Good oral health is essential to health and happiness. If you’re unhappy with your smile in any way, whether it’s cracks, decay, discoloration, or tooth loss, there are dental restorations that can bring back your comfort and confidence.
It’s also important to address dental issues as early as possible to prevent them from developing into potentially more serious, and more costly, issues.
Dental restorations address a range of issues with the goal of restoring proper function, such as eating and speaking, and improving aesthetics. In the case of missing teeth, restorations prevent bone loss and shifting as well as fortify your existing dental structures.
Cavities are typically repaired using fillings. A variety of materials are used for fillings, from silver and gold to composite resin. Metal fillings are superior for durability but they do have an impact on the look of your smile. Composite resin looks like tooth enamel and provides more subtle and natural results. It can also be used to address chips, cracks, and color variations in teeth.
A crown is a cap that is installed over a tooth to fix decay or deformities. It restores the tooth to an appropriate size and shape and prevents more damage from occurring. Crowns are also used in conjunction with other restorations, such as to support dental bridges, fill out an implant, and provide additional strength to teeth that have substantial fillings. The most common materials for fillings include gold, porcelain, ceramic, and resin.
In cases where several teeth in a row are missing, dental bridges are used to fill in the gap. They come in several different types and are installed in a variety of ways, depending on the condition of the surrounding teeth.
Dentures are a removable restoration that, like bridges, fill in areas where teeth are missing. Rather than being anchored to adjacent teeth, they sit on the gum tissue. They are available in full and partial varieties depending on how many teeth are missing.
Dental implants are permanent restorations that replace missing teeth in their entirety, from the crown to the root. They utilize a titanium post that is inserted into the jawbone, and false teeth are attached to this post. They look and feel like natural teeth.
To ensure long-term oral health, it’s important to maintain a thorough brushing and flossing routine and make good lifestyle choices. These include avoiding sugary foods and smoking and eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water. You should also visit your dentist every six months for a check-up and professional cleaning.
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