Extractions
Why is it done
Removing a tooth is necessary when decay or an abscessed tooth is so severe that no other treatment will cure the infection.
How well it works
Removing a tooth can help keep infection from spreading to other areas of your mouth and or head and neck.
Risks
Dental surgery can allow bacteria in the mouth to enter the bloodstream and cause infections in other parts of the body. People who have difficulty fighting off infections may need to take antibiotics before and after dental surgery. This includes those who:
- Have artificial heart valves and or shunts.
- Were born with heart defects.
- Have had bacterial endocarditis, an infection of the lining of the heart.
- Have diabetes or another disease that causes an impaired immune system.
- Have liver disease (cirrhosis)
- Have artificial joints, such as hip replacement.
- Take steroids for other conditions, such as Crohn's disease or asthma.
Endodontics & Root Canals
In the past, if you've had a root canal it meant that you lost that tooth because of a diseased nerve. Today, with endodontic therapy at our dental practice you may save that tooth. Each tooth has a pulp inside which provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth, running like a thread down through the root. If the pulp dies because of disease or injury, it has to be removed or your tooth gets infected and you could lose it.
Endodontic treatment begins when Dr. Gallucci & Dr. Man removes the pulp. The root canal is then cleaned and sealed off to protect it. A crown is placed over the tooth to help make it stronger.
Prosthodontics
Need a tooth replacement? Dr. Gallucci & Dr. Man restores and replaces broken and missing teeth with artificial substitutes or prostheses. This can be as simple as making a crown for a damaged, decayed or malformed tooth or it could involve the placement of implants.
There are two types of prosthodontics. Removable prosthodontics includes replacing missing teeth with dentures and partial dentures that patients can take out themselves. Fixed prosthodontics includes replacing missing and/or broken teeth with restorations that the patient cannot remove, such as veneers, crowns, bridges, and implants. Prosthodontics also deals with temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems or with snoring.