Preventative oral care is one of the most hassle-free, cost-effective, and reliable ways to keep your smile healthy and beautiful. However, there are instances where unforeseen oral conditions can cause damages or decays to teeth, and when severed may be a risk for your overall oral health. Thankfully, with the advancement of dental technologies, there are many dental restoration options you can opt for to renew your smile, of which some common ones are as follows.
Fillings
As one of the most common restorative dental options, fillings are used to replace decayed portions of your teeth that have built up cavities. They are also occasionally used as an option to even out tooth surfaces for improving your chewing and biting. The filling can be made out of amalgam, porcelain, composite, gold or silver.
If you experience enamel loss and tooth sensitivity, you’re likely to see a substantial improvement upon the placement of appropriate dental filling materials. With the techniques of a professional dentist and the use of the right material, these fillings can last for several years (with proper maintenance) and provide the appearance and functionality of an intact tooth.
Crowns
This is a tooth-shaped cup that is placed over a damaged, decayed, chipped or cracked tooth aiming to restore its proper size, shape, aesthetic and functionality. They are also used to repair and restore damaged teeth from natural wear and tear caused by teeth grinding. Just like fillings, even crowns come in many different materials and the most popular of them are the tooth-coloured ones that give a natural result.
Bridges
They are a dental restorative solution considered most apt if you’re missing one or more teeth which significantly affects your smile’s look. In this procedure, a false tooth is fixed in the place of a missing tooth and the crowns on the adjacent teeth hold the bridge in place. The whole bridging mechanism eliminates gaps in your smile and promotes oral health. Bridges also restore your ability to eat comfortably, correct speech impediments, and reduce the risk of tooth decay and periodontal disease.
Implants
This is another popular way of replacing a missing tooth and restoring its functional and aesthetic properties. Endosteal, subperiosteal, zygomatic and in recent times all-on-four implants are some common types of dental implants that are available. In this procedure, a metal screw takes the place of the root and anchors the implants in desired places. To make them look natural, it’s recommended to install implants with a tooth-coloured crown.
Veneers
This is where thin and semi-transparent shells called veneers are bonded to your teeth mainly to restore the appearance of your teeth and to give out a healthy-bright smile. They are also a good restorative dentistry option if you have broken, chipped, discolored, crooked, or misshapen teeth. Veneers are much more effective compared to many other complex and time-consuming procedures that are often used to improve the way you smile.
Root Canals
Sometimes teeth can decay too much where a filling won’t be enough to recover them. This is where you need a root canal procedure, which cleans out the decay from the roots of the affected tooth and thereby alleviates pain and restores oral health. After completing the procedure, the empty root canal is filled with a rubber compound called “gutta-percha”. Then an onlay or inlay is added to the tooth, along with a dental crown which restores the strength and appearance of the tooth.
