Zachary, LA
225-570-8030
Most people look to dentistry specifically for cosmetic reasons, a whiter smile, straighter teeth, or even bite issues. Sometimes though, going to the dentist has nothing to do with aesthetics and everything to do with restoring your natural smile and addressing your overall oral health.
The need for restorative dentistry is neverending, from poor oral hygiene habits and health conditions causing plaque build-up and cavities to injuries to your mouth and jaw, even normal deterioration from aging. Thanks to modern advancements, your options for dental rejuvenation far exceed the old standard to ‘just pull it.’
Here at Smile Studio, you’ll find your solution for your dental restorative needs. With a general Dentist, Dr. David Carter, and an Orthodontist, Dr. Adriane White, you’ll have everything you need for a lifetime of smiles no matter what comes your way. Let’s go over ways we can help you!
What is Restorative Dentistry?
Restorative dentistry focuses primarily on managing and repairing oral health problems that affect the structure and function of your mouth and jaw. While many of the procedures used in restorative dentistry will lend cosmetic benefits or may even be used commonly in cosmetic dentistry, restorative dentistry prioritizes the integrity of your oral health over the appearance of your teeth. Smile Studio will utilize both restorative and cosmetic dentistry to give you the strength and the look your smile deserves. You only get one smile, and you deserve teeth that look and function their best.
Composite Restorations
Our teeth are pretty strong, but that strength comes from the tooth’s structural integrity, and cavities or tooth decay can severely threaten that integrity leading to much more significant issues like a crack or chip in your tooth. The most frequent treatment service our Zachary area patients come to us for is composite restorations, typically referred to as fillings. This process involves the dentist removing the decay from the tooth, cleaning the cavity out, and filling the space with a tooth-colored resin composite.
A composite restoration can provide good durability and resistance to fracture in fillings that need to withstand moderate pressure for the constant stress of chewing and can be used in anterior and posterior teeth. However, avoiding the need for a filling is always the best route you can take, so eat a balanced diet, brush and floss regularly, and visit your dentist for routine cleanings and checkups to keep your oral health in top condition.
Crowns
In some patients, the damage to the tooth is in a poor position to properly and effectively use a composite restoration or is too extreme for a filling to provide adequate strength and protection necessary for normal functioning. For these patients, our doctors at Smile Studio will utilize a crown that looks like a tooth-shaped cap and is placed over the damaged tooth after it is properly cleaned and packed with a material that will provide extra strength underneath.
Dental crowns are made from different materials, such as metals, porcelain, and even composite resin. Metal options are commonly placed on the back teeth where they are less visible, and the added strength is needed for chewing. For front or more visible teeth, ceramic and porcelain can be color-matched to your natural teeth color. Because this treatment option is custom-made by a lab to fit your tooth precisely, you will initially have a stainless steel temporary crown placed to protect your tooth from further damage or discomfort.
Bridges
Whether you had a tooth extraction due to tooth decay or gum disease, experienced an injury that resulted in losing a tooth, or were born missing teeth thanks to a congenital condition, the good news is that you don’t have to live with those gaps. Having a gap in your teeth from missing teeth can affect not just your confidence but can alter the way you speak and your ability to chew, leading to more severe issues like temporomandibular joint stress and disorder. Space from missing teeth can also cause your other teeth to move and create spaces for plaque and debris to build up, risking tooth decay and gum disease.
Luckily, a dental bridge can fill the gap with one or more artificial teeth attached with crowns cemented to the healthy teeth on either side of the opening for support. Traditionally, most patients will benefit best from a fixed bridge, as previously described. When the patient only has teeth on one side of the gap, a cantilever bridge can be utilized that functions the same as a fixed bridge but only connects to one supporting tooth. In patients missing front teeth, a resin-bonded bridge can be used and is made of porcelain fused to metal or ceramic teeth that are supported by a winged framework that is bonded to existing teeth for stability and support.
Implants
Dental Implants are a restorative option that will most closely resemble your natural tooth in aesthetics and functionality. This process utilizes a false tooth similar to a crown, but as opposed to it being mounted atop your gums and supported by existing teeth, it uses a metal anchor that is fused deep under your gums to your jaw with a screw post to attach the false tooth. The titanium post acts as tooth roots and stimulates bone growth, increasing the stability of the implant over time.
The dental implant process is more time-consuming than a crown or a bridge because it requires multiple steps needing time for bone healing and custom tooth crafting. You will be fitted and receive a temporary tooth during the process to make it a little more bearable.
While this is the more costly restorative dental option, it is also the most permanent, and they do not require your doctor to remove parts of nearby teeth, so all of your healthy teeth stay intact. Another added benefit of dental implants is that they will not get cavities!
Restore your natural smile with Smile Studio
Restorative Dentistry can provide much-needed relief and revision for a variety of oral health setbacks. Our team at Smile Studio goes above and beyond to help you care for your teeth, mouth, and gums to keep your mouth as healthy as can be!
When deciding which restorative dentistry option will suit you best, let our doctors at Smile Studio provide you with the most advanced and most comfortable treatment you deserve. Our compassionate and professional team is dedicated to providing the best care possible. Schedule your appointment for a brighter and healthier smile today!