Dental fillings offer important benefits for decayed teeth. Here at DeClerck Family Dental in Findlay, OH, your dentist, Dr. Krystal DeClerck, helps patients' care for their smiles with dental fillings, checkups, and other services and treatments—read on to learn how she can help you too.

Dental filling benefits

No one likes to hear the words, "You have a cavity," but it's not always easy to avoid tooth decay, even if you practice good oral hygiene. Plaque can hide in tiny pits and grooves in the molars in the back of your mouth or lurk under the edges of overlapping teeth.

A chemical reaction occurs when the bacteria in plaque combines with sugary or carbohydrate-rich foods. The reaction produces strong acids that attack tooth enamel and cause tooth decay.

Fortunately, dental fillings from our Findlay office can protect and restore teeth affected by cavities. Fillings offer a few benefits you may not have considered, including:

• Easier Chewing: Pain from a cavity can make it difficult to chew on one side of your mouth. Chewing on only one side increases wear-and-tear on those teeth and may boost your risk of developing temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ). Filling your tooth makes it possible to chew on both sides of your mouth once again.
• Natural Appearance: If you don't want to share your dental work with the world, tooth-colored fillings are an excellent option. Tooth-colored fillings, the most common type of fillings used today, are tinted to match common tooth shades. Made of composite resin, these fillings are practically unnoticeable. Since your filling is the same shade of your tooth, it won't cast shadows that can make your tooth look darker.
• Stronger Teeth: A tooth-colored filling bonds to your tooth enamel and actually strengthens it. Removing part of your tooth, an essential part of the filling process, can weaken the tooth, particularly if you have a large cavity. Because tooth-colored fillings only require removal of a small margin of healthy tooth structure, your tooth remains stronger overall. Tooth-colored fillings can be used in new cavities or replace older fillings.

Need dental work? Give us a call

Improve your smile with dental fillings! Call DeClerck Family Dental in Findlay, OH, today at (419) 422-8972 to make an appointment with your dentist, Dr. Krystal DeClerck.

Know the warning signs that mean it’s time to visit your dentist in Findlay, OH.

While we can all agree that the last thing we want to hear is that we need a root canal it’s important that you find out as soon as possible so that your tooth can get the proper treatment it needs. After all, once the dental pulp of the tooth has become inflamed or infected the only option is to remove it. If you don’t turn to our Findlay, OH, dentist Dr. Krystal DeClerck for care and just ignore the problem then you could end up dealing with a much more serious issue.
 

Signs and Symptoms that You Need Root Canal Therapy

While not all infected or inflamed dental pulps will cause problems it’s important to know when you should visit a dentist right away for care. The most common warning sign is a toothache.

The pain may be persistent or it may come and go. If you ignore the pain it will often get worse. The pain may intensify when biting down or putting pressure on the affected tooth. If this is happening to you then you may need a root canal.

Other symptoms include:

• Prolonged tooth sensitivity
• Darkening or discoloration of the tooth
• Swelling and tenderness of the gums around the tooth

Don’t ignore these symptoms. Give us a call and let us know what’s going on and we can determine just how quickly we should bring you into the office. Along with these symptoms, there are also signs that Dr. DeClerck will know to look for that you may not see. Sometimes the tooth can give us little hints that something just isn’t right.

For example, the tooth may have started to darken a bit or there might be changes in the soft tissue that tip us off to the fact that you need a root canal. Either way, if you concerned about the health of your smile it’s important that you see a dental professional as soon as possible.
 

DeClerck Family Dental in Findlay, OH, is dedicated to providing families with quality, compassionate, and gentle dentistry. No matter whether you are dealing with a toothache or you just need to schedule a cleaning, call our office today to schedule an appointment.

Dental crowns provide many benefits, from strengthening damaged teeth to filling in the gaps from missing ones. Whether you need to strengthen your smile or restore it, dental crowns can help. Discover the many benefits of dental crowns by speaking with your dentist. At DeClerck Family Dental, Dr. Krystal DeClerck is your dentist for dental crowns in Findlay, OH.

What are Dental Crowns?

Dental crowns are protective caps placed over teeth that are damaged, weak, or worn down. When placed over a problem tooth, a dental crown provides a strong outer shell that protects the tooth inside from sustaining further damage. With a strong new exterior, the damaged tooth can once again resume normal biting and chewing functions without pain or sensitivity. Additionally, dental crowns give teeth a flawless new look so any cosmetic concerns, such as stains or discolorations, will be concealed beneath the crown.

Dental crowns can also serve as replacements for teeth that are missing or have been extracted. When used as an artificial tooth, a dental crown is placed over a dental implant. The implant serves as an anchor for the crown, securely holding it in place. Dental crowns can also be used in conjunction with dental bridges to replace several missing teeth at a time. The crowns are used to hold the dental bridge securely in place. Your Findlay dentist for dental crowns can help you decide if crowns are the right tooth replacement option for you.

Benefits of Dental Crowns

There are several benefits associated with dental crowns, such as strengthening weak or damaged teeth, restoring your smile by replacing missing teeth, and concealing cosmetic concerns. Teeth with stains, discolorations, chips, cracks, or other cosmetic flaws can all be given a brand new look when a dental crown is placed over the top.

Another benefit of dental crowns is that they help alleviate excess strain on certain teeth. When several teeth are missing from your smile, the remaining teeth compensate for the missing ones by taking on the biting and chewing functions previously performed by teeth that are now missing. Taking on this additional work can put excess strain on the remaining teeth and cause them to wear down more quickly. By replacing missing teeth with dental crowns, excess strain is alleviated by more evenly distributing biting and chewing functions across a full set of teeth.

The benefits of dental crowns are numerous and a dentist can help you discover all the ways dental crowns can benefit you and your smile. For dental crowns in Findlay, schedule an appointment with Dr. DeClerck by calling DeClerck Family Dental at (419) 422-8972.

Have you been ignoring a problem tooth, hoping that pain or sensitivity will eventually just go away? The symptoms may mean that you need a root canal. Root canal therapy offered by your Findlay, OH, dentist, Dr. Krystal DeClerck of DeClerck Family Dental, can end your pain and save your tooth.

Pain is an unmistakable sign of a tooth issue

Root canals eliminate pain by removing infected or inflamed pulp and replacing it with a sterile, inert filling. Pulp, a collection of nerves, tissue and blood vessels, played a crucial role in the formation of your tooth but isn't quite as important now. In fact, your tooth won't feel any different once it's removed.

Do you think you don't have to worry about a root canal because you're not in severe or constant pain? Although throbbing pain can certainly be a sign that you need a root canal, it's not unusual for pain to be mild at first.

Did your pain suddenly go away? Once the nerves in the pulp die, you'll no longer feel anything, although you're tooth will still be inflamed or infected. It's important to see your Findlay, OH, dentist if your tooth has stopped hurting despite weeks or months of pain.

Sensitivity may be a problem if you need a root canal

It's not unusual for teeth to become much more sensitive when inflamed or infected. If your tooth hurts or pain increases after eating hot, cold, or sugary foods or beverages, it's time to schedule a dental visit.

Obvious changes to your teeth and gums can occur

In some cases, your tooth may darken if you need a root canal. Although the inflammation or infection may be inside your tooth, it can affect your gum. A red, swollen, painful gum can be another sign of a problem.

Your tooth makes you sick

Bacterial infections called abscesses can make you feel terrible. An abscess can cause a fever, swollen lymph glands, pus around your tooth, a pimple-like bump on the gum, facial swelling, and severe, throbbing pain. If you experience any of these signs or symptoms, call Dr. DrClerck right away. Prompt treatment will stop the infection from spreading to your heart, brain, or other parts of your body.

Don't put off seeing the dentist a minute longer! Call your Findlay, OH, dentist, Dr. DeClerck of DeClerck Family Dental, at (419) 422-8972 to schedule an appointment.

Most of us end up with at least one cavity at some point in our lives, even if we brush and floss regularly. Luckily, dental fillings, provided by your Findlay, OH, dentist, Dr. Krystal DeClerck of DeClerck Family Dental, offer a simple, effective way to restore decayed teeth.

Dental fillings keep teeth healthy

Without a filling, the decay in your tooth would only get worse. Eventually, it could even spread to nearby teeth. When your Findlay dentist removes the decayed portion of your tooth and replaces it with a filling, you no longer have to worry about the painful and unattractive effects of tooth decay.

Fillings improve your appearance

Today's fillings are virtually unnoticeable, thanks to composite resin, a plastic-and glass-based material that is replacing silver amalgam as the filling material of choice in many cases. Composite resin is tinted to match common tooth shades, ensuring that no one knows that you've had a cavity but you.

Fillings help strengthen teeth

Removing the decayed part of your tooth tends to make it a little weaker and more susceptible to cracking. Luckily, composite resin fillings provide much-needed strength for filled teeth. The material bonds to your tooth, thus increasing strength. Composite resin fillings also require removal of a smaller margin of healthy tooth structure. The more healthy structure that remains, the stronger the tooth.

Have you ever experienced a crack in a filled tooth? The problem may have occurred due to the constant expansion and contraction of silver amalgam when exposed to hot and cold temperatures. Composite resin doesn't expand or contract, which helps you avoid cracks.

Fillings play an important role in the root canal process

Fillings also protect your teeth during the root canal process. Root canals involve removing infected or inflamed pulp and replacing it with a flexible rubber material. Between the first and second root canal appointments, your dentist will add a temporary filling to the tooth. The filling seals off the tooth, for this facilitates healing and reduces the risk of infection while you wait for your permanent filling.

Contact us today!

Does your tooth hurt, or does an existing filling feel a little loose? Call your Findlay, OH, dentist Dr. Krystal DeClerck of DeClerck Family Dental, today at (419) 422-8972 to schedule an appointment.