Restorations
Ideally, with preventive dental care and a strong oral hygiene routine, teeth would last a lifetime. Unfortunately, accidents, infection, decay, or everyday wear and tear, can diminish the brilliance of your smile.
Restorative dentistry is all about preserving the function, health, and integrity of your oral health. At Ashland City Dental, Dr. James Fleenor and his team understand the importance of a healthy, functional smile and the impact it can have on your oral well-being and everyday quality of life.
If you are experiencing tooth pain or are looking to rebuild your smile with dental implants, contact our practice today to schedule your consultation.
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Discover What Dental Restorations Can Do for Your Smile
Because dental restorations are designed and fabricated to enhance your smile and offer numerous benefits, including:
Elimination of pain or discomfort- Whether due to a crack, chip, or an infection, dental restorations can reduce your discomfort. With restorative dentistry, fillings, inlays, onlays, and dental crowns are used to prevent further damage to your tooth.
Improved dental appearance- The restorations return aesthetics to your once missing or damaged teeth. An infected, broken, or missing tooth replaced by tooth-colored material will enhance your smile.
Stronger and healthier dental structure- Your dental structure and jawbone become weak and deteriorate when teeth are missing. Restorations like dental implants improve your oral health and help preserve your jawbone’s volume and shape.
Long-Lasting Solutions- Dental restorations use durable and long-lasting materials. Whatever your need for a dental restoration, restorative dentistry focuses on the lasting health, function, and beauty of your smile.
What Restorative Options Do You Offer?
Restorations come in many forms. Some are relatively minor procedures meant to repair the teeth, while others are solutions for complete replacement.
We provide the following restorative services:
I Have Missing Teeth- Should I Consider Dental Implants?
Even a single missing tooth in your smile can pose a threat to its beauty, health, and function. Consisting of body-safe titanium, dental implants can replace a tooth root very effectively. Because of their ability to fuse with your living tissue and bone, dental implants are considered one of the most successful and reliable methods for restoring missing teeth, from root to crown.
What Does Getting Dental Implants Involve?
Depending on your specific situation, it can take several months to a year to complete the process of dental implants. The process typically involves these three phases:
Placing the implant- First, the implant post is surgically inserted into your jaw. Then around three to six months of healing is needed for the natural gum tissue and to fuse with the post.
Attaching the abutment- The abutment, or tiny, screw-like attachment, is connected to your implant post. This essential piece is responsible for attaching your future restoration to your implant.
Restoration attachment- Once your personalized restoration is made, shaped, and shaded to match your smile, it is then affixed to your dental implant.
Can Anyone Get Dental Implants?
In most cases, anyone healthy enough to undergo oral surgery can be a great candidate for implants. However, you must have healthy gums and enough jawbone dentistry to hold the implant in place. You should also be practicing good oral hygiene along with scheduling regular visits to our practice.
If you are a heavy smoker or have a history of oral health conditions or infections like gum disease, you may need additional treatment to qualify you for implant treatment.
Which Restorations Can Fix My Missing Teeth Permanently?
When dental implants support restorations, they provide a secure, beautiful, and long-lasting foundation for your smile. We offer the following implant-supported restorations:
- Crowns supported by implants to replace a single missing tooth
- Bridges supported by implants to replace several missing teeth in a row
- Partial Dentures supported by implants for restoring stability while replacing multiple missing teeth
- Dentures supported by implants for restoring an entire arch of missing teeth
Do I Need a Filling, or Crown?
If it turns out you need restorative care, it can be challenging to determine which treatment will be best for your smile. While, fillings, inlay, onlays, and crowns are all designed to address structural and functional dental issues, they are each designed for specific situations.
Fillings
The most basic form of dental restoration, fillings are ideal to fill the void created by removed decay. The filling material is shaped to the area and hardened into place, usually using a curing light.
Crowns
Used for repairing and replacing teeth, crowns are typically needed for more complex restorative purposes. These dental caps are designed to look, feel, and function like a natural tooth. They are placed over the entire tooth structure for treating damage or after removing excessive decay.
I Have Dental Pain that Won’t Go Away - Do I Need Root Canal Therapy?
Root canal therapy is a treatment used to repair and save a badly damaged or infected tooth. The infected nerve and pulp are removed, and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue around your tooth becomes infected, and an abscess can form.
Signs you may need root canal therapy can include:
- Constant tooth pain when chewing
- Prolonged sensitivity and discomfort to hot or cold temperatures
- Discoloration of the tooth
- Swelling and inflammation in nearby gums
- A persistent or recurring pimple (abscess) on the gums
Why Does the Pulp Need to be Removed?
When the pulp is damaged, it breaks down, and within the pulp chamber, bacteria start to multiply. The bacteria and other remnants of the dying pulp may cause an infection that can kill the tooth root.
In addition to an abscess, an infection in the root canal can cause swelling that may spread to other areas of the face, neck, or head. Bone loss around the tip of the root can also occur.
What Can I Expect After Root Canal Therapy?
For the first few days following a root canal, your tooth may feel sensitive due to natural tissue inflammation, especially if there was pain or infection before the procedure. This sensitivity or discomfort can usually be controlled with over-the-counter pain medications.
Restore Your Smile to Full Health and Function
As your trusted team for restorative dentistry, we focus on the accurate diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of issues involving your teeth, gums, and other supporting structures. We work with you to concentrate on the rejuvenation of your oral health while also meeting functional and aesthetic needs.
Contact Dr. James Fleenor and his team at Ashland City Dental to regain the beautiful smile you were always meant to have.
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