La Jolla General and Restorative Dentistry

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What are general and restorative procedures in dentistry?

Restorative dentistry focuses on replacing damaged teeth. More specifically, these dentists primarily remove and repair cavities and provide treatment for patients who need dental repairs due to trauma or injuries.

This branch of dentistry also incorporates treatments from other dental fields, including endodontics, prosthodontics, and periodontics. This is because many patients require multifaceted care, which means they may require treatment from more than one specialist.

Types of procedures and treatments

Restorative dentistry includes the following:

Dental Crowns: Dental crowns are tooth-colored or metal restorations. They replace significant missing tooth structures caused by root canals, dental decay, or fractures. Crowns serve as full coverage caps that restore the normal size, shape, and function of a tooth.

Dental Bridges: Dental bridges are full-coverage restorations that cover three or more teeth. However, they only replace one or more teeth, while two real teeth “bridge the gap” on both sides of the missing tooth. Bridges are the result of extreme dental decay, missing teeth, or extractions.

Dental Bonding: Bonding procedures incorporate composite resins (tooth-colored fillings made of glass and plastic). Dental bonds can fill cavities, gaps between teeth, repair cracked or chipped teeth, and cover the surfaces of discolored teeth. There are three different dental bonding treatments available, including indirect dental bonding, composite veneer bonding, and composite bonding.

Dentures: Dentures are either removable or fixed sets of prosthetic teeth that replace several missing teeth. When someone loses all their teeth, from decay or gum disease, custom dentures are the basic solution. Popular types of prosthetic teeth include complete dentures, fixed partial dentures, removable partial dentures, implant-retained dentures, and immediate dentures.

Dental Implants: After an extraction or tooth loss, a dental implant is commonly used to replace the permanent tooth. During the procedure, a dental specialist surgically places an implant (artificial tooth root) into the patient's jawbone. The implant also mirrors the shape of a screw and bonds with the natural bone.

Inlays and Onlays: Inlays and Onlays are partial tooth-colored or gold restorations that restore smaller areas of missing or damaged tooth structure. They are slightly less invasive than crowns and consist of indirect restorative materials.

Why are general and restorative dentistry important?

Restorative dentistry is used for repairing the morphology, integrity, and function of missing tooth structures resulting from decay or external trauma. The concept is about restoring the diseased soft and hard tissues to bring them back to their original natural form.

At the Center for Dental Health, La Jolla, we aim to provide quality dental services. Our dentists are proficient in various dental treatments including general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and restorative dentistry.

Restorative dentistry is also called prosthodontic dentistry. Missing or decaying teeth can badly affect your appearance, health, and self-esteem. Replacing decaying teeth helps in maintaining good oral care habits and preventing plaque build-up. Filling gaps in the mouth is important to keep the teeth well aligned. Missing teeth also put pressure on the remaining teeth as there won’t be enough surface area for chewing.

Restorations are classified as either direct or indirect. Direct ones involve repairs done inside of the mouth, while indirect ones are fashioned outside the mouth and then attached to either the tooth or the tooth structure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are restorations in dentistry?

Restorations are the various ways a dentist can replace or restore your missing teeth or missing parts of your tooth structure or structures that need to be removed to prevent decay that may cause pain in the future.

Are fillings considered restorative?

Restorative dentistry involves replacing the missing or damaged teeth. Fillings, crowns caps, bridges, and implants are common restorative options.

What is the most popular dental procedure?

Teeth Whitening is the most popular cosmetic procedure. It is an option for patients who want to fix discoloration or stains on their enamel.

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