Boy, Do We Have It Good!
Created on June 15, 2018
We have been serving patients from the Springfield area for several years. In that time alone, we have seen how significantly dentistry has changed. The innovation that has occurred in the past few decades alone casts an enormous shadow over the long history of dental development. Here, we want to point out how the advances that have been made benefit your smile.
A New Day, a New Way of Filling Decay
Contemplating the history of dentistry is not something we suppose many people do. Thinking about how ancient humans dealt with problems like cavities – or if they even had cavities – is hardly something we’d call entertaining. However, you may be interested to know that archeologists have discovered remains of teeth with holes made from the crown to the pulp chamber. In some, evidence of some type of filling was also identified. In others, only holes assumed to remove decayed tooth material.
Today, cavities are routinely filled by using a controlled technique of drilling away diseased enamel and inserting an inert composite material into the crevice. Tooth-colored fillings are a far cry from what those archeologists found and are also a step ahead of the amalgam fillings that were developed in the 1700s. Using mercury-free, metal-free filling material means we can support long-term structure in patients of all ages.
Tooth Replacement has Circled Back Around
It’s hard to imagine, but tooth replacement was a process that was attempted in ancient Egypt. Remains dating back many centuries have revealed that, at that time, shells were used to replace missing teeth. Fast forward to the 1800s, and we see that the concept of full replacement had been set aside for a time. At the onset of modern dentistry, the sole focus was to replace the appearance of teeth. This may have been attempted with porcelain dentures or an ivory denture base fitted with teeth taken from corpses and animals.
Today, tooth replacement is something that we conduct using sophisticated methods. Advanced imaging and technique allow us to extract failing teeth and rebuild the smile on a base of surgical-grade titanium posts – even if the underlying bone has begun to deteriorate.
We take pride in serving patients from the Springfield area with a friendly attitude and innovative methods. To schedule a visit to Taylor Street Dental, call (413) 781-7645.
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