A broken, cracked, or decaying tooth can impact your diet and self-confidence. The sooner our Encino dentist treats your tooth, the easier it is to get back to your normal routine. But with so many types of restorative options — especially dental fillings and crowns — how can you know which treatment is best for your needs?
Fillings: The Sooner the Better
Dental fillings are the first line of defense when it comes to tooth decay. The earlier a cavity can be intercepted, the smaller the filling will be. Dr. Jamsheed uses composite (white) fillings because of their minimally-invasive design and ability to bond to your tooth structure.
Waiting too long to fill a cavity can allow the lesion to spread deeper into the tooth or “jump” to adjacent teeth.
Fillings only work when there’s enough healthy tooth structure there to surround them.
Crowns: Complete Tooth Covers
“Caps” or dental crowns, are complete covers that create a new layer to fit over your entire tooth (all the way up to the gumlines.) They’re used in instances where significant tooth structure is compromised, decayed, worn, or at-risk of breaking.
We recommend crowns when a filling won’t withstand normal daily use. But if there’s a significant amount of healthy enamel we can retain, it’s best to opt for a filling instead of a full crown.
You Might Need an X-ray
Dr. Jamsheed will use a radiograph of your tooth to determine the extent of the damage or decay. From there, we can make a call as to whether a crown or filling is best.
Request an Exam
