Saving Your Own Teeth

Leading Edge Specialized Dentistry provides periodontal care in New York and New Jersey. To learn more, call our New York office at 631-351-3444 or our New Jersey office at 973-315-7830 or contact us today to schedule an appointment.

How to Save Your Natural Teeth

Our ultimate goal is to save your natural teeth whenever possible. We provide a variety of procedures that can help you keep your existing teeth. We can also provide you with advice for taking care of your teeth at home. Good oral health requires a combination of professional care and self care. When you and your periodontist work together, you can save your own teeth in many cases.

Benefits of Saving Your Natural Teeth

Taking care of your natural teeth and getting the professional care needed to save them has many benefits, such as:

Save money. Tooth replacement options range from expensive to more expensive. Saving your natural teeth whenever possible can save you a lot of money.
Keep your natural appearance. No prosthetic will ever look as natural as your own teeth. Preserve your own unique look by saving your natural teeth.
Avoid invasive surgery. In many cases the procedures required to save your teeth are less invasive than tooth replacement procedures.
Preserve your jaw bone. Keeping your natural teeth in place preserves the bone in your jaw, keeping it strong and healthy.

Procedures Offered

We offer the following procedures that can often save your existing teeth:

Periodontal Maintenance. A periodontal maintenance program can keep your teeth free of plaque and calculus to prevent gum disease.

Fillings. Dental fillings are the most common technique used to repair teeth that have been minorly damaged by decay.

Dental crowns. A severely decayed tooth can often be saved with a crown, a protective cap placed over an existing tooth that allows the natural root to stay in place.

Crown lengthening. In some cases there isn’t enough tooth structure available for a crown to be placed, but crown lengthening can remove gum tissue to make room.

Gum grafting. Receding gums can allow your teeth to become loose or even dislodged. Gum grafting replaces lost gum tissue to stabilize your existing teeth.

Laser procedures. Laser dentistry provides a variety of benefits for tooth restoration and tissue regeneration that can help save your natural teeth.

Why Choose Leading Edge Specialized Dentistry?

Leading Edge Specialized Dentistry always prioritizes saving your natural teeth whenever possible and only replacing them when nothing more can be done. We will evaluate your existing oral health and create a personalized treatment plan that will save as many of your natural teeth as possible. We discuss all of your options and listen to your preferences in order to make a mutual decision about your care. And after we restore your oral health, we provide ongoing support to help you maintain it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it important to save my teeth?

Many patients wonder why they shouldn’t just have a bad tooth pulled. The problem is that a missing tooth leaves a gap in your mouth that will eventually cause your other teeth to shift out of alignment. It also allows the support structures for that tooth, including your jaw bone, to dissolve away. This can have negative effects on your oral health and even leave noticeable indentations in your jaw line.

What replacement options are available for missing teeth?

A bridge consists of two crowns with one or more artificial teeth suspended between them. The crowns fit over the healthy teeth, using them as support for the bridge, which can eventually damage those teeth. A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is surgically placed in the jaw. It is the highest quality restoration option, and therefore the most expensive.

Can gum disease result in tooth loss?

Severe gum disease that goes untreated can result in the loss of teeth. Gum disease harms the gum tissue and other support structures for the teeth, causing them to pull away from the teeth so that they loosen and eventually fall out. You can save your natural teeth by getting treatment for gum disease at the first sign.

How should I care for my teeth at home?

We recommend brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing once a day. If you have a tendency to develop gum disease or have a higher risk of tooth decay, you may need to brush more often, such as after each meal. Good oral hygiene habits at home are one of the biggest factors in saving your own teeth.

To learn more, call our New York office at 631-351-3444 or our New Jersey office at 973-315-7830 or contact us today to schedule an appointment.

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