Restorative Dental Procedures Ellicott City, MD

Which Restorative Dental Procedures Are Done in Our Ellicott City Dental Office?

A) Crown and Bridges

B) Tooth-Colored Restorations

C) Implant Restorations

D) Partial and Full Dentures

A) Crowns and Bridges

Crowns:

When a tooth  has a large filling it needs to be strengthened by putting a crown (cap) over the top of it. The crown will encase the entire top of the tooth making it stronger and more resilient to biting and chewing. It will last anywhere from 10-20 years if well taken care of. Keeping the gum line free of plaque and tartar is very important to the life of the crown. The crown can be made of porcelain or gold. Chewing sticking foods can dislodge the crown but it can simply be cemented back on.

Bridges:

If a tooth is missing there are several restorative dental procedures to replace it. Bridges are just as they sound a filled space between two areas. That means that there must be two healthy teeth on either side of the missing tooth that will be abutments for the fake tooth to be suspended between. The two abutment teeth will be fitted with a crown and the filler (suspended) tooth will be tooth-shaped and match the color of the abutments. This procedure is the most common bridge performed in a dental office. Other types of bridges can be made to accommodate special needs as well. Be sure to discuss all crown and bridge options with your restorative dentist in Ellicott City, MD.

B) Tooth Colored Restorations

If a cavity forms on the front teeth a resin material is used that matches the color of the front tooth. On the back teeth, the resin is designed for chewing and grinding and is stronger than that of the front teeth but still provides the tooth colored restorations match so that the filling isn't as easily seen when smiling. This material is sometimes used in place of silver fillings on the back teeth if some dentists would rather use the plastic than the silver material if the cavity isn't too big.

C) Implant Restorations

An implant is when the crown (cap) is seated into a screw that has been surgically embedded into the space of the missing tooth. This way the two healthy teeth on either side do not have to be prepared for crowns as well. This leaves the healthy teeth intact and only fills in the missing spot. Implants can also be put in four different places to help hold in a full denture when all the teeth in the arch are missing. These implants require enough bone structure to support the implant.

D) Partial and Full Dentures

Partial Dentures:

A partial denture can be made to replace several teeth missing in the whole arch in one removable piece. Partials clip onto the anchor teeth, usually the cuspids or eyeteeth. The clasps are designed specifically to clip around the gumline. Keeping these teeth clean is important to the life of the partial as well because if they develop cavities and need to be restored then the partial may need to be remade.

Full Dentures:

A full arch denture is just one piece that covers the gums and bone that is remaining after all the teeth are gone in the arch. The denture is usually made of acrylic. The base is usually a flesh color and the teeth matched closest to what your previous teeth were. If teeth are remaining they will be pulled out when the final denture is put in. This is called an immediate denture. As stated earlier, an implant can be put in before receiving the full denture to help secure it to the arch.

Conclusion

As with any dental procedure, you should always discuss all options that might be available to you with your dentist in Ellicott City Maryland. There are so many reasons for restoring your teeth to their original shape and structure. There are as many ways to restore them as well. Good oral hygiene habits at home will also help determine what procedures will work best for your overall oral health. Your overall medical history will be taken at the first appointment and your health condition taken into consideration to accommodate any disability you may have.