Restorative Dentistry
Restorative Dentistry
in St. Louis, MO
Missing teeth or a tooth that has sustained trauma does not let you perform everyday tasks, such as eating and speaking to the best of your abilities. Also, not caring for a damaged tooth can spread bacteria to surrounding dental structures.
At St. Louis Urgent Dental Group, we provide restorative solutions for people in urgent need of a renewed smile. Our dentists are committed to preserving and improving the oral health of the people in the St. Louis community.
We are meticulous about every detail regarding your treatment plan and ensure you obtain a restoration that provides you with both functional and aesthetic benefits. If you are looking for an after-hours dentist that makes every effort to rejuvenate your smile, contact our practice today!
Restoring Your Smile in St. Louis
Before we can start the restorative process, we must take digital X-rays of your dental anatomy. This helps us better understand which treatments are best to bring your smile back to its optimal condition. We determine what is the right path to start you on to bolster your dental and overall well-being by examining these images.
Depending on the restorative treatments you require, we may recommend any of the following dental services:
- Teeth experiencing decay are treated with composite filling to stop bacteria from reaching the tooth's inner structures. The resin material used for our fillings is visually appealing, meaning they do not detract from the smile.
- Patients who have previously obtained dental implants and now find themselves with a broken or dislodged restoration of a single tooth can receive an implant-supported crown. This tooth replacement option resolves the issue of a missing tooth anywhere in the smile, and there is no effect on surrounding dental structures.
- People may get a traditional crown from our urgent dental practice as well.
The restorations we provide at St. Louis Urgent Dental Group are fabricated from either zirconia or e.max®, depending on the person's needs. This means they allow patients to maintain a uniform smile as they blend with surrounding teeth.
Those with dental implants and missing one or more teeth in a row can benefit from implant-supported bridges. This restoration option does not impact neighboring teeth. Traditional bridges help those who wish to replace lost teeth but do not want to go over budget.
People experiencing a constant toothache or temperature sensitivity should come to our St. Louis dental practice as they may need root canal therapy. This is where one of our dentists enters the inside of the tooth through the crown and removes the compromised tissues. One of our dental professionals then caps the tooth with an aesthetic crown provided by our office to protect the natural dental structure from reinfection and to restore function.
Understanding Restorative Dentistry
Restorative dentistry focuses on managing diseases that affect the teeth and their supporting structures. It seeks to restore the function and aesthetics of the dentition to meet the individual’s needs. To achieve this, restorative dentistry combines a broad range of dental procedures including fillings, crowns, bridges, and implants, among others.
It is important to note that restorative dentistry does not encompass cosmetic procedures like veneers or teeth whitening, which aim solely to improve the appearance of teeth.
At St. Louis Urgent Dental Group, we take pride in providing top-notch restorative solutions to our patients, especially those in urgent need of dental care. Our commitment lies in the preservation and enhancement of the oral health of the St. Louis community and beyond.
Common Restorative Dentistry Procedures
Let’s delve a little deeper into some of the most common restorative dentistry procedures:
- Fillings: These are used to structurally repair and stabilize a tooth that has been compromised by decay. Fillings can be made of amalgam (metal) or composite (white) materials.
- Crowns: are used when a tooth is significantly decayed and cannot be repaired with fillings. A crown is essentially a "cap" that covers the entire tooth down to the gumline, offering protection from further damage.
- Bridges: are used to cover a gap left by a tooth extraction. They consist of several crowns merged together and bonded to the nearest healthy teeth on either side of the gap, effectively "bridging" the missing tooth gap with a porcelain replacement.
- Bonding: In the case of chipped or broken teeth, bonding is typically employed for repairs. This restorative practice involves forming and bonding composite materials to the remaining tooth to recreate the missing portion of enamel.
- Implants: Dental implants replace existing tooth structures with implanted artificial teeth. These are attached via a metal post that is bonded to your jawbone, acting as a metal "root."
Restorative dentistry plays a critical role in maintaining the oral health of individuals. By providing a wide range of treatments to restore function and aesthetics to damaged or missing teeth, restorative dentistry enhances the quality of life for many individuals.
At St. Louis Urgent Dental Group, we are committed to providing top-tier restorative dental services to our patients, contributing to the betterment of oral health in our community and beyond.