When you have cracked or chipped a tooth, or if one is aching due to cavities or even infection, then you need dental restoration. With restorative dentistry, our team can create lifelike and long-lasting dental restorations, which can treat your smile and prevent further complications. In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about how we save smiles with restorative dentistry.

When You Need a Restoration

A restoration is designed to repair a tooth and protect it from worsening complications. Each one we provide will be custom-made for the smile, which ensures a proper fit and a balanced bite. We also take care to color match the restoration when possible so it blends with the surrounding teeth and offers a natural appearance. To avoid infections and the risk of tooth loss, you should let us know when a tooth is chipped or cracked, or if one is aching, as this could mean the presence of a cavity or even the early stages of dental infection.

Taking a Customized Approach

We will begin with a detailed examination, in which we take a close look at your teeth with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras, so we can accurately assess the cause and extent of your oral health concern. We then use the images and measurements we’ve taken of your smile in a dental lab setting to design and craft the restoration from lifelike materials. In the same visit or a follow-up one, we can complete the treatment to save the tooth and also ensure you can smile with confidence!

Dental Fillings

Dental fillings treat cavities to stop toothaches and avoid the onset of infection. We use a metal-free composite resin material, one that we can shade to blend with the tooth. The material is safe for all ages, and is biocompatible, bonding with the tooth for years to come. We may also use the same composite resin material in our dental bonding procedures to mask teeth stains and correct other cosmetic concerns in only one visit.

Custom Crowns

A crown covers the visible part of a tooth and can be used to address an array of cosmetic and restorative concerns. For example, we can repair cracked or chipped teeth, address serious decay, or even complete a root canal to treat an infected tooth. The restoration can also improve bite balance and chewing function, and even helps secure bridges in place or complete single tooth dental implants if you have missing teeth. When possible, we use materials that are lifelike and able to blend with your smile, such as all-porcelain for the front facing teeth, and more durable zirconia and porcelain-fused-to-metal for the side and rear teeth.

Root Canal Therapy

When a tooth is infected, a filling or crown may not be enough to stop discomfort and prevent tooth loss. Which is why we recommend a safe and gentle root canal procedure. Our team will provide anesthesia and sedation to ensure you are comfortable as we open the tooth to access and remove the infected tissues from within. We then clean the interior of the tooth and add a special restorative filling material known as gutta percha. The last step is to cap the tooth with a dental crown, which provides protection and offers a lifelike appearance. The root canal can prevent infection from leading to tooth loss, and most people find the procedure comparable to receiving a dental filling.

Tooth Extraction

When you have wisdom teeth soon to erupt, we could remove them beforehand to protect the stability, health, and function of your smile. If a tooth is too damaged or infected to be treated with a restoration, we could remove it to prevent the spread of infection to other parts of the smile. We could even extract teeth to make room for orthodontic treatment or to pave the way for a set of dentures. We take time to ensure the procedure is a comfortable one, and that the area will heal quickly and without complication. Sometimes, removing the tooth is essential for protecting your smile as a whole.

If you have any questions about who we save smiles with restorative dentistry, or if you want to schedule a restorative consultation and see if you need a crown, then contact our team today to learn more.

Schedule Your Restorative Appointment With Our Team

Our team uses restorative dentistry to help improve the health, function, and even the beauty of your smile, sometimes in one visit. To schedule an appointment with the team at Delightful Dental Care in Kansas City, MO, call our office today at 816-942-7669.