Restorations



Silver/Amalgam Fillings

Used by dentists for more than a century, dental amalgam is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material among all those in use. It is durable, easy to use, highly resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive in comparison to other materials. For those reasons, it remains a valued treatment option for dentists and their patients. Read more

Composite Fillings

Composite fillings are a mixture of glass or quartz filler in a resin medium that produces a tooth-colored filling. They are sometimes referred to as composites or filled resins. Composite fillings provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small-to-mid size restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure. Less tooth structure is removed when the dentist prepares the tooth, and this may result in a smaller filling than that of an amalgam. Composites can also be "bonded" or adhesively held in a cavity, often allowing the dentist to make a more conservative repair to the tooth. Read more

Onlays & Inlays

In the spectrum of dental procedures, inlays and onlays fall between crowns and fillings. It is more conservative than crowns, inlays and onlays partially cover the tooth rather than full coverage like a crown. Unlike fillings, inlays and onlays strengthen the tooth structure. When the structure that needs to be replaced lies within the cusp tips of the tooth, an inlay is the preferred treatment. If the damaged area of the tooth is more extensive and covers one or more of the cusps, then an onlay is used to restore the structure. During the procedure the decay and broken tooth structure is removed and cleaned from the tooth. Then an impression is made of the prepared surface and then sent to a laboratory that will create this porcelain (tooth colored) restoration called an inlay or onlay. The inlay or onlay is then cemented into the prepared surface of the tooth. This Procedure does take two appointments and due to the fact that they are crafted in a laboratory, inlays and onlays require a greater initial investment than regular fillings. However, in the long run, inlays and onlays are a better investment than fillings due to their extremely long life and highly accurate fit. This restoration can prevent future treatment of the tooth with root canal therapy or a crown.

Crowns

A crown is a restoration that covers, or "caps," a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size, strengthening and improving the appearance of a tooth. Crowns are necessary when a tooth is generally broken down and fillings won't solve the problem. If a tooth is cracked, a crown holds the tooth together to seal the cracks so the damage doesn't get worse. Crowns are also used to restore a tooth when there isn't enough of the tooth remaining to provide support for a large filling, attach a bridge, protect weak teeth from fracturing, restore fractured teeth or cover badly shaped or discolored teeth. Read more

Fixed Bridges

Sometimes called a fixed partial denture, a bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth, looks great, and literally bridges the gap where one or more teeth may have been. The restoration can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials and is bonded onto surrounding teeth for support. Read more





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