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When correcting damage to your teeth, restorative dental techniques can repair cracks and chips to return a winning smile We could also remove cavities or replace missing teeth to offer you a natural-looking prosthetic. While the wear and tear of everyday life can leave your smile worn down, these treatments can help you strengthen your teeth. In today’s blog, your Leawood, KS dentist discusses repairing your smile with restorative dentistry. With the correct approach to smile care, you can maintain your oral health and enjoy a beautiful smile after a dental injury.

The Decision To Seek Dental Treatment

To determine if you require a dental restoration, we will examine your mouth and offer a diagnosis. Modern imaging techniques provide the ability to capture a full picture of your oral health using intraoral cameras and digital X-rays. After capturing these images, we can form our recommendation for treating your condition. By creating a treatment plan, we can select the procedures you require together, and put together a timetable for receiving your care. Restorative treatments take into account your oral health, appearance, and function often in a single procedure.

Dental Fillings

Preventing and treating tooth decay is the cornerstone of a family dental practice.  Depending upon the size and location of your cavity, a dental filling is often appropriate for providing restoration. Because the removal process permanently alters the structure of your tooth, a filling prevents oral bacteria from entering and restarting the decay process or infecting the inner chamber of your pulp. Modern composite resins allow a filling to match the natural shade of surrounding teeth. You will find that this material sets much more quickly than amalgam, allowing you to enjoy the full use of your tooth immediately after exiting our practice.

Dental Crowns

Another major player in restorative dentistry is the placement of dental crowns. This treatment goes beyond the reparative capabilities of a filling by covering your tooth completely above your gumline. By capping the entire visible portion, we increase the ability to withstand the force of your bite for teeth that are more severely compromised. A crown may be used in conjunction with a root canal to treat a tooth infection, or placed at the end of a dental implant when restoring a missing tooth. This versatile restoration returns your bite while mimicking the appearance of your injured tooth.

Bonding And Contouring

Tooth bonding and contouring offer minimally invasive treatments to alter the shape of an imperfect tooth. We could apply composite resin bonding to a chipped tooth or build up a tooth’s height after years of grinding. The ability to color-match your bonding resin makes this a useful solution for covering stained teeth as well. On the other hand, a contouring procedure can gently shave excess material while retaining enamel to help improve your tooth’s appearance.

Dental Bridges 

Restorative dentistry also provides an array of treatments for placing artificial teeth. If you have recently lost a tooth, we could place a dental bridge to secure a prosthetic between your remaining teeth. This treatment helps maintain the alignment of your bite by preventing teeth from drifting into the newly open gap in your grin. To begin placement, we attach crowns on your abutment teeth that hold the bridge in place. With proper care, your bridge can last for many years.

Dental Implants

Dental implants offer a solution that goes above and beyond to preserve your oral health while returning the function and appearance of a missing tooth. When choosing from your options for restoring missing teeth, an implant offers unique benefits for maintaining the health of your jawbone. This is because losing a tooth removes roots that transfer the force of your bite into your jaw. When healthy, this transfer of force signals the nervous system that the bone is in use, and the body sends nutrients to maintain bone health in return. When you lose your tooth, you lose this signal, and your bone can begin to diminish.

We can insert an implant post that rests securely within your jawbone. Due to its biocompatible nature, your oral tissues fuse with your post as you recover from surgery. We can then attach a dental crown to an abutment at the end of your post to complete your full restoration. As you return to enjoying a full bite, your implant returns this signaling force to your jaw.

Talk To Your Leawood, KS Dentist About The Benefits Of Restorative Dentistry

Contact Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS by calling 913-681-5500 to learn more about restorative techniques for caring for your smile. We can help treat tooth decay, missing teeth, or physical trauma with a variety of treatments that restore your bite and return a beautiful smile!