3 Potential Treatments For A Premolar Tooth With Dens Evaginatus

Posted on: 20 June 2016

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Dens evaginatus is a dental growth disorder that creates a hard extra cusp on the rear of a premolar tooth. The cusp is often shaped like a claw and is sometimes also called a talon cusp. The extra cusp is often not visible to others and might not cause any annoyances or damage. But in some cases, dens evaginatus can rub against soft tissues or the opposing teeth and cause irritation or damage. The cusp can also make the tooth more vulnerable to damage.

There are a few cosmetic dentistry and general dentists procedures that can treat this problem if you make an appointment. Here are three potential treatments for a premolar tooth with dens evaginatus.

Dental Shaving

Dental shaving is the main way, short of extraction, to remove the extra cusp from your mouth. Shaving is done with drills and might sound painful but you will receive local anesthetic and the procedure is fairly straightforward. The dentist will compliment the drills with handheld tools to make sure the remaining tooth, after the cusp is removed, has as smooth of a surface as possible.

Making sure the surface is smooth is important for the health of your tongue in the short term, which could get cut on the back of a jagged tooth. But the smooth surface is also important for allowing bonding agents to work to their best ability. And bonding agents are needed to apply a dental crown or veneer, which will be needed following the dental shaving.

Dental Crown or Veneer

Dental crowns and veneers work similarly. Both are primarily porcelain and created in a lab, using molds of your teeth, to ensure the best fit. Both are then bonded onto the tooth with a bonding agent to create a new look for your tooth and to add an extra protective layer. But the main difference between the two is how much protection each offers.

A dental crown can fit down over the entire premolar, preserving the remaining tooth that wasn't filed away during the dental shaving. This is the best option if your remaining tooth is in otherwise good health and simply needs the crown to cover up the lost enamel and dentin in the cusp area.

A veneer is bonded directly to the front of the tooth that has been substantially shaved down on all sides. The veneer is used to create an entirely new look to the front of the tooth, which typically isn't where the extra cusps are located. But if the cusp was large enough to stretch out towards the front or if the front was otherwise damaged, a veneer might provide the better coverage option than a crown.

To learn more, contact a dental clinic like Eagle Mountain Family Dental.