Restorative Dentistry
Is your smile missing something? Like a tooth? Restorative procedures involve the process of restoring missing, damaged and diseased teeth back to normal form and function. Usually structural loss is a result of external trauma, tooth decay or cavities. Dental restoration also refers to replacing missing tooth structures that can be eventually supported by dental implants.
There are two main types of restorations:
Direct restoration includes placing a soft or a malleable filling into a prepared tooth and it will build up the tooth before the material sets. A common advantage is you can have this done with only a single appointment. The most common procedure includes fillings. Indirect restoration occurs when the team formulates the restoration outside of the mouth using a dental impression of the prepared tooth. The most common indirect restorations consist of crowns, bridges, porcelain veneers, inlays, onlays and implants.
When the tooth is ready to be restored back to a suitable form and function it requires two steps: first they must prepare the tooth for the placement of the restoration material or materials, and secondly the placement of the material and materials. The dentist will use special tools to make enough space for the restorative materials; likewise they will remove any dental decay and any part of the tooth that is physically unsound. Temporary restoration may be performed if permanent restorations cannot be carried out.
Preparations may be: Intracoronal (holds restorative materials within the confines of the structure of the crown on the tooth; and Extracoronal (serves as a core or base to which the restorative material will be placed to bring the tooth back into a functional or aesthetic structure. Examples of this are crowns, inlays and dental veneers).
Enamel is the hardest substance in the human body and it is particularly brittle. If the enamel is unsupported, it can fracture easily.
Our dentists and team are constantly developing their skills and attending education courses to insure that our patients are receiving the most up–to-date services and procedures that will work best for each individual patient. That’s what makes us part of the Best Dental Clinics in Vancouver.
Dental Fillings
Dental fillings are the most common type of dental restorations that are performed. During the filling appointment, the dentist will first administer local anesthetic to number the area requiring treatment. Once this has taken effect, he will proceed to clean out the decay from the tooth, and then place the filling material to recreate the shape and form of the natural tooth.
Bonded fillings are made from a resin material and are used to fill your cavities or replace your old fillings. They are bonded to the tooth using a special curing light. Once the bond is set, it becomes solid, durable and provides you with a natural look.
We always do our best to make sure that bonded fillings match the colour of your natural teeth, so you never have to worry about others noticing it.
Crowns
Crowns are used for both restorative and cosmetic reasons. Patients typically have crowns placed on their teeth for the following reasons:
Protect a broken or weakened tooth
To replace an existing old filling in a tooth
Restore a dental implant placed below the gumline
Eliminate stains or discoloration
Restored a fractured or broken tooth
Crowns are made to be as natural as possible and to mimic your natural teeth, so you should be able to adapt to them right away. It is possible that you may need to practice biting down and talking for a short time to get used to the new feeling of the crown, but this new feeling will diminish quickly and you will forget it is even there.
To get crowns made tooth is reshaped, and impression will be taken. A temporary crown is always placed over the tooth while the permanent crown is being made. This temporary crown will provide protection to your tooth while we wait for the final crown to arrive. After the crown is made and is received from the lab, you will come in for another appointment. The temporary crown will be removed and the permanent crown will then be placed over the tooth to ensure that it fits and is the right size and colour. Once it is determined it is the correct size and shape, it will be cemented to your tooth.
If you want to improve your smile aesthetics, crown can be used to cover a tooth to restore it to a desired shape and size. A crown can improve its appearance or can make a tooth stronger. When there isn’t enough tooth left it can cover and support a tooth with a large filling. It can be used as an aide to attach a bridge, protect a fragile tooth from breaking or restore one that’s already been damaged. A crown is an excellent way to conceal teeth that are discoloured or badly shaped. It can be used to cover a dental implant. If our dental team recommends a crown, it’s probably to correct one of these previous concerns.
Bridges
If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may notice a difference in chewing and speaking. Patients who are missing teeth are sometimes embarrassed by their smile and avoid social interaction. Over time, the gaps that are left by missing teeth can eventually cause the remaining teeth to shift, rotate and drift into the spaces. This can cause bite problems as well as an unpleasing appearance.
Like crowns, bridges are also a fixed prosthetic and sometimes referred to as a fixed partial denture. Bridges are used to replace missing teeth with artificial teeth and can help improve self-esteem, enhance your appearance, advance your chewing ability and help you speak better. Bridges can also alleviate the stress in your bite by replacing missing teeth.
Having a dental bridge placed is not a complicated procedure, but it will require multiple trips to our office. When you come in for your initial consultation, one of our dentists will discuss dental bridges with you and determine if it is the right option for you. If you do have any underlying conditions, such as tooth decay, in a supporting tooth, this will need to be addressed first.
Once you agree to proceed with a dental bridge, the two teeth on either side of the space will be reshaped for crowns and will act as anchors (abutments) to the replacement tooth (pontic). When the teeth are prepared, impressions will be taken and then sent to the lab for the bridge to be made. You will receive a temporary dental bridge in the interim. It usually takes 1-2 weeks before your permanent bridge is ready to be inserted.
When the final bridge arrives, you will return to our office and dentists will remove the temporary bridge and try on the permanent bridge. If the fit is right, the bridge will be permanently cemented into the place.
Unlike a removable bridge, which you can take out and clean, a fixed bridge can only be removed by a dentist.