Restorative Dentistry Procedures You Should Know About

December 14, 2021

You may have heard the term restorative dentistry, but you probably don't exactly know what it means. In short, restorative dentistry is a catch-all term for a wide range of dental procedures used to repair damage to teeth caused by disease, trauma, or other causes. Restorative dentistry in Marco Island, FL, can be performed by skilled dentists. Here are some common procedures.

Dental palette Restorative dentistry in Marco Island

Common Restorative Dentistry Procedures

Dentures

Dentures are a set of false teeth made to replace a missing natural tooth. They are generally made of plastic or porcelain. Dentures are usually removable and can be worn by people of all ages. You can use them to replace a single missing tooth or multiple.

Fillings

This procedure is the most commonly performed restorative dentistry procedure. A small amount of special dental cement is placed in a cavity to repair a damaged tooth structure. The procedure fills cracks in the tooth caused by decay, trauma, or other causes.

Bridges

This is a dental procedure in which a false tooth is connected to two natural teeth to replace the space left by a missing tooth. The bridge is usually made of porcelain and is used to restore the function of the missing tooth and the adjacent teeth.

Once the bridge is cemented into place, it may be stronger than the teeth from which it was made, which provides the foundation for healthy teeth on either side of the bridge.

Dental Implants

If a tooth is beyond repair, a solution exists with dental implants, which are tooth roots made of titanium that are surgically inserted into a patient's jawbone. Dental implants offer tooth loss a long-lasting, natural-looking solution and are virtually impenetrable by decay.

However, they require a process of osseointegration, in which a patient's jawbone integrates with the implant, after which an abutment and crown are cemented onto the implant. While the procedure is permanent, the implant may need to be replaced with another one when it becomes loose or worn down over time.