Restorative dentistry is a branch of dentistry that focuses on replacing damaged or missing teeth.
More specifically, dentists primarily remove and repair cavities and provide treatment for other oral conditions. He also specializes in treating patients who need dental repair due to trauma or injury.
This branch of dentistry also includes treatments from other areas of dentistry, including endodontics, prosthetics and periodontology. This is because many patients require all-round care, which means they may require treatment from more than one specialist.
.Repairing damaged teeth with dental filling or bonding treatment.
.Restoration of missing parts of tooth structure by indirect or direct restorations such as inlays, onlays, crowns or fillings.
.Replacement of missing teeth with artificial restorations such as implants, bridges or dentures.
Restorative Dental Materials
Restorative dental materials are the basis for replacing tooth structure. In particular, they produce cavity fillings, crowns, implants, prostheses and other restorations.
For example, common materials include:
.Metals
.Amalgam Alloys
.Polymers
.Ceramic
.Composites
.Glass Ionomers
.Prosthetic Base Resins
.Noble and Base Metals
Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry
Aesthetic dentistry and restorative dentistry use some of the same material and procedure codes. However, if treatment is needed due to an illness, it is considered restorative. Even if the result is a better appearance, it is still a restorative procedure.
In addition, cosmetic (aesthetic) dental procedures improve the patient’s smile and self-image.
Examples of aesthetic treatments are veneers and teeth whitening. These treatments are considered cosmetic as they are elective and not medically necessary. Rather, they are used earnestly to improve appearance.
Types of Procedure and Treatment
Restorative solutions include bridges, dentures, fillings, crowns, inlays, onlays, implants and bonding:
.Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are tooth-colored or metal restorations. In short, they replace significantly missing tooth structure resulting from root canals, cavities or fractures. Crowns also act as full-coverage “caps” restoring a tooth’s normal size, shape, and function.
There are several factors a dentist will consider before determining a patient’s candidacy for a dental crown. These factors include, but are not limited to, the function and location of the tooth, the location of the gum tissue, and the color of the surrounding teeth.
.Dentures
Prostheses are groups of removable or fixed prosthetic teeth that replace more than one missing tooth.
Custom dentures are the standard solution when a person has lost all their teeth, usually due to advanced dental caries or gum disease.
Depending on the patient, there are five different types of prostheses to choose from. For example, popular types of dentures include full dentures, fixed partial dentures, removable partial dentures, implant-supported dentures, and immediate dentures.
.Dental Implants
After an extraction or tooth loss, a dental implant is often used to replace the permanent tooth.
During the procedure, a dentist surgically places an implant (artificial tooth root) in the patient’s jawbone. The implant also mirrors the shape of a screw and is bonded with natural bone. Oral surgeons and periodontists perform implant procedures.
.Dental Bridges
Dental bridges are full-coverage restorations that cover three or more teeth. However, they only replace one or more teeth, with two true teeth “closing the gap” on either side of the missing tooth. Bridges are the result of excessive tooth decay, missing teeth or extractions.
Dental bridges are more economical than implants and have a faster recovery time, but they do not look very natural. They are also more prone to breakage and decay than implants.
.Bonding
Bonding procedures include composite resins (tooth-colored fillings made of glass and plastic). In essence, dental bonds can fill cavities, repair cracked or chipped teeth, and cover the surfaces of discolored teeth. They also fill small spaces between teeth, which can be beneficial for those with diastema.
Depending on the needs, three different dental bonding treatments are available, including indirect tooth bonding, composite veneer bonding, and composite bonding.
.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. So dental lab technicians do repairs outside of the mouth.