Repairing Teeth and Restoring Optimal Dental Health

When you need dental restorations, we make sure your treatments are as comfortable and as stress-free as possible. Restorative dentistry is the branch of dentistry that deals with repairing and preserving teeth. Sometimes teeth become damaged by accidental injury, but restorations are often needed as a result of bacterial decay.

Tooth Decay – A Common Condition

For most people, there will come a time when one or more of your teeth will need some restorative work. Even with regular preventive visits, enamel damage is common enough that cavities are actually the norm; about 99 percent of the population will suffer from tooth decay at some point in their lives. Restorative dentistry allows us to repair your teeth, and make sure that small cavities do not lead to bigger problems.

How Restorative Dentistry Repairs Teeth

Teeth are unlike most of our other body parts, in the sense that they have no healing mechanisms on their own. Cuts and bruises heal on their own, and even bones can mend themselves. Teeth, however, do not get better with time and rest. Once your tooth enamel has been demineralized or sustained structural damage, there is nothing your body can do to fix it. Only a dentist, such as Dr. Carson Ferriz-Zeolla and Dr. Victoria Uryniak, can halt the spread of decay or repair a tooth for you.

Common restorations include the following treatments.

Dental Fillings

We provide routine fillings to treat tooth decay (cavities). Tooth-colored composite fillings blend in harmoniously with your smile and ensure your teeth look as healthy as possible. If you have old metal fillings that need replacement, we can replace them with tooth colored fillings. Most patients prefer these to metal amalgam fillings, as they make your smile look younger and are less distracting when you speak.

Endodontic Therapy

When a cavity or crack becomes significant enough to cause a toothache, it often requires endodontic therapy (root canal treatment). This restorative treatment halts the spread of decay and preserves the structure of your tooth. A tooth requiring a root canal is considered an infected tooth; if not treated, it has the potential to spread bacterial infection to other parts of the body. Root canal appointments do take longer to complete than standard dental fillings, but we use anesthetics to ensure you do not experience any pain or sensitivity during the appointment.

Dental Crowns

Ceramic crowns are tooth-shaped caps that protect a tooth and replace the full structure of the enamel, above the gum line. This treatment may be needed when a tooth has suffered a deep crack or fracture and is at risk of infection. Crowns are often provided in conjunction with endodontic therapy, as they can restore a tooth that has had much of its structure lost to decay. A crown may also be needed if a tooth has been broken in an accident, as they provide a sturdy replacement for your natural tooth enamel.

Prosthetic Restorations

When teeth cannot be saved, we provide comfortable dental extractions and have a number of prosthetic options. For one missing tooth, we can provide a dental implant and crown or a bridge. Multiple missing teeth can be treated with a traditional bridge or partial denture. Dentures are available in either traditional (removable) form or with dental implants.

Children’s Restorations

Children’s teeth are quite different from adult teeth. They have thinner enamel, therefore decay may worsen or spread faster than in adult teeth. Children’s teeth may also need different types of restorations than adults, since baby teeth are smaller and more fragile than permanent teeth.

Unfortunately, children are just as vulnerable to developing cavities and structural damage as adults. For this reason, we provide appropriate restorations when needed. Depending on a child’s age and stage of dental growth, we may provide composite fillings, stainless steel crowns, dental bridges, or other restorations.

A child’s first restorative treatment can often be traumatic, so we take the time to make sure your children feel comfortable under our care. If we need to take extra time to help your child understand the treatment, we will. We will never coerce children into situations that make them uncomfortable and we encourage parents to be involved in every appointment.

Call Us to Learn More About Restorative Dentistry

If you or a family member need dental restorations, call our Annandale dental office today at 908-200-7007 for an appointment with Dr. Victoria Uryniak or Dr. Carson Ferris-Zeolla. We will examine your teeth, take a series of x-rays, and diagnose any problems with a written treatment plan. We want you understand your options, so you can make an informed decision regarding your oral health.