You just finished brushing your teeth when you smile and look in the mirror. Something does not seem right.
One of your teeth looks like it’s turning dark yellow, maybe even brown or black in some places. It doesn’t hurt, but it doesn’t look healthy either.
What should you do:
(A) Nothing. It doesn’t hurt. How bad can it be?
(B) Call your college friend who is a dentist in another state to get his advice.
Be aware that your choices will affect your oral health for a long, long time. Now make your decision and follow your chosen path. We hope it will lead you to Bayou Dental Group in Monroe, LA.
If you chose (A) …
A few weeks later, you start to notice your tooth has become more sensitive when you have your morning coffee.
You figure it’s no big deal. This problem will take care of itself.
You are wrong about that. The reason your tooth is changing colors is because you have tooth decay. Bacteria built up plaque in your mouth, and it has worn through your enamel and into the softer dentin underneath.
When the infection gets into the pulp inside your tooth, it will start to hurt, and you may need a root canal treatment to fix it.
Do you (B) call your college friend the dentist or (◆) make an appointment at the Bayou Dental Group dentist office in Monroe, LA?
If you chose (B) …
You describe the situation to your friend. He asked you to take a picture of your tooth, but you couldn’t figure out the right angle to keep the glare out of the image.
Based on what you told him, your friend thinks you might have tooth decay. He said you need to see a dentist as soon as you can.
If your tooth isn’t hurting already, then it will start hurting soon, he said.
Do you make an appointment with (•) any dentist you can find or (◆) Bayou Dental Group?
If you chose (•) …
The dentist looks at your teeth and tells you what your friend told you. Indeed, you do have tooth decay. After examining your tooth and making some X-rays, the dentist recommends getting a dental crown.
To do this, the dentist will need to remove the infected parts of your tooth. The dentist will do this by reshaping your decayed tooth into a nub. The dentist will place a temporary dental crown on your tooth after that.
“You will need to come back when your dental crown is ready,” the dentist said. “It could take a few weeks before that happens.”
You know your boss won’t like that, but there’s not much else you can do. You have a stump of a tooth under your temporary crown. You just hope the temporary crown doesn’t fall out before your real crown is ready.
If you choose (◆) …
The friendly staff at Bayou Dental Group greets you when you walk through the door for your appointment. Someone asks if you would like some water or coffee. You remember that your tooth felt sensitive this morning, so you get the water.
When they call your name to go back to the treatment room, someone asks if you would like a pillow or a blanket. You say yes, and you are pleasantly surprised by how cozy you feel sitting in a dentist’s chair.
Dr. Finley examines your mouth, and he tells you that you have tooth decay. He recommends getting a dental crown.
“And we can do it today, if you have time,” he said.
Bayou Dental Group has CEREC crowns for its patients. This means they have a milling machine in their office, and they get to work making your dental crown right away.
As Dr. Finley reshapes your tooth to remove the tooth decay, you wear a pair of headphones and listen to music while he works.
After all the decay has been removed, your tooth has been reshaped into a nub. After cleaning off what remains of your tooth, Dr. Finley bonds your CEREC dental crown in place.
It looks just like a real tooth, and Dr. Finley said it will allow you to enjoy your coffee again without any tooth sensitivity.
Before you leave, he encourages you to come back soon for a routine cleaning.
What Did You Decide?
We hope your decisions led you to our dentist office in Monroe, LA. No matter your oral health issue, our staff is ready and willing to help solve your problem.
In this scenario, our CEREC dental crowns could repair your smile and restore your ability to enjoy hot foods and drinks in less time than the same treatment would take at some other dentist offices.
Dental care doesn’t need to be an adventure. If you have a problem, we can help solve it. Call 318-323-9303 or fill out our online form to schedule an appointment at Bayou Dental Group today.