State-of-the-art Restorative Dentistry in Seattle, WA
Restorative dentistry serves to restore teeth that may have been damaged through common oral health problems or more serious dental issues. Tooth decay, wear, and damage are a natural result from the intense workout and bacterial influx our mouths get every day. Our dentists can restore your damaged teeth with natural-looking materials, like composite resin fillings and porcelain crowns, inlays, and onlays. This means that you can retain an all-white smile. The benefit of restorative dentistry is that many of the procedures overlap with cosmetic dentistry procedures allowing for modern restorations that are designed to improve the look and feel of your smile and enhance your overall appearance. Often time’s restorative dental procedures are a result of a patient who either has overlooked the necessity of routine dental care or has a dental problem that was not visible by the naked eye. This is why we recommend visiting our dental office every six months to check for signs of tooth decay, gum disease or other dental health issues that may be prevented before they become costly or more serious. Below is a list of the common restorative dentistry procedures that we provide to help you with issues that may affect your teeth, gums or smile.
Inlays and onlays are dental restorations that are a good alternative to full coverage crowns. Inlays and onlays are also known as indirect fillings that offer a longer lasting, better fitting, reparative solution to tooth decay, beneficial both esthetically and functionally.
Dental implants are artificial tooth roots that provide a permanent base for fixed, replacement teeth. Implants fit and function like normal teeth, and are quickly becoming the new standard in tooth replacement. Dental implants involve a small titanium screw that is surgically placed into the jaw bone, acting as a replacement root for teeth.
A Dental crown (or cap) is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth — to cover the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance.. A crown protects and strengthens tooth structure that cannot be restored with fillings or other types of restorations.
Missing teeth can cause various problems, from difficulty eating and speaking, to poor nutrition and even self-confidence. There are several options available for replacing lost teeth and improving your smile. One of the options is dental bridges.
Dental bridges are a prosthesis (replacement part) that relies on support from the neighboring healthy teeth surrounding the gap left by a missing tooth or teeth. The healthy adjacent teeth, called abutments, provide support on either side.
A composite (tooth colored) filling is used to repair a tooth that is affected by decay, cracks, fractures, etc. The decayed or affected portion of the tooth will be removed and then filled with a composite material that matches your tooth color. There are many types of filling materials available, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Composite fillings are the most widely used today.
Because composite fillings are tooth colored, they can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth, they are conservative and are bonded directly to your own natural tooth structure.
Whether lost due to decay, accident, injury, or just the natural aging process, missing teeth affect the way you look and feel. Even worse, they can lead to lifelong health problems, including an increased risk of gum disease and irreversible bone loss in the jaw.