A House Full of Smiles is committed to improving the oral health of people in our community. While general dentistry services like checkups, cleanings, and preventive treatments make up a large percentage of the work we do, restorative dentistry is another major reason why people of all ages come to our practice. Our dentists have the experience and training necessary to place restorations that protect teeth. Common restorations include fillings, dental crowns, and bridges.
Why Damaged Teeth Require Restorations
Like other parts of the body, teeth are living structures and can develop disease and wear. When teeth are badly affected by decay, tooth wear, or trauma, they cannot regenerate new tissue to heal themselves. While bone can heal after being broken, a tooth cannot. Fortunately, restorations can restore teeth to their proper dimensions while protecting vital tooth structure from developing more damage in the future. Without restorations, damaged teeth can develop serious infections like abscesses or require extractions. The objectives of placing restorations are to increase oral function, prevent further damage to teeth, and repair broken or diseased tooth structure.
Common Types of Restorations
There are different types of restorations that provide varying levels of protection to teeth. From fillings, which address small areas of decay, to dental crowns, which restore the structures of the biting surfaces of teeth and their sides, A House Full of Smiles has your restorative dentistry needs covered.
Fillings
Fillings are small restorations that treat mild to moderate tooth decay. These restorations were historically made from amalgam (a metal compound), but today they are commonly made from composite resin. Composite resin is a tooth-colored compound that is made from a durable mixture of glass and plastic. Fillings will fill in the depressions on teeth left by tooth decay while protecting the diseased area from further deterioration.
Inlays & Onlays
Inlays and onlays are larger restorations than fillings. An inlay is placed in between the cusps of a tooth while an onlay can cover the entire biting surface of a tooth. These restorations are ideal for moderate tooth decay and small chips or cracks in teeth.
Dental Crowns
Crowns are extensive restorations. These types of restorations have multiple purposes. For instance, a crown can rebuild a worn down tooth or hold a broken tooth together. Crowns are like caps in that they fit over an entire tooth above the gum line.
Bridges
Bridges are used to close in the gaps between biological teeth and empty tooth sockets after tooth loss. A bridge is a series of dental crowns that anchors to biological teeth on each side. The middle of the bridge fills in the biting and visible surfaces of missing tooth structure.
For more information about restorative dentistry, call our practice to reserve an appointment with one of our dentists.