There is more than one way to fix a tooth. If you are the lucky owner of perfectly healthy teeth, you may never need any of these procedures. However, if you are like most Marble Falls residents, you will need to restore a tooth eventually. Today’s post looks at six restoration procedures that are used routinely to repair a damaged tooth:
1. Dental Bonding
Bonding, officially called direct composite veneers, is used to correct chips, cracks, and stains, and make teeth longer. It is also sometimes used to fill cavities. A skilled cosmetic dentist applies the pliable composite resin and molds it to the precise shape required. The resin is then hardened with a special curing light.
2. A Porcelain Veneer
These wafer-thin covers can hide a chip or crack or correct the alignment of a tooth that is slightly crooked.
3. A Filling (Inlay or Onlay)
A traditional filling is shaped and molded after it is applied to the tooth. Because inlays and onlays are constructed in a dental lab, they are typically called indirect fillings. Inlays are applied to just the center of the biting surface of a tooth (not to a cusp or point) and are frequently smaller than onlays. An onlay restores one or more cusps of a tooth. If you have old silver amalgam fillings, you can replace them with white fillings.
4. A Dental Crown
A crown replaces the entire visible portion of the tooth, restoring appearance, stability, and function. Crowns are used for teeth that have had a root canal, teeth with severe decay, the replacement tooth in a dental bridge, and the visible portion of a dental implant. Crowns can be made of all metal (such as gold), porcelain-fused-to-metal, all ceramic, or all resin.
5. Dental Implants
A tooth implant is often a perfect restoration for a tooth that has been extracted. It restores the entire tooth—both root and crown. Most dental implant recipients report that the implant is indistinguishable from a natural tooth. Dental implants are used in a variety of applications such as anchoring dentures and dental bridges.
For more information about any of these procedures, reach out to Ritchie Dental Group.
