What is a dental core buildup?

Dental crowns are a common restoration used in general dentistry and can provide a tooth with the support and structure it needs to protect it from damage. However, there are times when the damage to a natural tooth is significant enough that there is not enough structure left to safely and reliably place a dental crown. In situations like this, Dr. Roya Shoffet-Yaghoubian and her team at Royal Dental Practice in West Hills Los Angeles, California, may suggest a specialized procedure known as the dental core buildup.

What is a core buildup?

A dental core buildup is a type of restorative dental procedure that involves adding material to the core of a tooth. This is done to restore strength and structure to teeth that have been significantly damaged by decay or injury. It is often completed to support a dental crown over the top of the tooth when the tooth is so severely impaired that it cannot support the crown on its own.

Dr. Shoffet offers a practical solution for a patient who’s missing their permanent bicuspid – here’s what she suggests!

This patient has presented with the missing permanent bicuspid

Video Transcript

Hello everyone, today’s case was actually interesting – this patient has presented with the missing permanent bicuspid – so this patient is in her 40s and is still holding on to her baby tooth because her permanent bicuspid was missing from birth and this patient had a very extensive build up on this tooth for a long time and eventually the buildup has broken down so today’s conversation we had – what are we going to do with this?
Shall we go ahead – one of the options we discussed was to go ahead and extract the tooth, and, have an implant placed in and get her a crown over the implant, but that was not, unfortunately, part of her budget so I decided that even though the tooth is really compromised, I cannot even put a crown on it, and I decided I can do another extensive core buildup and by doing that this is how the tooth presented and the filling and portion of the tooth was lost, and I ended up to build up all over again and this is one of those cases – its unpredictable and I already informed the patient this tooth, the core build up may not last because of the poor prognosis of the tooth, eventually believe it or not – this tooth is going to get mobile and it’s going to be lost just due to the fact that the tooth has no roots in the bone and eventually she’s going to need that implant, but for the time being this was a perfect cure for her condition. I am glad to share it with you, let’s hope it’s going to last her for a long time.

What material is used for a core buildup?

When significant amounts of the natural tooth are missing and are not adequate enough to support a dental crown, a material called core buildup is used to replace the tooth’s missing structure. The core buildup material is made from dental composites, a special tooth-colored polymer that adheres to the tooth. Sometimes the dentist will also place threaded pins to the tooth or use a titanium or carbon fiber root post to ensure retention or may complete a core buildup after root canal therapy. Dr. Roya Shoffet-Yaghoubian can decide how to structure the core buildup to provide the best final results.

Do I need a dental core buildup?

Dr. Roya Shoffet-Yaghoubian of West Hills Los Angeles, CA, can educate you on your dental needs and let you know if you are a good candidate for dental core buildup. She will assess your oral health and make recommendations that suit your needs. If you live in the community and want to connect with her team, call Royal Dental Practice at (818) 334-6655 to request an appointment. The office is located at 7230 Medical Center Drive, Suite #208, and is open to new patients.