Restorative Dentistry
Many patients need restorative dentistry at one point or another over the course of their lives. As with everything, teeth do wear out/ wear down AS does dental work. Out teeth are placed under many stressors during the day..temperature change, pressure, torsion and possible grinding or clenching. Restorative Dentistry is a term that covers many types of treatment. Eliminating decay, addressing broken teeth and even orthodontics are all considered restorative in nature.
Dental Crowns & Bridges
A crown is a common restoration that’s designed to cover the entire visible structure of an individual tooth, restoring its natural shape, its function, and its strength. Dental crowns are a great option when a damaged tooth can’t be successfully treated with a more minor solution, like a filling.
Today, dental crowns are crafted from several quality materials, with porcelain (tooth-colored) being the most popular for understandable reasons. This option offers a high level of durability with a beautiful, lifelike appearance. Crowns and most porcelain restorations can be done in one visit using the CEREC Primescan.
In addition to being used individually, dental crowns are also an important component of dental bridges, which are used to restore one or more missing teeth in a row. The crowns attach to nearby healthy teeth, holding the new prosthetic in place for added durability and permanence. Dental bridges may need replacement over time due to regular tooth wear.
Full & Partial Dentures
Dentures are removable oral appliances that are designed to replace a number of missing teeth, as well as the structure of the surrounding supportive tissue. They’ve been used for hundreds of years now, and many patients today still prefer their lifelike, cost-effective nature.
Dr. Cech offers both full and partial dentures to her patients. Full dentures are designed to replace a complete arch of teeth or even the entire mouth, and they can be either “conventional” or “immediate” in nature. Conventional dentures are crafted after the teeth have been removed, while immediate designs are made ahead of time, allowing patients to maintain a set of strong teeth during the healing process. Adjustments will be needed as the soft tissues heal and change shape. Partials, on the other hand, are designed to restore a certain number of missing teeth along a single arch, staying in place with the help of clips and brackets. Both full and partial dentures are removable for easy cleaning and storage. Implant-retained prosthetics are also available from our practice for patients in need of a strong reconstructive solution.
Implants can be used together with a removable full or partial denture to increase retention and sensation of function.
Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy becomes a necessary procedure when infection has badly damaged a tooth to the point that a typical filling or dental crown can’t provide support and relief any longer. In order to prevent the need for extraction, Dr. Cech will carefully remove the diseased pulp, nerves, and bacteria from the inner chamber of the tooth, replacing it with safe, biocompatible dental materials. A custom dental crown placed on top of the tooth will restore any lost structure and strength, allowing patients to maintain their natural smile.
Despite its “scary” reputation, root canal therapy has a high success rate and can last for a lifetime, and today’s advances in technology and anesthesia have helped it become no more uncomfortable than receiving a common filling. Whenever possible, Dr. Cech recommends this procedure instead of having the tooth or teeth extracted, which will ultimately be a more problematic and costly option.
Extractions
Tooth extraction is never our first choice when it comes to preserving your oral health, but there are some cases where decay or injury is just too severe to warrant keeping the tooth in a functional way. When this happens, Dr. Cech will handle the extraction process as smoothly and comfortably as possible for patients, and she’ll immediately follow up with reconstructive recommendations like dental implants that can rebuild your complete, healthy smile in a seamless fashion. At the time of extraction, Dr Cech may elect to place graft material which will act like a scaffold for new bone to form in the site. This is the ideal solution after extraction to preserve bone for later dental treatment.