Restorative Dentistry
Restorative dentistry is the branch of dentistry that deals with restoring diseased, broken or abnormal teeth to their normal function and appearance. Restorative dentistry is important to maintain good oral health. When a tooth is missing, stress placed on the gums and surrounding teeth can cause multiple problems including gum disease. Remaining teeth might shift into the open space and cause crowding problems.
We offer a variety of treatment options to restore missing teeth, which also preserves your gum tissue and bone. Following are common restorative options that we provide to children and adults.
Fillings – Cavities can be filled with composite filling material that is matched to your natural tooth color.
Crowns – Teeth that are severely damaged or decayed often can be preserved with porcelain crowns. This restoration covers the entire tooth surface to restore structure and function. The porcelain is matched to the shade of neighboring teeth for a natural look. During your first appointment, we take an impression of your tooth and send that information to a dental lab to fabricate the crown. We will make a temporary crown to wear until your permanent replacement is ready, usually in about two weeks. At your follow-up appointment, we will place the permanent crown and ensure a good fit.
Same-day crowns – In some cases, we can prepare your tooth and have a beautiful, durable crown milled in our office for a same-day restoration. This means a streamlined process where you get everything done in one visit to our dental office instead of two.
Bridges – If you’re missing one or two teeth adjacent to each other, a bridge can restore your bite and your ability to chew and speak properly. This is a fixed dental appliance in which two teeth are fitted with a crown and connected with a prosthetic tooth or teeth to fill the space left by a missing tooth.
Dental implant restoration – With our conservative treatment approach, we can address the missing tooth or teeth with dental implants. This prevents us from having to alter neighboring healthy teeth, which is the case when doing dental bridges. We will refer you to a periodontist or oral surgeon to have your implant placed. Once it integrates into the bone, we will restore the implant by placing a porcelain crown on it.