Procedures
Learn About the Benefits of Restorative Dentistry With Our Denver Dentist
It’s great news that the incidence of tooth decay has significantly diminished over the years due to the use of fluorides and an increase in patient awareness. However, teeth are still susceptible to decay, infection, and breakage and sometimes need to be restored back to health. Through improved techniques and modern technology, we are now able to offer more options for restoring a tooth back to its normal shape, appearance and function. These are called restorations and they are used to restore the aesthetics and function of damaged teeth. They often require multiple dental visits to accomplish.
Types of Restorations
There are many types of restorations to consider for your mouth. The most common type of restoration is a filling. Fillings are considered restorations because they restore the function and form of teeth. Fillings are placed in or on the teeth to repair defects or tooth decay (more commonly known as cavities).
Fillings are fairly easy and can be done in one office visit. There are many materials used in fillings such as:
- Composite. Made of resin and tiny quartz or glass particles, composite fillings are tooth-colored, so they blend in quite easily. Composite fillings are bonded to the tooth and are a very durable type of restoration. They can be used on biting surfaces
- Ionomers. These fillings are made of glass or resin. They are not very strong and are often used for small cavities on non-chewing surfaces.
Other types of restorations include:
- Crowns. Crowns are tooth-shaped caps used for larger cavities. They cover the entire tooth and stay affixed with dental cement.
- Bridges. If you are missing one or more teeth, a bridge can literally fill in the gap by using false teeth. They are composed of crowns on either side.
- Inlays. Inlays are used to fill in cavities when a filling is not enough and a crown is too much.
- Onlays. Onlays work similar to crowns. They are for larger cavities but do not cover the entire tooth.
- Bonding. Chipped teeth are hard to fix with fillings. That’s why dentists will turn to bonding. Bonding involves the use of composite resin to make teeth look great again. The composite resin is applied, hardened, and polished.
- Implants. A dental implant replaces an entire tooth that may have fallen out or broken due to disease or injury. Dental implants look and feel like real teeth. They are composed of an implant post and root.
- Veneers. Veneers can help you achieve a movie star smile. They are thin covers that adhere to teeth to cover up gaps, chipped teeth, and misshapen teeth. Veneers are mostly cosmetic in nature but they do have restorative benefits.
These restorations are made with ceramic, porcelain, composite resin, gold, and base metal alloys.
Do I Need a Restoration?
Should your teeth ever require a restorative treatment, you can rest assured knowing we will always discuss with you the available options, and recommend what we believe to be the most comfortable and least invasive treatment. Providing you with excellent care is our number one priority when creating your beautiful smile.
Reasons for restorative dentistry:
- Enhance your smile.
- Fill in unattractive spaces between teeth.
- Improve or correct an improper bite.
- Prevent the loss of a tooth.
- Relieve dental pain.
- Repair damaged and decayed teeth.
- Replace missing teeth.
- Replace old, unattractive dental treatments.
- Restore normal eating and chewing.
Nowadays, patients have numerous options to repair damaged, decayed, or missing teeth. At Alpine Dental Center, our staff will assess your dental issue and recommend the best option based on your budget and needs to give you the beautiful smile you deserve.
Remember to give your teeth the attention they need today! Call Alpine Dental Center at (303) 428-6367 today and speak to our Denver dentist Dr. Alan Gurman to schedule an appointment today! We are proud to serve families from Thornton and nearby areas as well!
Related Procedures
| Learn About Dentures With Alpine Dental Center in Denver |
| Dental Implants |
| Inlay Restorations |
| Onlay Restorations |
| Composite Fillings |
| Fixed Bridges |