral hygiene regimen and other factors can start to weaken the connection between a dental filling and the surrounding tooth enamel. In some of these cases the patient may or may not notice a change in the affected tooth.
One day the dental filling may come loose or fall out. Should this happen you need to have it examined by a dentist as soon as possible. After a thorough examination, Dr. Jon Ackerman will present you with the most effective treatment plan.
If the void caused by the missing dental filling is large, there might not be enough healthy tooth enamel remaining to secure a replacement dental filling. In a case like this he may recommend treating the tooth with a dental crown restoration.
The treatment process involves him carefully removing any existing tooth enamel layer to create a small post of dentin. The remaining abutment will eventually serve as an effective anchor point for your new dental crown.
A detailed impression will be made of the abutment and any related teeth in the area. Then a temporary crown will be seated over the abutment to protect it, while our dental lab works to prepare your dental crown.
You will need to return for a second appointment when your dental crown is ready to have it cemented onto the abutment with a strong dental adhesive.
If you live in White Plains, New York, and you have lost a dental filling, you should call (914) 761-2442 to have it examined and treated at Jon F. Ackerman, DDS.