You may be like a lot of patients we see in our office – living with diseased or damaged teeth or have teeth missing. We’re going to show you the advantages of restorative dentistry and explain how fixing small dental problems now can help prevent bigger problems later on.

You may have grown accustomed to just “getting by” with small problems, chewing only on one side of your mouth, or avoiding certain foods like juicy steaks or crunchy vegetables. You figure that your situation is fine – you’ve managed this long without perfect teeth, so what’s the big deal, right?

Wrong! You may not realize it, but small problems often develop into much larger, long-term headaches if not treated properly. We see this problem all too often at Jahyun Koo DDS. A patient delays doing small dental work, then down the road a nagging toothache is keeping them up at night. It’s a situation that could have been prevented.

Call our Seattle, WA office today at 206-922-4573 to schedule a checkup. Catch small problems early on and let us help you deal with them.

Stop Cavities With Fillings

A cavity is an example of a small problem that can worsen over time. Most people have at least one cavity at some point in their lives. It’s rare to find someone who has never dealt with tooth decay.

You may not think much about cavities. They’re minor annoyances that are easily fixed with an ordinary composite filling at the dentist. But have you ever wondered what would happen if you didn’t catch a cavity early on? Or if you put off getting a filling?

Like a ninja, that cavity would continue to silently spread. The decay would eventually reach the pulp, the soft inner part of your tooth containing nerves and blood vessels. Bacteria from the decay causes infection in the pulp, resulting in a toothache, sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, and swollen, tender gums.

And to think that all of this could have been avoided with a filling to restore the tooth.

Save Your Tooth With Root Canal Treatment

There is still hope, however. At this point, root canal treatment is usually necessary to stop the pain and try to save your tooth. Most people have misconceptions about root canals, believing the procedure is extremely unpleasant.

The pain associated with a root canal is a myth, however. Most of our patients feel no more discomfort than if they were getting that filling they should have made time for in the first place.

However, if you’re the type who hates going to the dentist – and there are lots of people like that – we offer sedation to relax you and make your procedure stress-free.

To treat the diseased tooth, Dr. Koo will gently clean out the infection inside, then sanitize and seal the tooth to prevent other problems. We normally recommend placing a porcelain crown over the top of the formerly diseased tooth. A crown is a great restoration option to strengthen the tooth and prevent further damage.

Root canal treatment is a good method for saving infected teeth. The alternative would be extracting the diseased tooth, which Dr. Koo always tries to avoid when possible.

Choose Implant Restoration For a Solution to Missing Teeth

Left untreated, an infected tooth will require extraction at some point. Leaving the tooth in place could open up your healthy teeth to damage.

If your tooth is taken out, it’s important to replace it for aesthetic and health reasons.

Dental implant restorations prevent problems with teeth shifting, plus offer a number of benefits.

Once you have an implant placed into your jaw by an oral surgeon, Dr. Koo can attach a sturdy porcelain crown on top of it. Your new restoration will fill in the gap left by your missing tooth, plus give you back about 90 percent of your biting power.

Another huge benefit of dental implants is stopping bone loss. Whenever you lose a tooth, the jawbone in that area begins to deteriorate due to lack of tooth roots to stimulate it. Implants fit snugly in your jawbone and act as replacement tooth roots, helping you avoid that “sunken face” look common with bone loss. You’ll have a younger, healthier appearance and boost your confidence as well.

Dr. Koo and his expert team have options available at any stage to correct problems and restore teeth. Many times, however, we see patients put off necessary treatment, endangering their long-term oral health. Take care of dental problems in their early stages so you can avoid the unnecessary pain and added expense of much bigger problems.

Call Jayun Koo, DDS of Seattle, WA today at 206-922-4573 for more information on the advantages of restorative dentistry. Or reach out online. Your long-term oral health could depend on it!