Surgical Dentistry

Crowns are usually made out of porcelain, gold alloy, zirconia metal oxide or a combination of these.

Crowns build back your smile and help you speak and chew properly. They do this by restoring the natural size, shape and colour of your teeth. They help maintain tooth, bite and jaw alignment by preventing remaining teeth from shifting out of position.
There is no need to restore existing teeth in order to replace the missing tooth.

There is a minimal risk of the implant not adhering to the jawbone and thus requiring removal and replacement.
Chipped porcelain, worn metal or loose implant screws may require maintenance procedures, repair or replacement.

• Replace the missing tooth with a conventional tooth supported bridge.
• Replace the missing tooth with a removable partial denture.
• Leave the space as it is.

• The porcelain on the crown may be a good colour match with adjacent natural teeth when the crown is placed but less of a match as your natural teeth age.
• Food may become lodged around the implant-supported crown; gum recession or minor bone loss around the top of the implant over time may make food impaction unavoidable.
• Gum recession may lead to metallic implant margins becoming visible.
• A crown may chip or break if used for abnormal activities or if you have bite problems.

The procedure involves removing the nerve from the tooth and replacing it with a restorative material. Root canal treatment can help eliminate tooth pain and prevent the loss of your tooth.

• Root canal treatment is recommended when:
  the decay inside the tooth is too close to the nerve to repair with a filling.
• the nerve inside the tooth is no longer vital.
• there is an infection in your tooth.

• The nerve canal inside your tooth can be calcified and unable to be cleaned properly.
• The roots of your tooth may curve and a small instrument may break in the nerve canal.
• The small instruments can perforate the side of the tooth root.
• You may have nerves inside your tooth that are be difficult to find.
• The damage inside your tooth may be greater than can be seen on the X-ray.
• The solutions used to clean your tooth may escape around the bottom of your root.

If any of these occur, you may need to visit a root canal specialist or have your tooth removed.

During the procedure, Dr. Hildebrand will make sure that you are numb so that the root canal treatment is not painful.

Once the root canal is completed, your tooth has lost part of its internal support. It no longer has nerves and blood vessels inside of it. This makes the tooth brittle and prone to breakage. A crown helps to prevent your tooth from breaking.

Extraction is the only other option for a tooth requiring root canal therapy.

Our dentists will only advise you to have a tooth removed after all of the other options have been explored and discussed.

If the tooth is left untreated it can cause infection. Side effects of this type of infection can include swelling, pain and very rarely, life threatening complications.

There are many options to treat the space left by the extracted tooth. These include dental implants, bridges and removable dentures. We will discuss what your options are and provide you with the necessary information for you to make an informed decision regarding your treatment.

Our dentists will ensure that you are comfortable and numb before extracting your tooth. You will feel some pressure, but you should feel no pain at all.

There can be some discomfort following the tooth removal. Our team will go through a series of instructions with you at your appointment and suggest medications to make you more comfortable. Our dentists may also provide you with a prescription to fill before or after your appointment.