what is Restorative Dentistry

What is Restorative Dentistry?

Restorative dentistry involves rebuilding and restoring your teeth, gums, and other oral structures to a healthy state after decay or damage. While restorative care may not sound fun or glamorous, it’s certainly necessary to keep your teeth and gums healthy.

Restorative treatment might include dental crowns to repair a tooth’s shape and structure, bridges to replace one or more missing teeth, dental implants to restore an entire tooth from root to crown, and root canal therapy to address an infection and save the tooth. You might also need fillings to treat cavities. Your dentist will recommend the appropriate treatment options for you based on your individual needs, preferences, and budget.

Restorative dental care also includes procedures that help to prevent the need for future treatment, such as professional teeth cleanings and fluoride treatments. These proactive measures can help your teeth and gums remain healthy and strong throughout your life. Regular examinations can also ensure that any developing problems are treated before they develop into more serious issues that require more extensive treatment.

If you’re due for a checkup and cleaning, contact your Columbus, OH dentist today to schedule an appointment! The benefits of Restorative Dentistry

There are often many benefits associated with restorative dentistry treatments, including providing indirect health benefits and boosting confidence by improving the appearance of your smile. For example, if a tooth is broken or cracked, it can interfere with a person’s ability to chew properly. This can lead to difficulty eating healthy foods and can even lead to nutritional deficiencies over time. Teeth that are crooked can make a person feel self-conscious about their appearance and lead to low self-esteem. With restorative dentistry treatments like dental crowns, teeth that have been damaged or weakened can be restored back to their normal function and health. This allows people to eat the foods they love without worrying about damaging their tooth further. It also restores the confidence of the patient, giving them back a smile they are proud of. To learn more about the benefits of restorative dentistry procedures, schedule a consultation with your South Carolina dentist by calling Dental Associates of New England at (203) 748-8320 today! Our team of experienced dentists can provide you with a thorough consultation to explain all of your treatment options and help you determine which is best for your oral health needs. You can also contact us online anytime to schedule your appointment.

What is fixed prosthodontics?

Fixed prosthodontics is a specialty of dentistry that involves restoring damaged teeth to their proper form and function with dental crowns, bridges, and dentures. When teeth are lost or severely damaged due to injury or decay, they can be restored with a durable and functional restoration that looks and feels like natural teeth. Restorations are customized to the individual patient to ensure optimal fit and function.

Each type of restoration is custom fabricated for each individual tooth. This means that crowns are all slightly different in shape just as individual smiles are all different. Modern technology allows dentists to take digital impressions for restorations instead of uncomfortable traditional alginate impressions. These digital impressions allow for more accuracy in creating the restoration as well as making it easier for patients. Patients are also no longer required to wear bulky impression trays which can cause irritation to the mouth. Instead, they will be asked to bite down into a soft material that hardens and creates a mold of the affected tooth/teeth. This mold is then sent digitally to a lab where a dental technician will fabricate each restoration to the dentist’s specifications. Once the restoration is finished it will be sent back to the dental office where the dentist will ensure a proper fit before cementing it into place using a special dental cement.

Some patients may require a combination of a few different types of restorations. For example, a patient who lost a tooth may need to have a bridge placed, which requires the two surrounding teeth to be prepped in order to properly accept the crowns that will anchor the bridge in place. In this case, the patient may need to wear a temporary crown on the two prepared teeth while the bridge is being made. Once the final bridge is complete it will be cemented in place. In cases where multiple restorations are needed, your dentist may recommend undergoing treatment in multiple stages rather than all at once to minimize disruption to your daily routines.

Dental restorations can be made

What are removable appliances?

Removable appliances include dentures, partials, and flippers. These devices are used when the patient is missing multiple teeth or all of the teeth on an arch. When a patient has a removable appliance, they should expect regular follow-up visits at the dentist to ensure the fit of the appliance is good and to monitor the health of the surrounding tissue and bone. The dentist will also check the gums for signs of potential gum disease or oral cancer. Removable appliances are used to not only replace missing teeth but to also prevent remaining teeth from shifting into different positions. With time, the jawbone can experience resorption, which is a breakdown of the bone structure in the jaw. Bone loss can lead to an indentation of the cheeks as the jawline recedes. This can make patients look older or feel self-conscious. A removable device can be used to prevent this common side effect. A denture is a full device that replaces all of the upper or lower teeth. It is held in place with adhesive. Partials are worn when there are still natural teeth present. These appliances have acrylic replacement teeth attached to a metal framework. Flippers are like partials but are anchored to dental implants rather than natural teeth. These are all good solutions for patients who need to replace several teeth and do not want to receive individual crowns for each tooth. Patients should talk to their dentists about all available options to determine which one is right for them. Most dental insurance plans cover a portion of the cost of these devices as they are medically necessary. Patients can discuss with their dentist how they prefer to pay for the full cost of these devices. Some dental offices offer in-house financing while others accept third-party funding through CareCredit and other lenders.

What is single visit dentistry?

Single visit dentistry is also known as full mouth rehabilitation, and is a dental treatment that can restore the health, function, and beauty of your teeth and gums in as little as one appointment! Using state-of-the-art technology, we can design and create your restoration on site, ensuring a perfect fit and quick recovery process for you.

We can replace individual teeth with dental implants, restore damaged teeth with beautiful dental crowns, or rebuild your entire smile using All on 4® implants. In fact, you can achieve a full arch of replacement teeth in just one appointment with this innovative procedure that uses only four strategically placed implants to support an entire row of new teeth. Throughout your appointment, we can do any necessary tooth extractions and place your new teeth as well.

Another benefit of this procedure is that you’ll leave our office with new teeth attached the same day! This means that you can immediately enjoy the benefits of a healthier smile without the need for a temporary denture or other device. When you leave our office, you’ll be able to eat and speak normally while your permanent restoration heals over the next four to six months. After that time, we’ll fit and place your permanent dentures and you can look forward to a beautiful and healthy smile for years to come!

To learn more about single visit dentistry, schedule a consultation by calling the dental office of Dr. Keith Schmidt today.

To schedule an appointment in our Louisville, KY dentist office, call Dr. Keith Schmidt at (502) 897-2290 or request an appointment online now.