The restoration of teeth is often one of the most utilized forms of dental work by patients. Whether they are going in for a filling or a crown due to a cavity, or they are scheduling an appointment to replace the chipped part of a tooth sustained in a football injury, most patients know exactly what it means to have teeth restored. Here are a few of the services that a restorative dentist can perform for individual patients.
Dental Veneers
Sometimes a chipped tooth does not need a huge surgery in order to be restored. If this is the case, then a veneer may do the trick. A veneer is a thin piece of plastic or porcelain that is placed around the existing tooth in order to give in the right shape and color. These veneers can be changed to fit the individual patient’s needs, and often times they are easy to install at the dentist’s office.
Dental Crowns
Crowns are much larger than veneers and cover a larger portion of the tooth as well. Sometimes the process of installing a crown is called capping, because a large portion of the top of the tooth is being added to the patient’s existing tooth. Crowns can be placed over teeth that are badly chipped, are irregular in shape and size, or that were drilled due to cavities. These crowns are then placed directly over the affected area and effectively become the new tooth.
Dental Bonding
This is the process of putting dental filling on to or into a tooth in order to restore it back to its shape or size. Sometimes this is done in the instance of a fake tooth in order to fill in the gap. This can also be done to irregularly shaped teeth in order to make them appear to be more straight or reduce the spacing between them. This is also the procedure that is used when it comes to fillings from cavities.
Dental Contouring and Enamel Shaping
Contouring and shaping are two very well utilized ways to get existing teeth in the shape that the patient wants. The process involves taking a perfectly healthy tooth and merely shaping it with a dental tool. Sometimes this is done just to make the bite more comfortable for the patient. This can also be done to shape the tooth in a certain way. Contouring itself is the process of removing enamel, while shaping generally refers to the process of smoothing edges and making the tooth appear more rounded or smooth.
No matter what the need is, a dentist that specializes in restoration can be the answer for many patients. These dentists are skilled at bonding, implanting veneers, adding crowns, and contouring teeth to make sure that they look great and provide a comfortable bite. The art of restoration is one that is not taken lightly, and there are several methods for perfecting your smile. No matter what your purpose is for having it done, restoration is definitely something that is necessary for most of us to have the smile that we want.