Restorations

Tooth decay has dramatically decreased in patients due to awareness, but there are still instances where patients can suffer from infection. With improved techniques, modern technology and continuous education, our office is able to offer more options in order to restore your teeth back to your natural look, including their shape, size, appearance and function. If you believe that you need any restoration to your smile, you’ll always have the ability to discuss with us what the best options are for you that will improve more than just the way your teeth look, but your oral and dental health, as well.

 

Fillings
This is the most common restorative procedure, available for all ages. After the decay is removed from your tooth, there needs to be something placed in that area so your tooth has the ability to function like it used to and continue to stay strong. There are two options for fillings:

 
 
White (Composite) Fillings: We use composite restorations a majority of the time in our office. Patients prefer them because they're more attractive than the alternative, amalgam fillings. These fillings are made out of strong composite resin that's matched to the surrounding tooth color so it looks like nothing has changed.
 
 
 
 
Silver (Amalgam) Fillings: Although white fillings are almost exclusive used at our office, there may be a unique circumstance where the patient’s tooth calls for an amalgam filling. These are typically placed on the molars.
 
 
 
 

Crowns
A crown is made to fit over the entire top of your tooth. While this is a cosmetic service, it is also a restorative one and can be the best option for patients. Crowns cover, protect, seal and strengthen the tooth to fight against decay. Typically, crowns are needed when a filling isn’t enough to protect the tooth.

 
There are many reasons that a patient may need a crown:

 

- Large decay: If the decay in the tooth is extremely large and deep so that a filling is not adequate, a crown must be placed over the tooth to save it from further damage and potential extraction.
- Large old fillings: When a large filling breaks or decay/bacteria has damaged the old filling, the tooth usually needs to be crowned. The reason to crown a tooth is because the structure of the tooth has weakened and this will protect from further damage.
- Cracked tooth: You cannot use a filling to seal a crack in a tooth. A crown needs to be placed over the tooth to keep the tooth together and hold the crack together. If not, the tooth will quickly become sensitive to chewing pressure and can eventually break. This will cause extensive treatment, so it’s important to crown a cracked tooth because if it’s broken, there may not be a way to fully restore it and an extraction will be necessary.
- Broken/fractured tooth: If your tooth has broken, it’s typically too weak to hold a filling in order to restore it. A crown has the ability to hold the tooth together and prevent it from breaking or fracturing again. If the damage involves the nerve in your tooth, then a root canal therapy treatment may be required before the tooth is crowned. Unfortunately, in some cases, a broken tooth cannot be restored and must be extracted.
- Sensitive teeth: Teeth can be extremely sensitive for a number of reasons: a lot of wear, receding gums, improper oral/dental health, and more. Sometimes, these teeth require a crown to seal and protect the tooth from hot and cold sensitivity.
- Root canal therapy: A root canal treatment removes the infected pulp from the tooth and involves carefully cleaning and disinfecting the inside area. This can save your tooth from being extracted. A tooth that has gone through a root canal treatment will need a crown to properly seal and protect it afterward. This will give the tooth the support it needs to look and function like the rest of your smile.
 
 
Permanent Fixed Bridge:
A permanent bridge can replace one or more missing teeth. It’s prepared similarly to a crown and keeps your teeth from shifting to fill in the missing teeth as well as keep your smile functioning normally without changing your bite and jaw alignment.
 

 

The bridge is anchored to the surrounding teeth of the empty space called abutments. With these stable teeth, the bridge is given a strong support. The replacement tooth, also known as the pontic, is filled into the mising space. Your cleaning routine is slightly alerted in terms of flossing, but your brushing is no different than before.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Implants
What are Implants?
Dental implants are an extremely successful service that millions of patients have benefited from for many years. The implant, acting as the root of the tooth, is surgically placed in the healthy jaw area and the artificial tooth is attached to the top of the post. The surgical phase of the treatment is completed by a trusted local specialist that we refer our patients to while the restorative phase is completed at our office.
 
What are Dental Implants Used For?
Dental implants are used to replace one or multiple teeth if a patient has suffered from tooth loss. Your dentist and specialist will help decide which is right for you.
 
What Are the Benefits of Dental Implants?
With the exception of your natural teeth, nothing looks more natural or fits in better than dental implants. If you don’t replace your missing teeth, the surrounding teeth will begin to age faster, start to shift out of place, and have the ability to cause other dental issues. Implants also never age, decay and never require root canals.
 
Restorative Phase (done in our office):
Once the implant is fully healed and attached to the issue, the temporary cap is safely removed from the anchor and a post is attached. Now, the implant is ready for prosthesis; an impression is taken of the implant and the proper prosthesis (typically a crown, but it could also be a bridge or an overdenture if there’s more than one implant) is made and carefully attached.