What Is Restorative Dentistry? Restorative dentistry refers to the branch of dentistry that focuses on restoring the functions of broken or missing teeth. Dentists who practice this kind of dentistry also provide solutions to cavities, gingivitis, and other oral health problems. Overall, this is an integrated treatment of oral diseases as well as the rehabilitation of the involved dental structures. Find a trusted clinic to fix and restore your smile immediately.
Fundamentals of Restorative Dentistry
The term restorative dentistry is self-explanatory. This kind of dentistry offer treatments not only to improve the smile but to reinstate the normal function of a broken or discolored tooth as well. That is the reason why it is commonly linked to other branches of dentistry such as prosthodontics, periodontics, and endodontics.
The main objectives of restorative dentistry are as follows:
- Repair the damaged teeth with the use of dental fillings or bonding treatments.
- Provide treatment by using restorations like inlays, Onlays, crowns, and fillings.
- To replace the missing tooth by placing artificial restorative dental appliances such as dental implants, dentures, and bridges.
- Restore the natural look or smile of the patient.
- To prevent complications that might put the healthy teeth at risk.
- To avoid the occurrence of periodontal diseases and gum infections.
Kinds Of Restorative Dentistry
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to maintain your oral health and keep your teeth strong and healthy, the inevitable dental problems still find their way to destroy your teeth. It’s a good thing that restorative solutions are now being offered in every dental office.
Each of these types of restoration can bring back your smile and make it look like you never lost a tooth at all.
Crowns. When the tooth can still be saved but has damages on some parts of it, crowns are often the solution. This is an artificial tooth-shaped cap that is placed on top of the damaged teeth to conceal the broken parts.
Fillings. This is the most well-known kind of dental restoration. Usually, it is recommended to patients with minimal tooth decay problems. Fillings are expected to last for several years given that they are well taken care of.
Bridges. If you lose a tooth, the tendency is that you will have a noticeable gap in between your teeth. Bridges are used to fill in the gaps, restore your smile, and prevent the remaining healthy teeth from misaligning.
Composite bonding. Just like crowns, the main purpose of composite bonding is to restore the smile by fixing a partially chipped or broken tooth. In this treatment, a composite material will be bonded with the original tooth to hide the crack or damages.
Veneers. Even though veneers are quite expensive, it is still one of the most in-demand restorative solutions to fixing dental problems. Veneers are a semi-transparent dental material that is bonded to the teeth to improve aesthetics.
Dentures. This restorative material aims to improve the smile by replacing the missing teeth and enhancing the aesthetics of damaged gum tissues. Dentures can either be partial or whole depending on the needs of the patient.
Root canals. Before getting any restorative treatments, root canals often comes first. the goal of this treatment is to make sure that the gums, root, and teeth are clean and ready for restorations. This will prevent the emergence of tooth decay and gum infections once the crowns, implants, or bridges are placed.
Dental implants. Tooth restoration will never be complete without dental implants. These are important tools to make sure that crowns, bridges, and other restorative materials are well supported and stays in their place.
Teeth extraction. In rare cases where the tooth can longer be saved, tooth removal surgeries take place to extract the damaged tooth. Dentists rarely recommend extraction, however, severe sometimes, it’s the only option left to make sure that the adjacent teeth will not be affected.
Why Is It Important
If you have any idea how it feels to have a missing tooth, a huge teeth gap, or a broken dental structure, then you would understand how frustrating it could get. These dental problems do not only affect your oral health but your overall disposition as well. Restorative dentistry is important to make sure that you don’t suffer the following consequences;
- Low self-esteem.
- Trouble chewing, biting or eating.
- Difficulty in talking.
- Deteriorated jawbone.
- Tooth sensitivity.
- Infected gums and teeth.
- Teeth misalignment.
- Side effects on the shape of the face.
How you take care of your teeth matters. Oral hygiene and regular dental office visits are equally important. But due to sudden events, tooth loss occurs, thankfully, we are now living in an era where several tooth restorations are available anytime, anywhere.
