Should a tooth sustain an injury, or ache due to issues like tooth decay or infection, then treatment is needed. With restorative dentistry, our team can take on these concerns and restore your smile. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about how we can use restorative dentistry to repair your tooth.
When to Seek Restorative Dentistry
When should you contact our team for restorative dentistry? If you have an aching tooth, this could indicate the potential presence of tooth decay or possibly even a dental infection. Treatment is needed to not only stop pain, but to prevent the loss of your tooth and the spread of infection. In addition, if you have a damaged tooth, you need repair to also avoid complications like tooth decay and infection. Restoring teeth could also improve bite balance to avoid issues like TMJ disorder and bruxism (teeth grinding). Our team could even use restorative dentistry to take on tooth loss by securing a dental prosthetic, such as a bridge or even a dental implant.
Dental Fillings
If you have a cavity, then we could offer treatment in one visit with restorative dentistry. A filling is made from a metal-free composite resin, which is safe for patients of all ages. We can also color-match the material to blend with your smile. The placement process involves our team numbing the tooth, removing decay, and then applying the composite resin to the tooth. We then shape and sculpt the tooth as we cure the material under a light. The last step is to polish it for a brighter appearance, taking on your cavity ion only one sitting and providing lifelike results.
Custom Crowns
If you have a more severe case of tooth decay or an infection, or if you have misshapen or damaged teeth, then we could help restore your tooth with a dental crown. This full restoration caps the tooth and instantly reshapes it, so we can take on multiple issues at once. When possible, we use lifelike materials like porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, or zirconia, which we can shade to blend with your smile. To create them, we will numb the tooth being treated and remove structure from it. We take images and measurements of the tooth, which we use in a lab setting to design and craft your crown which we secure with a powerful bonding agent.
Root Canal Therapy
If you have an infected tooth, you need more than a filling. But with an endodontic treatment known as a root canal, we can stop painful symptoms and prevent the loss of your tooth. With a root canal, we open the tooth to remove the tissue from within. Once we remove these infected tissues, we clean the inside of your tooth and add a special restorative filling. Finally, we cap your tooth with a dental crown, one custom-made for your smile.
Tooth Extraction
In some cases, a tooth may not be able to be restored. Instead, protecting your smile from major complications means extracting the tooth. For example, we could take out teeth too damaged or infected to be treated with a crown and/or root canal. Our team could remove teeth to make room for orthodontic treatment or to pave the way for dentures. We could even remove wisdom teeth before they erupt to keep your smile intact.
Bridges
If you have between one and three missing teeth in a row, we could create a dental bridge that looks natural and fills the gap in your smile, so you avoid the complications of missing teeth.
Dentures
If you have a more severe case of tooth loss, too much for a bridge to address, we could create custom full or partial dentures, which address more substantial cases and restore the ability to eat, smile, and speak with confidence.
Dental Implants
Dental implants can replace a single missing tooth or secure a bridge or denture, and they act like new tooth roots to keep your smile intact and allow the new tooth last for decades to come! In comparison, a traditional bridge or denture may need to be replaced every five to ten years. If you have any questions about restorative dentistry, then contact our team today to learn more.
Schedule Your Restorative Appointment With Delightful Dental Care
Restorative dentistry can help return your tooth to full function, health, and beauty, sometimes in only one sitting. To find out more about our approach to dental care, call Delightful Dental Care in Kansas City, MO at (816) 942-7669.