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Treating a broken or missing tooth

Non-metal options for treating a broken or missing tooth in Glen Allen, VA

Injury to the mouth, dental decay, gum disease, and even simply biting into something too hard can all lead to a broken or missing tooth. Your teeth are an integral part of your appearance, speech, and eating habits, so it can be stressful when this happens. At Virginia Biological Dentistry in Glen Allen, VA, Dr. Olivia Hart understands the urgency and care needed to help restore your smile and teeth to their natural beauty and function.

Broken tooth repair

A broken tooth can affect your smile and negatively affect your oral health. When a tooth is chipped or broken, it can:

  • Cause pain when you are biting or chewing
  • Lead to sensitivity to temperatures or sweetness
  • Cause your gums to swell around the tooth

Fortunately, several effective methods exist to repair or replace a broken tooth. Traditionally, dentists used amalgam fillings that contain mercury to repair a tooth with a filling, but Dr. Hart takes a cautious approach regarding metals due to their known toxic effects on the body. Instead, she uses a BPA-free, metal-free, and natural-looking composite material when performing dental filling or bonding. Other non-toxic options are available, such as conservative ceramic inlays, onlays and overlays, porcelain and zirconia crowns, and porcelain veneers.

Replacing missing teeth

While Dr. Hart tries to save your natural tooth whenever possible, sometimes a broken tooth extraction needs to occur. When this happens, it may be tempting to leave the gap left by the missing tooth due to the time and money it takes to restore the tooth, but that can hurt many aspects of your life—your smile, how well you can eat, and speak, and your long-term oral health. It can even make your face look sunken over time, leading to the deterioration of your jaw bone.

Dr. Hart offers several biocompatible options for replacing missing teeth. Rather than using titanium in dental implants, which can cause graying of the gums and the circulation of toxic metal materials in your body, Dr. Hart utilizes zirconia implants to give patients unparalleled functionality, feel, and fit for their replacement tooth. Partial or full dentures, porcelain dental crowns, and natural-looking bridges are also great options for many of our patients.

Learn more in an evaluation

Whether you have been living with a broken or missing tooth for a while or are dealing with recent issues with your teeth, it is never too late to restore your smile back to health. We are happy to discuss all of your treatment options and will be upfront with you about the cost of replacing missing teeth or fixing broken teeth. Call Virginia Biological Dentistry today at (804) 381-6238 or email us at info@virginiabiologicaldentistry.com to schedule your personalized consultation!