A Parent’s Guide to Emergency Dental Care

Posted on: 8 June 2016

A peg lateral tooth is an incisor that develops far smaller than a typical incisor. The developmental problem often occurs as a result of a delayed loss of the baby tooth that filled the same position so that the adult tooth had less time to develop. The tiny tooth can cause cosmetic concerns since the incisors are in the front of your smile but can also lead to difficulties chewing or other bite issues.

There are a few different ways your dentist office can correct a peg lateral incisor and ensure that you have a beautiful smile and comfortable and functional bite.

Metal-Backed Porcelain Dental Crown

Developmental issues can also cause problems inside the tooth. If the peg lateral tooth has damaged pulp or a root canal, your dentist may want to perform a root canal procedure then correct the size with a metal-backed porcelain dental crown.

The root canal procedure involves drilling into the incisors, scraping out the damaged pulp, and then reinforcing the canal with an injectable bio-cement. The tooth is closed and reshaped with the dental crown, which slides over the natural tooth and is bonded into place.

Incisors play an important role of cutting into the food as you chew, so the crown needs to be made of a durable material. Fully metal crowns are available, but would look obviously fake especially at the front of your smile. But porcelain crowns, which look most natural, are also a bit delicate. The middle ground solution is to have a metal-backed porcelain crown that still looks natural but has a stronger backbone.   

Composite Resin Bonding

Is the root canal healthy and you only need to change the look of the small, but otherwise healthy, tooth? Your dentist might be able to treat the size issue with composite resin bonding. The bond is sculpted onto your tooth in one office visit and then hardened using a special light.

Resin is fairly natural-looking but is less stain-resistant than porcelain, which might be a major concern if your teeth are prone to staining. But you can always go with a resin bond now and switch to another solution at a later date since the bonds are removable.

Porcelain Veneer

Porcelain veneers are very natural-looking and can do a better job of precision re-sizing than a bond, because the veneer is crafted in a lab and then bonded to the front of the tooth. Peg lateral teeth that are severely undersized might benefit best from porcelain veneer treatment. Contact a company like Apollo Dental Center for more information.