Guide to Dental Restoration Services
Tooth restoration is when dentists replace missing teeth, fix broken teeth, or repair missing parts of the tooth structure, allowing you to smile confidently.
Slight cosmetic damage, including minor chips and cracks in your teeth, can often be repaired with tooth-colored composite resin fillings.
However, for more severe issues, such as one or more missing or heavily damaged teeth, dental implants such as bridges, crowns, or dentures may be required to restore your smile.
Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are false teeth held in place by either dental implants or crowns attached to the adjoining teeth. These false teeth are designed to “bridge” the gap between your remaining healthy teeth.
Traditional Dental Bridges
Traditional dental bridges are the most common type of dental bridge. These bridges consist of two dental crowns, which fit over the top of the teeth on both sides of a gap (the abutment teeth).
One or more false teeth are placed into the gap and bonded permanently to the abutment crowns.
Traditional dental bridges can only be used if you have strong, healthy teeth on either side of a gap in your smile.
Maryland Dental Bridges
Maryland dental bridges, sometimes also known as resin-bonded bridges, are similar to traditional bridges in that they use two natural abutment teeth for support.
However, rather than using crowns to repair the artificial replacement teeth, Maryland dental bridges employ metal or porcelain bands to affix the bridge to the back of the abutment teeth.
Maryland dental bridges are commonly used as an alternative to traditional bridges for replacing missing front teeth when you don’t want to add crowns to visible healthy teeth right in the front of your mouth.
Cantilever Dental Bridges
Like traditional dental bridges, cantilever bridges use crowns to fix artificial teeth in place. The difference is that a cantilever bridge only requires one abutment tooth next to a gap.
Cantilever dental bridges are typically used if you only have a tooth on one side of a missing tooth or set of teeth, such as in the very back of your mouth, or when one of your adjacent teeth is not healthy enough to attach a crown to.
Dental Crown
Dental crowns are a type of cap placed over an existing tooth to restore damaged tooth structure or to hold a dental bridge in place. Crowns can also be attached to dental implants to replace missing teeth.
Crowns are often recommended to protect and restore weak or cracked teeth, worn down teeth, teeth that are vulnerable after a root canal, or teeth that have cavities too big for dental fillings.
To make a dental crown, the dentist takes an impression of the tooth to be capped and sends it to a special dental lab where dental crowns are made.
While your custom crown is being fabricated, the dentist will put a temporary crown in place to protect your tooth.
Once you get your actual crown in place, it will look and feel like your existing healthy teeth, and your tooth restoration will be complete!
Dentures and Partials
Dentures and partials are also essential types of dental restoration services. Dentures and partial dentures are sets of artificial teeth that fit in your mouth to fill in gaps and restore your chewing and biting abilities.
The difference between full or partial dentures and other tooth restoration methods is that traditional dentures can be removed from your mouth whenever you want. In fact, you should remove and clean your dentures every night.
Dentures are commonly used when you’ve lost all or some of your teeth due to injury, tooth decay, or gum disease. Sometimes, the dentist may remove highly damaged or decayed teeth before providing new dentures.
Complete Dentures
Complete dentures replace an entire row of missing teeth. These arches consist of artificial teeth and gums and sit right on top of your gums and jawbone for support.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are similar to complete dentures, except they are made to replace just a few missing teeth in certain areas rather than an entire row of teeth.
Alternatives to Dentures
Dental bridges and implants are options if you want a more permanent solution to replace your missing teeth.
Dental bridges can replace from one to four missing teeth, as long as you have healthy abutment teeth to fix the bridges too.
Dental implants are artificial roots implanted into your gums and jawbone and can be used to hold dental crowns or permanent dentures in place.
Dental implants can replace one or more missing teeth when you don’t have surrounding teeth to attach crowns and bridges to.
Get Your Tooth Restoration with Lee Simon
Dental restoration services can work wonders to improve your smile, oral health, and chewing functionality. Getting your teeth restored also reduces the risks of other dental issues.
If you have damaged or missing teeth, don’t wait any longer to fix your smile. Get your tooth restoration done right with Dr. Lee Simon.