Restorative dentistry puts damaged or missing teeth back to work. The right repair depends on how much tooth is left, and we lean toward the least invasive option that will last.
A small cavity, chip or worn edge: a tooth-colored filling
Not enough solid tooth left for a filling: a crown
A large old silver filling: an inlay or onlay
One or more missing teeth: a bridge, an implant or a denture
Whatever we recommend, we'll explain the alternatives first.
Composite resin matched to your tooth, usually done in a single visit.
Composite bonds to the tooth, which lets us remove less healthy structure than an old silver filling would need. We numb the tooth, remove the decay, place the composite in layers hardened with a light, then shape it to your bite and polish it.
Some sensitivity to hot and cold for a week or two is normal. Fillings last for years, but they wear, and we check them at every exam.
A cap that covers the whole tooth when a filling won't hold; usually two visits.
Crowns are for a large or failing filling, a fracture, heavy decay or a tooth that needs protecting after a root canal, and can also reshape a tooth for cosmetic reasons. Porcelain crowns are the most common choice because they're strong and match the surrounding teeth.
At the first visit we shape the tooth, take impressions for the lab and fit a temporary crown, usually for about two weeks. At the second, the new crown is checked for fit and bite and cemented in place.
Pressed ceramic crowns, inlays and onlays with no metal, nearly invisible.
Empress is a glass ceramic with no metal substructure, so there's no gray line at the gum. Inlays and onlays, lab-made pieces fitted into or over a damaged tooth, are a middle ground between a filling and a full crown, and a common replacement for large old silver fillings.
A fixed replacement for one or more missing teeth, anchored to crowns on either side.
Besides filling the gap, a bridge keeps neighboring teeth from drifting and brings chewing and speech back to normal. It takes two or more visits: prepare the anchor teeth, take impressions, wear a temporary bridge, then fit and cement the permanent one. Flossing under a bridge takes a floss threader or water flosser; we'll show you how.
Removable replacements for all the teeth in an arch, or several missing teeth.
Making them takes several appointments over a few weeks: impressions and measurements, try-in visits to get the shape, color and fit right, then the final fitting. If all your teeth are being removed, you can choose a conventional denture, made after the gums heal for four to six weeks, or an immediate denture placed the same day so you're never without teeth. Immediate dentures need relining as the gums shrink during healing.
Expect some soreness and awkwardness at first; if a sore spot doesn't settle, come in and we'll adjust the fit. Dentures need relining, repair or remaking over time, and you still need a yearly exam.
Have a tooth that needs attention? Text us to book an exam.
Text usIt depends on which teeth are involved, what's around them, your bite, your budget and what your plan covers. Come in for an exam and we'll lay out the choices and their trade-offs.
Text or call to book an exam. We're at 9700 Medlock Bridge Road, Suite 108, next to Starbucks, across from the Regal theater.
