Restorative

Dental Fillings

Cavities, or holes in your teeth caused by bacteria, develop in teeth and need to be repaired with a material to seal the tooth structure. The decayed area of the tooth is removed, leaving an area that needs to be filled with a filling material. Fillings are great for resorting small areas of decay or lost tooth structure.

There are two main types of filling material; composite and amalgam. Both materials do an excellent job of repairing cavities, but there are some differences to consider when choosing your restoration.

Composite is a tooth-colored resin that is bonded to the tooth structure, is highly durable and very esthetic. The color closely matches your natural tooth color and provides the best esthetic option for restoring all teeth.

Dental amalgam, or silver filling, is made of a mixture of metals and is most commonly used to repair cavities in the back of the mouth. It is extremely durable and has been used for fillings for many years. However, dental amalgam does not mimic the tooth's natural color, and does not bond to tooth material. This can lead to cracks and hot and cold sensitivity in the tooth. We no longer place amalgam fillings at RMDA.

Dental Crowns

Crowns are placed on teeth when there is large decay, significant loss of tooth structure, large cracks, or severe wear on the tooth.
A crown procedure involves reducing the surface area of the whole tooth to remove the decay, and then covering it entirely with a restoration made of metal, ceramic, or a combination of the two. Occasionally a tooth will also require a build-up to complete the crown procedure. When a tooth is severely damaged and there is not enough of the natural tooth remaining to support a crown, a build up is performed to add back enough structure so the tooth can be crowned and preserved. The dentist first removes the decayed area and any existing restorations from the tooth and then replaces the missing tooth structure with a composite restoration. The tooth is then prepped for the crown.

Crowns are more durable and last longer than a filling, and protect teeth from fracturing over time. Ceramic crowns provide a more natural-looking appearance. Placing a crown may require multiple appointments as a dental lab outside of our office makes the permanent crown. We send an impression of the prepped tooth and teeth around it to the lab for them to make the crown. While the lab is making the permanent crown, the tooth will be covered with a provisional crown that is made chair-side in our office. Once we receive the crown back from the lab, a second appointment is needed to deliver the permanent crown. At that appointment, the provisional crown is removed and the permanent crown is tried on and cemented to the tooth.

While more expensive than a filling, the durability and longevity of a crown offsets this expense over time. Crowns also protect teeth from fracturing over time and the shade of the crown can be customized to match adjacent teeth by our dental lab.

A bridge is one of several options to replace a missing tooth or teeth. A bridge provides a replacement tooth by using teeth on either side of the missing tooth for support. There are different styles of bridges and they can be used to replace both back and front teeth and generally can be completed in a matter of weeks. Teeth adjacent to the missing tooth (or teeth) will need to be reduced to provide anchors for the bridge and the replacement tooth, or pontic, that is suspended between the two teeth.

A dental lab outside of our office makes the permanent bridge. We send an impression of the prepped teeth and teeth around it to the lab for them to make the bridge. While the lab is making the permanent bridge, the teeth will be covered with provisional crowns or a provisional bridge that is made chair-side in our office. Once we receive the bridge back from the lab, a second appointment is needed to deliver the permanent bridge. At that appointment, the provisional crowns or bridge are removed and the permanent bridge is tried on and cemented to the teeth.