There are a variety of reasons that you might need to see the dentist, but one of the most common problems is tooth decay. To help you understand what your dentist (like those at Children's Dentistry of Lake County) is going to do to counteract any decay in your mouth, here is an overview of cleanings, fillings, and crowns:

Dental Cleanings

In most cases, your trip to the dentist will involve a cleaning. If you are diligently brushing and flossing, then this will be little more than a formality. However, if you have been neglecting your duties, then this might be a lot more uncomfortable and humiliating than you might like.

Regardless of whether you have some decay that needs to be handled, your dentist will likely want to clean your mouth out. If your dentist removes decay but does not remove the surrounding plaque and bacteria, then another infection could pop up very quickly.

Dental Fillings

If you have some decay, but not enough to completely disrupt the structure of a tooth, then you will likely get a filling. These can come in a variety of materials, ranging from a resin composite to gold, silver, and even porcelain. Each offers different advantages and disadvantages, so you will need to talk to your dentist to determine which is best for you.

For example, silver and resin composites will often be the cheapest, but silver is quite flashy and resin doesn't last all that long. Gold is more expensive, but it will last quite a long time, while porcelain is expensive and will look extremely natural.

Dental Crowns

If your decay is more serious, then your dentist might need to give you a crown. This is a cap that is placed on the tip of your tooth, effectively replacing large amounts of missing tooth. This is common after root canals, but can happen whenever you have decay that has spread throughout a tooth.

Like with fillings, crowns can come in different materials, each of which serves a different purpose. Again, porcelain is an expensive, yet aesthetically appealing solution that will last a long time. Stainless steel is cheap and durable, but will stand out like a sore thumb, while resin composite is cheap, aesthetically appealing, and lacking in durability.

Unfortunately, crowns can take a while to actually install, since they need to be built at a separate facility. While it won't take long to actually put the crown in your mouth, you may need to wait several weeks after your initial visit for the final product to be completed.