Our team is proud to offer such a comprehensive array of restorative dental treatments, so you can smile with confidence and avoid major oral health complications. With durable and lifelike materials, these results can look natural too! In today’s blog, your Leawood, KS, dentist talks about preserving smiles with restorative dentistry.
When to Seek Restorative Dentistry
You should contact our team for restorative dentistry when a tooth is cracked or chipped. Even if an injury happens to the face or jaw and damage isn’t visible consider an appointment, as many fractures are practically invisible to the naked eye. You should also let us know if you have aching teeth, as this could include the presence of a cavity or even infection. When a tooth is lost, again let us know, as we can use restorative dentistry to replace missing teeth. Our team will carefully examine your smile with a digital x-ray to plan the procedure in detail and we take time to ensure the results look natural and blend with your smile too!
Dental Fillings
A cavity needs restorative care to avoid infection and the risk of tooth loss. With a dental filling, we can place a lifelike and metal-free restoration that is safe for all ages. The entire procedure only takes one visit, as we numb the tooth, remove decay, and add the filling, which is color matched to blend with your tooth. We then sculpt the tooth as the material cures beneath a special light. We then polish the tooth for a brighter appearance. The composite resin we use for our fillings can also be used in a bonding procedure to mask common cosmetic imperfections.
Custom Dental Crowns
When you have a tooth that sustained damage too great for a filling, or has a cavity too advanced for a filling, then we could place a crown. The restoration fits over the entirety of the visible portion of your tooth. When possible, we use lifelike materials like porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or zirconia, which can all be color matched to blend with your smile. The placement process takes two visits to complete, and the results look natural and have the potential to last for years to come.
Root Canal Therapy
When a tooth is infected, you need more than a filling or crown. With restorative dentistry, we can conduct an endodontic treatment to address the infection and bring relief to your smile. The process is simple. We will numb the tooth so we can open the tooth and remove the tissues within comfortably. We then clean the side of your tooth and add a special restorative material known as gutta percha. Finally, we cap the tooth with a lifelike crown. This prevents your tooth from being lost and offer instant relief from discomfort.
Dental Bridges
As we touched on above, we can use restorative care to address lost teeth too. If you have between one and three missing teeth in a row, then you could benefit from a dental bridge. The prosthetic is custom-made and crafted from ceramic to ensure it not only looks natural, but can absorb daily bite forces with ease. The prosthetic contains new teeth with crowns on one or both ends. We attach the crown portions to the abutment teeth, the ones on each side of the gap. With proper care and attention, these can last for 10 to 15 years on average.
Dental Implants
For a more secure and long-lasting tooth replacement, we can offer dental implants. These are posts made from biocompatible titanium and inserted into the jawbone, where they act as natural tooth roots. We then attach an abutment to them so we can connect a crown or a portion of a prosthetic, as dental implants can address individual missing teeth or support fixed dentures, so you can enjoy full smiles with results that can last decades or even a lifetime with proper care and attention!
Dentures
We can offer dentures that are secured with dental implants as we mentioned above, or are removable and need to be taken out for soaking or cleaning. These can address complicated cases of tooth loss or total tooth loss, so you can smile with confidence and eat your favorite foods again. If you have any questions about our approach to restorative dentistry, or if you want to schedule a visit with our team, then contact our office today to learn more.
Do You Have Any Questions About Restorative Dentistry?
We want to return your smile to optimal oral health, bite function, and smile beauty with restorative dentistry. Call Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS by calling (913)681-5500 to learn more.
