What tooth restoration option is best for me?

31 March 2022

Your dentist may recommend tooth or dental restoration if your teeth are crooked, worn, discoloured, damaged, or unhealthy. You may want to consider various different forms of tooth restoration.

What is tooth restoration?

Tooth restoration can restore your teeth’s natural function while also preventing further decay. These procedures can also help you improve the appearance of your teeth for cosmetic reasons.

In many cases, a dental restoration technique can restore tooth function while also improving its aesthetics. There are several techniques that can be used to restore the appearance and function of teeth. The nature and extent of your tooth injury will decide the sort of restoration procedure you require.

Fillings

Fillings are used to restore a cavity that has developed as a result of tooth deterioration. They are performed in a dentist’s office and do not necessitate the services of a specialist.

Your dentist will remove the decayed tooth and fill the cavity. A dental filling can be made of a variety of materials, including silver amalgam or composite resin.

If the tooth is in the front of your mouth and will be noticeable when you talk or smile, your dentist may suggest a tooth-coloured filling. These options include:

• Composite resins (white fillings) are a newer material for dental fillings that are favoured over amalgam fillings for a number of reasons. They are the same colour as your teeth and do not expand and contract like metal fillings, nor do they damage teeth. They are, nevertheless, just as powerful and long-lasting as metal fillings.
• Glass ionomer is an opaque substance that functions more like a sealer than composite resins.
• Resin-modified glass ionomer: Similar to glass ionomer, but with an enamel hue to better match teeth and a longer lifespan.
• Consult your dentist to discover which type of filling is appropriate for your teeth.

Read more about dental fillings from Etwall Dental Practice here.

Crowns

A dental crown is a cap that covers the entire tooth. Dental crowns are used to protect the following areas:

• Teeth with cavities that are too large for dental fillings
• Teeth that are weak or broken
• Teeth that have been worn down
• A susceptible tooth following a root canal treatment

Crowns are also utilised to hold a bridge in place when teeth are missing. They are inserted by a dentist or a prosthodontist, a dental specialist. Your dentist may be able to produce a crown in their office if you require one.

A dental practitioner will often take an impression of your tooth and send it to a lab, where your crown will be created. When this happens, your dentist will install a temporary crown over your natural tooth until the permanent crown can be placed.

Read more about dental crowns from Etwall Dental Practice here.

Implants

Replacement teeth, such as crowns or bridges, are held in place by implants, which are artificial roots. There are two major categories:

• Endosteal. The artificial root is drilled into the jawbone in this procedure.
• Subperiosteal. The prosthetic root is attached to the jawbone or above it. When there isn’t enough healthy jawbone to support an endosteal implant in place, this type of implant is used.

Dental implants have the appearance and feel of real teeth. They can aid in the improvement of your bite and speech. The implants necessitate a number of procedures before they can be completed. Though they can take months to create, they have the potential to last decades.

Read more about dental implants from Etwall Dental Practice here.

Bridges

False teeth (pontics) are used to replace missing teeth with bridges. Crowns on surrounding teeth (abutments) secure them in place, restoring your mouth’s appearance and function.

Porcelain bridges are typically manufactured to match the natural colour of your existing teeth. Porcelain linked to a stronger metal below can also be used.

To keep a bridge in place, your dentist may need to implant crowns (called retainers) on the healthy teeth on either side of it. It may also be necessary to place dental implants behind the replacement teeth in some cases.

Bridges come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including:

• Traditional
• Maryland
• Cantilever
• Implant-supported

The type of bridge you require is determined by the number of missing teeth and their placement. Your abutment teeth, which are the teeth on each side of the bridge, may also play a role.

It’s possible that bridgework will take multiple appointments to complete.

A bridge can be done by a conventional dentist or a prothodontist, a dentist who specialises in repairing or replacing missing or damaged teeth.

Read more about dental bridges from Etwall Dental Practice here.

Dentures

Dentures are fake teeth that are removable and are used to replace missing teeth. Dentures are made to look like teeth and the gums that surround them.

You can acquire a full set of dentures if you’ve lost all of your teeth due to injury, tooth rot, or gum disease. You may be able to acquire a partial denture to replace your missing teeth if you still have some of your natural teeth.

Prior to getting fitted for dentures, you may need to have damaged or rotten teeth extracted.

Veneers

Veneers are tooth-coloured, natural-looking shells that cover the front of a single tooth or a group of teeth. It’s a cosmetic technique that improves the appearance of damaged teeth.

Veneers can help balance out the appearance of tiny or short teeth. They can help make discoloured, damaged, or chipped teeth look more uniform.

Porcelain or composite resin can be used to make veneers. Veneers can be applied in two ways:

• Traditional. This necessitates substantial preparation, including grinding away the enamel and structure of the native tooth.
• No preparation. This necessitates minimal enamel removal and preparation. Anaesthesia is not required for this sort of veneer.

With proper care, veneers can last anywhere from 5 to 15 years.

Bonding

Tooth bonding is a cosmetic procedure that is used to improve the appearance of discoloured, cracked, or chipped teeth.

Your dentist will use a composite resin that matches the colour of your natural teeth to restore your tooth. The resin will be moulded and shaped by the dentist before being hardened using ultraviolet radiation.

A veneer or crown is more durable than tooth bonding. Bonded teeth are prone to chipping, necessitating a second restoration treatment.

Maintain your oral health or get expert medical advice from Etwall Dental Practice. If you feel as though you may require any of the aforementioned dental treatments or any other cosmetic dental procedures, please get in touch with us via phone on 01283 733391 or fill out our contact form and a member of the team will get back to you to discuss treatment options.