Which Dental Restoration Option Is Best for Me?

If you have a decayed or damaged tooth, your dentist can help you to determine which dental restorations works best for you. Dental restorations are either directly or indirectly used to treat teeth, and they can be used to fix problems like:

• Decayed teeth
• Deformed teeth
• Discolored and stained teeth
• Gaps between teeth
• Broken, fractured, or chipped teeth
• Missing teeth

Figuring out the right dental restoration for you

Here are some of the popular dental restoration options that might be recommended to fix your decayed, stained, deformed, or damaged tooth:

1. Fillings

Fillings are one of the first dental restoration measures used in dentistry, and they are typically used to treat decayed teeth. Fillings can also be used to repair teeth that have been damaged.

Getting a tooth repaired with a filling takes about an hour and there is no need for multiple visits. The dentist starts by administering a shot of a local anesthetic, so the patient does not feel anything as they work. The dentist removes decayed and damaged material from the tooth and applies the putty-like filling directly to it. The filling is molded as needed. It typically hardens upon contact with saliva and air.

2. Veneers

These are thin, tooth-shaped restorations that hide imperfections on teeth they are cemented to. Veneers started as a way to enhance the smiles of movie stars as they filmed, and they can be used to transform anyone’s smile.

Placing a veneer on a tooth usually requires removing small portions of enamel from its front side. This creates space for the restoration and prevents it from making the patient’s teeth appear abnormally large. There are also ‘no prep’ veneers for those who do not wish to have their enamel altered.

Getting veneers typically requires at least two trips to the dentist. It sometimes requires three visits since most dentists prefer to give patients time to think over getting veneers if permanent alterations will be made for their teeth.

3. Composite bonding

Composite bonding involves using mixtures of plastics and glass to rebuild and repair damaged teeth. These composites can also be used to fix tooth decay. It is a non-invasive procedure that does not require removing portions of the enamel. A local anesthetic is typically not used when applying a composite since it does not cause any pain.

Before applying the composite, the patient’s tooth is prepared for it by roughening its surfaces with an etching solution. This allows for a stronger bond with the composite which is applied to the tooth in layers. It is molded as needed and hardened with a curing light. The process takes about an hour per tooth being treated, and it is completed during a single visit to the dentist.

Get your tooth fixed

Dental restorations can be used to repair or rebuild your damaged, decayed, or missing teeth. Many of these restorations are designed to look like real teeth, so no one will be able to tell you have had work done on your teeth. Give us a call or visit our Phoenix clinic to set up an appointment.

Request an appointment here: https://familydentistphoenix.com or call Phoenix Family Dentistry at (602) 547-9007 for an appointment in our Phoenix office.