How to Repair Bad Teeth

If you have rotten or damaged teeth and are in a lot of pain, pay a visit to your dentist as soon as possible. Quite often, people avoid going to the dentist out of fear or because of financial reasons. Nevertheless, if you have bad teeth in your mouth, you need to take care of the problem in a timely manner.

Instructions

• 1

  Contact your dentist for an appointment. If you don't have a dentist, you can ask family members, friends or co-workers for a recommendation. You also can find a local dentist by visiting websites, such as the American Dental Association (ada.org), Colgate.com and 1-800-DENTIST.com.

• 2

  Discuss your options with the dentist. Your dentist will perform a dental evaluation and present you with the best options to restore your bad teeth. Depending on the amount of decay and the severity of the damage, the dentist may suggest one or more of the following procedures: a filling, root canal, tooth extraction, cosmetic procedures or dental braces.

  Filling: The dentist removes the decayed tooth material, cleans the infected area and fills the area with an appropriate filling material (e.g. silver amalgam, composite, gold, fused porcelain).

  Root canal: The dentist removes the tooth's damaged or diseased "pulp" (located in the center of the tooth) and cleans, shapes and seals the inside of the tooth. The dentist may place a crown over the tooth for protection.

  Tooth extraction: The dentist removes the entire tooth because the decay has reached deep inside the tooth, and the tooth can't be saved.

  Cosmetic procedures: Cosmetic procedures, such as teeth whitening, dental bonding, dental implants and bridges, porcelain veneers and full mouth reconstruction, are designed to improve the appearance of a person's teeth, mouth and smile.

  Braces: Dental braces are used to straighten and align teeth.

• 3

  Choose the appropriate dental procedure(s) and schedule your appointment. The dental office will inform you of the price for each procedure(s). If you have dental insurance or a dental plan, you'll need to verify your coverage with the provider before your next appointment. Be sure to inquire about a payment plan or dental financing if you don't have the money to pay for the dental procedure(s).