Dental treatment methods of treatment procedures

People turn to the dentist when they have any problems with the health of their teeth or gums. Pain in the tooth, swelling of the gums, increased sensitivity of the teeth, bad breath - all these phenomena can appear against the background of various dental diseases and, based on the nature of the disease, the specialist selects the optimal method of dental treatment.

Whatever method of dental treatment is chosen, its main task will be to preserve all the functions and aesthetics of the tooth. Below we will look at a variety of dental treatment methods that are used in modern dentistry and will also talk about complications that can occur when errors in treatment procedures were made by the doctor.

Modern dental treatment

Dental treatment of teeth is a set of measures aimed at eliminating the inflammatory process and restoring chewing functions. The most common disease is, of course, caries and its complications. The timing of dental treatment directly depends on the stage of development of the disease. Thus, installing a dental crown or implanting several teeth will take different times, depending on the number of specialist appointments. It is worth noting that regular preventive examinations allow you to notice pathologies at an early stage, allowing for dental treatment without extraction and significantly simplifying it.

If a patient comes to the clinic with acute pain, the task becomes much more complicated. Therefore, every dentist will tell you that the best dental treatment is prevention.

Photos before and after dental treatment

Photos Before and After treatment of chewing teeth.

Photos Before and After treatment of front teeth.

Endodontic dental treatment

What is endodontic dental treatment? This is a procedure aimed at treating root canals, usually using a microscope. If you ignore the symptoms of caries for a long time, pulpitis, periodontitis and other complications develop. Endodontic treatment of teeth under a microscope will help eliminate acute pain and relieve inflammation. The help of an endodontist is indispensable when there is a suspicion of a dental cyst or granuloma. Often, after canal treatment, complications arise due to poor quality treatment or stuck pieces of broken instruments. In such difficult cases, they also resort to endodontic treatment of the tooth canal under a microscope.

Root canals

In dentistry, restoring the inside of a tooth is called endodontic treatment. It is required to preserve the dental unit during the treatment of deep stages of caries, as well as in the prosthetic procedure.

The therapy consists of preliminary extraction of the pulp, thorough cleaning and disinfection of the canals, followed by filling them. This is necessary to protect the resulting healthy tooth cavities from the penetration of bacteria. After filling the canals, the dentist restores the upper, crown part of the tooth.

If the inflammatory process has spread to the root of the tooth, then a drug is fixed before filling.

Treatment without drilling

Dental treatment without drilling involves the use of minimally invasive procedures. Some of them have been mentioned above. In particular, lasers are actively used to eliminate caries. This type of dental treatment is performed for adults and children. Among the main advantages is a reduced risk of any infection, since contact of equipment with organs and tissues of the oral cavity is eliminated.

Also, dental treatment without a drill can be performed using the chemical-mechanical method. A special preparation is applied to the area of ​​the tooth affected by caries. It contains sodium hypochlorite and amino acids. Next, the specialist treats the affected area using special tools. Since only dead tissue is removed, the filling occupies a much smaller area, and it is also possible to preserve healthy areas as much as possible.

Another interesting technique was developed by German specialists. It is based on the bactericidal properties of ozone and is often used in pediatric dentistry. The gas used to treat teeth completely destroys microorganisms that cause caries.

The latest non-invasive methods

Before dental treatment, a specialist determines the degree of destruction of enamel, hard tooth tissue and dentin. In advanced cases, a granuloma forms around the root, which may subsequently increase in size. Modern methods of dental treatment make it possible to successfully combat the first signs of caries without the use of a drill. Among them:

• laser dental treatment;
• application of chemical-mechanical techniques;
• fluoridation – treatment of teeth with calcium;
• application of the air-kinetic method;
• ozone therapy.

Can an injection be painless?

Patients often have a fear of anesthesia injection. To reduce discomfort, ILATAN dental doctors:

• Use special syringes with very thin needles;
• Dry the mucosal area before injection to facilitate the passage of the needle;
• Lubricate the injection sites with anesthetic gel;
• The medicine is administered gradually.

Treatment of a tooth under a crown

After some time has passed after the installation of the prosthesis, subsidence of the gums and exposure of the neck of the tooth are often observed. All this contributes to the development of caries, and therefore pulpitis, periodontitis and other unpleasant diseases can appear even when the tooth is covered with a crown. Only a specialist can identify the problem and treat the tooth under the crown. If a disease is detected, the structure may need to be removed.

It is also the cause of problems - errors in the manufacture of the prosthesis: if the crown does not fit tightly around the neck of the tooth, bacteria can get under it. The specialist immediately removes such structures and carries out dental treatment. The crowns will subsequently be replaced, which will preserve the teeth and prevent the development of more serious diseases.

Pain-free dentistry: protect and prevent

It is much easier to prevent any disease, including dental disease, than to then deal with the consequences: competent prevention will help protect yourself from both caries and periodontitis, which means you will not have to deal with the need for treatment. But good home hygiene alone is not enough for prevention. The best way to protect yourself from dental diseases is to have your teeth professionally cleaned. A simple, absolutely painless and comfortable procedure will not take much time, but will remove all plaque and tartar, which usually cause caries.

Ultrasonic tartar cleaning, laser tartar cleaning and Air-Flow - all these modern techniques do not require anesthesia, because they involve a very soft, gentle effect on the dental surfaces and do not cause any discomfort. Carrying out ultrasonic or laser removal of tartar once every six months will reliably protect your teeth and gums from diseases, which means there will be no reason to go to the dentist for treatment.

Dental hygienist at the 32 Dent clinic, Varivoda Violetta Vladimirovna, says: “Modern teeth cleaning is not at all similar to removing tartar with metal dental instruments, which was practiced 10-20 years ago. Today, hard and soft plaque is removed very carefully, accurately and completely painlessly. For example, laser cleaning of teeth from stone occurs very quickly and is almost unnoticed by the patient. Even our most “fearful” patients feel quite comfortable when undergoing such a procedure.”

Anesthesia

Conventional local anesthesia is performed very often today. Patients with increased sensitivity of soft tissues and children can first be given topical anesthesia. Also in dentistry, painkillers are used for dental treatment. The type of drug and its dosage are selected individually - it all depends on both the patient’s health condition and the clinical situation. For example, pediatric dentists often treat teeth with nitrogen. Laughing gas causes a feeling of mild euphoria and is not hazardous to health. The patient relaxes, and the doctor can calmly perform all the necessary manipulations. But general anesthesia in dentistry is used only in the most extreme cases.

Anesthesia after dental treatment can last up to 3 – 4 hours. Everything here is very individual and depends on how much anesthetic was used.

Features of treatment of anterior teeth

Treatment of anterior teeth is associated with some difficulties. A characteristic feature of the incisors is their smaller size compared to other teeth. The work that a dentist has to do is truly jewelry. Only an experienced specialist can achieve a high degree of aesthetics.

In the process of treating and restoring the shape of a diseased tooth, a filling can be performed using light-curing polymer materials or veneers. Their shade is selected taking into account the color of the enamel of the patient’s healthy teeth.

The last resort is the installation of crowns. This method is justified only if the tooth is severely damaged. Treatment of lower teeth in the frontal zone is performed using similar methods and techniques.

Application of computer technology

Periodontitis diagnostic system “FLORIDA PROBE” (USA)
Today, diagnosis, treatment, and dental prosthetics are unthinkable without the use of one form or another of computer technology. Special computer programs are capable of simulating the patient’s oral cavity, which allows the doctor to more effectively make a diagnosis, select the type of therapy and prosthetics, and prescribe recommendations for the patient. And the patient gets the opportunity to visually familiarize himself with the condition of his teeth and better understand what their treatment and prosthetics will consist of.

Intraoral video camera

One of the most recent achievements is the so-called neuromuscular dentistry, which studies the neurophysiology of the oral cavity and the characteristics of the patient’s jaw movement and the activity of the masticatory muscles. It is quite obvious that obtaining and processing this kind of data is impossible without sophisticated computer technology. Also, in the country's leading clinics, programs are used that study the patient's facial expressions. Together, this allows the dentist to use a full animated model of the oral cavity, displayed on a computer display, where he can rotate the three-dimensional image in any direction and view it from different angles.

The intraoral camera is another new product that significantly facilitates the doctor’s work. The device is a microscopic video camera that is placed in the patient’s mouth and transmits an enlarged image to a computer screen. As a result, both the doctor and the patient have the opportunity to examine the condition of the teeth and gums in great detail. Sometimes, with the help of such a camera, a doctor can see details that even an x-ray cannot show him.

Reason to see a doctor: symptoms that cannot be ignored

If a tooth hurts, treatment should never be delayed. Any delay is fraught with serious problems not only for the oral cavity, but also for the whole body. The sooner the source of infection is identified, the easier and faster dental treatment can be performed in the clinic. Symptoms that indicate serious problems:

• acute throbbing pain in the tooth;
• significant increase in sensitivity;
• bad breath during regular hygiene;
• bleeding and swelling of the gums;
• tooth mobility;
• difficulty opening the mouth;
• the appearance of a defect on a tooth, an area with uneven edges and pigmentation.

Prosthetics

Previously, the process of installing crowns was painful and lengthy. The crowns were noticeable and spoiled the appearance of a person. The advent of metal-free ceramics, special scanners, tomography and 3D printers have significantly improved the situation: now artificial teeth do not differ in appearance from real ones. A three-dimensional image of the old tooth is first taken, which allows you to accurately create the appearance of the new ceramic one. After this, the prostheses are made with the highest quality and very quickly on special machines and are installed almost painlessly.

Stages of dental treatment

Despite the fact that modern methods involve virtually painless dental treatment, fillings and other procedures, many patients appear in the doctor’s office with acute pain and a whole “bouquet” of oral diseases. Treatment usually includes the following steps:

1. Diagnostics

   A specialist examines the oral cavity, identifies problems and draws up a treatment plan. Additional examinations may be ordered. At the same stage, the doctor conducting the consultation discusses the cost of services with the patient and selects the most convenient time for an appointment.

2. Professional oral hygiene

   It is advisable to begin dental treatment only after their surface is cleaned of hard and soft deposits.

3. Treatment

   The process of treating caries involves removing the affected tissue. The procedure is performed using local anesthesia, and the treated area is isolated from the rest of the mouth. Rubber dam or cotton swabs can be used for these purposes.

4. Seals

   Filling is carried out after cleaning the carious cavity. The final procedure is grinding the filling - this is necessary to eliminate the occurrence of discomfort during the process of chewing food.

Laser Application

Nowadays, a very wide range of problems are solved with the help of lasers. Here are just some of the areas of its application:

• diagnosis and therapy for caries;
• treatment of periodontitis and pulpitis;
• removal of tumors of various nature;
• elimination of increased sensitivity of teeth;
• treatment of bleeding gums;
• acting as a scalpel during surgical procedures;
• complete disinfection of the oral cavity.

Laser therapy has a number of advantages over traditional methods of treatment:

• The laser provides 100% disinfection for all types of operations.
• There is no risk of bleeding when using it.
• All procedures are absolutely painless.
• Minimal traumatic effect on tissues, which contributes to their good regeneration.

This method has virtually no disadvantages. The only one of them can be considered its high cost today.

Why does a tooth hurt after treatment and what to do in this case?

Aching pain after treatment occurs quite often. However, its causes may be different, which means that the doctor’s actions to eliminate it are required different. Let's look at the most popular:

• Very often, after treatment, the tooth reacts to mechanical stress when chewing food. As a rule, minor pain appears after treatment of deep caries. This is due to the fact that the filling puts pressure on the pulp. Over time, the pain will pass.
• It is not uncommon for a tooth to ache after treatment and due to an individual reaction to the doctor’s intervention. The pain may persist for several days.
• Acute pain after dental treatment cannot be ignored. You must immediately contact a specialist. Unpleasant pain may indicate that there is inflammation after dental treatment.
• If you are sensitive to irritants such as hot and cold drinks, sweet or sour foods, then there is a high probability that the overhanging edge of the filling will injure the periodontal tissue in the gum area. This phenomenon leads to tissue inflammation and exposure of the tooth root, which is extremely sensitive to any irritants. Therefore, be sure to contact the dental clinic if your tooth aches after recent manipulations. The treatment was most likely carried out poorly.

How much does dental treatment cost in Moscow?

Taking into account the fact that therapy involves an integrated approach, the total cost of dental services will consist of the costs of individual procedures. Approximate prices for dental treatment in Moscow are presented in the table below.

Prevention of caries

What should you do to avoid caries?

• Regularly brush your teeth with high-quality toothpastes, for example, from the Asepta series. They ensure a sufficient supply of minerals to the enamel, break down plaque, and gently whiten.
• Limit the amount of sweets.
• Avoid eating sweets and starchy foods as a snack, before bed or immediately after brushing your teeth.
• Visit the dentist at least twice a year.
• Take care of your gum health.
• Follow the principles of proper nutrition.
• Choose the right oral and dental care products, and change your toothbrush regularly.
• Take vitamins and, if necessary, calcium, fluorine and phosphorus supplements.
• Eat solid foods regularly, such as apples and carrots, but at the same time avoid frequent consumption of seeds and nuts.
• Try to rinse your mouth after every meal, and if this is not possible, then at least chew sugar-free gum.