3 Potential Treatments For Dental Dilaceration

8 June 2016
 Categories: Dentist, Blog

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When a tooth experiences severe trauma, the position or shape of the tooth can change. Dilaceration refers to a traumatized tooth becoming bent or curved at either the root or the crown. The condition causes cosmetic dentistry concerns but can also cause bite issues or put the tooth at greater risk for additional damage.

What are some ways that a general dentist or cosmetic dentistry specialist can treat a tooth with dilaceration?

Orthodontics

If the dilaceration is confined to the crown and the tooth is otherwise healthy, your dentist might be able to use orthodontic treatment to simply move the tooth into the proper position. The treatment might be full metal braces if you have other dental issues or could be clear brace trays that might only need to go on the half of your jaw with the dilaceration.

Clear braces are often preferable for adult patients because of the less noticeable cosmetic appearance and the fact that you can take the braces out to eat. You should still leave the tray or trays in your mouth as much as possible to keep your treatment time to a minimum.

Root Canal Therapy and Dental Crown

Did the trauma and dilaceration damage the root canal inside the tooth? Is the crown part of the tooth only slightly out of position? Your dentist might decide to treat the tooth with a combination of root canal therapy and a dental crown.

The root canal therapy requires the dentist to open the tooth and scrape out the vital pulp material that lives inside the root canal. That's so the dentist can inject a biocement into the canal to strengthen the walls and prevent any further canal damage. The tooth then needs to be sealed shut so that bacteria doesn't have easy direct access to the inside of your tooth.

The tooth can be sealed shut with a porcelain dental crown, which fits down over the exterior of the tooth to close the hole and to gently reshape the exterior of the tooth. Your dentist might need to file down your existing dentin a bit to minimize the bend or tilt but the dental crown can correct the rest.

Extraction and Dental Implant

Did the dilaceration cause severe damage to the root canal or to the roots at the bottom of the tooth? Your dentist might recommend a dental extraction as the tooth can't be saved. But you don't want to leave that gap open for more reasons than cosmetic concerns. Leaving an extracted tooth hole can allow other teeth to move into that space, which can create bite issues. The underlying bone and tissue will also start to swiftly erode without the natural friction of a present tooth.

Dental implants are one of the only replacement options that still provide that friction needed to promote bone and tissue health and growth. The friction comes via the implant root that is inserted into the jawbone, which then heals shut around the root to provide stability for the artificial crown that snaps on top.  

For more information, talk to a professional like Advanced Dentistry of St. Charles.