Restorative Treatments
Just like your physical health, you also need to look after your dental health, in order to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Despite the fact that prevention of dental problems is always better than curing them afterwards, problems related to your teeth and their surrounding structures can still sometimes arise. Restorative dentistry involves the diagnosis and treatment of any problems related to the oral cavity and can utilize a combination of multiple specialties, such as prosthodontics, endodontics and periodontics that are brought together in order to ensure that you always enjoy excellent dental health.
Various procedures are performed under the scope of restorative dentistry:
Tooth Colored Fillings
A filling is a way to restore a damaged or decayed tooth by filling the hole left by decay with a dental resin that matches the color of your teeth. At iLove Dental, we use both composite resins and porcelain fillings. Depending on your teeth and the extent of the damage, Dr. Kim will discuss with you which option will be best. Composite resins are custom-made to match the shade and shape of your teeth. They are good for smaller cavities since they may chip when used in larger restorative techniques. They require care similar to that of your natural teeth, as they can be stained by coffee, tea, and other foods or drinks. For more extensive repairs, porcelain in-lays or onlays may be used. These restorations cover the surface of the tooth, making the filling nearly undetectable. Porcelain is resistant to staining or discoloration. This option is used when the damage from decay is more extensive than a composite resin can fix.
Dental Crowns
When a tooth has a large filling, it may require a dental crown for strength and stability. Root canal therapy can save a natural tooth from extraction; however, the process can lead to a brittle tooth as time goes by. A dental crown protects the tooth from any further damage. A dental crown is a cap that fits over the prepared tooth and cemented in place. Crowns can be made from resins, metal alloys or porcelain fused to metal. Porcelain and resin crowns are made to look and feel like your natural tooth. Crowns are commonly used to cover or cap a damaged tooth or an implant.
Dental Bridge
A dental bridge works to cover the space where the teeth are missing and are cemented to natural teeth or implants surrounding the space. Bridges are mostly used if you’re missing a tooth or more. The bridge consists of a crown for each tooth on either side of the gap. Attached to the crowns are artificial teeth, to replace the missing teeth that create the gap. The bridge is a non-removable prosthetic that restores your smile and the chewing or biting surface of missing teeth.
Dentures & Partial Dentures
A denture is a removable dental appliance replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissue. They are made to closely resemble your natural teeth and may even enhance your smile. Complete dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain. A Partial denture not only fills in the spaces created by missing teeth, it prevents other teeth from shifting.
Digital Intra-oral scan
At iLove Dental, we use the Medit i500 digital impression system, an advanced imaging tool that helps us map the inside of your mouth and teeth down to the most minute detail. With the use of an intra-oral scanner we can make digital impression of crown, bridge, and dentures. Since we use the latest technology in our office, you can say goodbye to sticky, messy, and uncomfortable putty impression of the past.
Remember, despite tremendous advancement in the field of dentistry, there is still no perfect tooth replacement option for your natural teeth. Therefore, you should make your best efforts to retain your natural teeth by maintaining a good oral hygiene. However, if you still have any dental problem, then restorative dentistry is there to help you!