Restorative Treatments
Restorative dentistry is the discipline of dentistry that involves rebuilding broken teeth or replacing missing teeth to recover lost bite function and support oral health. Our Middle Georgia Family Dentistry team of dentists have years of experience and additional training in a full range of restorative dentistry services, including full mouth reconstruction and dental implants.
Your Restorative Dentistry Treatment Plan
Your dentist may recommend restorative dental treatment after examining your teeth and gums and reviewing your dental x-rays. Restorative dentistry procedures that our dentists provide in our Dublin dental office include:
Dental Fillings
The goal of a dental filling procedure is to restore a damaged tooth's shape, size and appearance.
After getting the area numb with dental anesthetic, your dentist will remove the decay from the tooth and shape the remaining tooth structure for the filling. The area is then sealed and filled with a tooth-colored dental composite material to match the shade of your natural tooth.
Dental composite is made from a combination of resin materials that are designed to harden using a special light. Once the filling is in place, the dentist will polish the restoration to make it smooth.
Dental fillings are better suited for small areas of damage or tooth decay. If a portion of the tooth has broken away or if the tooth requires a root canal to treat the infected nerve, a dental crown may be needed to provide more surface coverage and increased protection for the tooth.
A Word about Tooth Decay
Did you know that tooth enamel is the hardest substance in the human body? This helps our teeth withstand pressure from biting and chewing, however, harmful oral bacteria that thrive on sugars and food particles can produce decay-causing acids.
Tooth decay destroys tooth enamel and underlying dentin to create a hole (dental cavity) in the tooth. The decay process will continue on a destructive path into the tooth; if it is not stopped, the tooth nerve could become infected and cause a toothache.
Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a permanent cap that is shaped like a natural tooth; it goes over the prepared tooth after the decay has been removed and the tooth has been shaped for a crown.
Dental crowns are fabricated by our dental laboratory using design instructions from our dentist and a dental impression or digital scan of your tooth.
Dental crowns may be made of porcelain ceramics or a medically-safe metal such as zirconia, or, a combination of metal and ceramics. A dental crown is designed to look like a natural tooth and match the shade of your existing teeth. A single dental implant may be restored with a dental crown to replace a missing tooth.
Cosmetic Dental Crowns & Veneers
If you are ready to re-design your smile, our Middle Georgia dentists can create a new look for you with porcelain ceramics. After consulting with you about your goals, your dentist will work with our laboratory to craft your cosmetic crowns and veneers to cover your existing teeth and refresh your smile.
A dental veneer is customized porcelain covering that is adhered to the front surface of a tooth. Veneers are placed on healthy teeth to change their appearance, they do not require removal of as much tooth structure as is necessary for a dental crown. Learn more about cosmetic dentistry.
Root Canals
Our dentists may refer you to an endodontist, a dentist that specializes in root canal therapy.
A root canal procedure is a common recommendation when the nerve of a tooth becomes damaged due to decay, trauma or infection.
Depending on the type of tooth (i.e., molar, premolar, canine, etc.) teeth have 1-5 roots; within each root is one or more canals that contain nerve tissue and blood vessels. After numbing the area, the endodontist will make a small opening in the crown of the tooth and remove the infected nerve tissue from the tooth pulp and each separate canal. The root canals are irrigated and cleaned, then filled with a special medicated rubber-like material that helps prevent re-infection.
A primary purpose of a root canal is to preserve the existing tooth structure; following root canal therapy, you will return to Middle Georgia Family Dentistry to have a crown placed over the tooth by one of our dentists. The crown will help protect the tooth from fracture.
Contrary to popular belief, root canals do not hurt, however, an infected tooth can certainly cause a painful toothache. If you are experiencing a toothache or dental emergency, the dentist or endodontist will treat any urgent pain and infection right away to make you comfortable. If a root canal is recommended, your Middle Georgia dentist and the endodontist will plan the procedure after the initial infection and pain has subsided.
Restoring a natural tooth with a root canal vs. having it extracted is generally the preferred approach if the tooth can be saved; this can help maintain jaw bone levels around the tooth and avoid bite problems caused by missing teeth. The cost of a root canal and dental crown is also more economical than tooth replacement with a dental bridge or dental implant.
Dental Bridges
A dental bridge is a fixed prosthetic replacement for one or more missing teeth. Similar to a crown procedure, a dental bridge is designed by our dentist and the dental laboratory to match your smile. A dental bridge may be made of porcelain ceramics, dental metals or a combination of materials.
A bridge is made possible by crowns that serve as rests or ‘abutments’; the abutments are placed on existing teeth on either side of the location of the missing tooth. The space between the abutments is filled by attached artificial tooth crowns (pontics) to create a natural-looking smile appearance and help distribute the pressure of biting forces more evenly across both natural and replacement teeth.
Full & Partial Dentures
Full Dentures
If you are missing all of the teeth in an arch (upper or lower), a full denture may be recommended to restore your ability to chew properly.
After a complete dental examination with dental impressions and digital images of your jaw bone, your Middle Georgia dentist will talk with you about your esthetic preferences and design your denture to look like natural teeth to compliment your smile.
Most dentures are made up of replacement artificial teeth with an acrylic resin base that has been fitted to the contour of the gums and jaw bone underneath. Without teeth, the facial muscles and skin collapse and sag, making the patient look many years older. A full denture helps to provide structural support for the chin, cheeks and lips to fill out the face and maintain its normal appearance.
It is necessary to adjust or reline your denture periodically to maintain a good fit. We recommend that our denture patients see our dentists at least once a year to have their denture cleaned or relined, along with an examination of the oral soft tissue and dental x-rays of the jaw bone to monitor for any gum tissue health changes or bone loss.
Partial Dentures
A removable partial denture may be recommended to replace multiple missing teeth in a dental arch (upper or lower). Our dentist will work with our dental laboratory to design your partial to blend with the color shading of your gums and existing teeth to complete your smile.
A partial denture is constructed with artificial teeth that are attached to a flexible plastic base or a cast metal frame; clasp connections on the partial rest on the natural teeth to hold it in place.
Your Middle Georgia dentist will check the condition of your partial denture during your regular dental examination and routine cleaning visits and advise you of any repairs or relines that may be needed.
Dental Implants
A dental implant is a titanium screw-shaped device that is inserted into the jaw bone by a dentist or oral surgeon to serve as a foundation for a restoration to replace one or more missing teeth.
Dental implants are often used in conjunction with full or partial dentures to secure the denture in place and prevent slipping or falling. Ask any denture wearer that has switched to implant dentures - the difference is life-changing. Learn more about dental implants.
Full Mouth Dental Implants
Our dentists may recommend multiple dental implants to replace several missing teeth in one or both dental arches (upper or lower) with implant crowns and bridges. This treatment plan is often referred to as ‘full mouth’ dental implants; it is an integrated approach to rebuild a collapsed smile to beautiful, vibrant health and function.
Dental Financing with CareCredit®
CareCredit® provides flexible payment plans to make restorative dentistry and dental implant procedures affordable. Learn more about CareCredit® or apply online at carecredit.com.
Your Middle Georgia Restorative & Cosmetic Dentists
Our dentists have helped many patients overcome significant dental health challenges with restorative and cosmetic dental procedures. If you are embarrassed about your smile or experience tooth pain when chewing or biting, please Contact Our Middle Georgia Family Dentistry Team to schedule a complete dental examination and consultation with one of our dentists.