Restorative Dentistry
Dentist Queen Anne Seattle
 At Queen Anne Family Dental, our patients receive restorative dentistry treatments to keep their mouths healthy and fully functioning. Restoring damaged teeth helps prevent further decay or harm, which is why these services are so important for patients of all ages.
Restorative dentistry goes a long way to keeping your smile looking good, as well as healthy. Whether you may have developed cavities and need some filling work done, or have taken medication that has discolored your teeth, we offer restorative dentistry procedures that can help.
What is Restorative Dentistry?
Restorative dentistry refers to the integrated management and procedures that dentists use to repair or replace damaged or missing teeth. The main goal of restorative dentistry is to restore the function and integrity of the tooth structure while maintaining a natural appearance and enhancing oral health. Often, restorative dentistry involves interdisciplinary approaches including endodontics, periodontics, and prosthodontics to manage complex cases that involve the roots of teeth, gum health, and tooth replacement.
This is in contract to cosmetic dentistry, which focuses more on the visual appeal of the teeth and mouth, over the oral health aspect.
Types of Restorative Dental Procedures
There are many procedures that fall under the category of restorative dentistry. Here, we highlight a few:
Sometimes, patients may need to have their teeth removed. This is after all other restorations and attempts, such as root canal therapy, have been tried first. Most commonly, teeth need to be removed because of extensive tooth decay and the tooth cannot be saved any other way. At other times, as is the case with children, it is to remove baby teeth that have not fallen out. Healthy teeth may be removed if the mouth is overcrowded, and the child is going to have orthodontic treatment.
If you or your child have an infected tooth, it is important to extract the permanent tooth as soon as possible because if not treated properly this can lead to a significant problems. If extracting a tooth due to a cavity infection there are many unpleasant symptoms that may arise such as pain or decay of the surrounding tooth roots. Thus, having it removed should be a priority.
When wisdom teeth do not have enough space to erupt fully or emerge at an angle, they become impacted. If you suffer from impacted wisdom teeth, Queen Anne Family Dental can recommend effective solutions to prevent pain, swelling, infection, and damage to surrounding teeth. We recommend timely assessment by a dentist or oral surgeon to maintain optimum oral health and overall well-being.
Frenectomy
A frenum secures two pieces of tissue together to restrict the movement of one of them. In the mouth, there are several, including one under the tongue, anchoring it to the floor of the mouth.
Sometimes, the frenum can be too tight, restricting tongue movement and interfering with speech and eating. This procedure can simply cut it to restore movement. It is a simple procedure, performed under a local anesthetic and is often needed in babies and young children.
There are several benefits of same day dentures. The biggest advantage is that you do not need to go any longer without a full set of teeth. It is also easier to duplicate the color, shape, and alignment of your teeth while some natural teeth remain in your mouth. Same-day dentures are inserted in your mouth immediately after all of your teeth have been removed. As such, it acts as a Band-Aid and helps to curb bleeding and lessen swelling, so your mouth and jawbone can get used to your new dentures..
An immediate denture will also let you establish your speaking ability early on. You will not have to learn to speak without any teeth in your mouth and then a few months later, relearn how to speak comfortably with conventional dentures. It will also help you learn to eat and chew properly early on.
Benefits of Restorative Dental Treatments
Restorative dentistry plays a crucial role in dental health, helping individuals regain dental function and aesthetic appearance, which can contribute significantly to overall quality of life and self-confidence.
Restorative dentistry can help with tooth repair. It includes treatments for teeth that have been compromised by cavities, chips, cracks, or trauma. Common procedures include fillings, crowns, and bonding, which help restore the tooth's shape, strength, and functionality.
For missing teeth, restorative dentistry offers solutions like bridges, dentures, and dental implants. These treatments help prevent the consequences of missing teeth, such as shifting of remaining teeth, changes in bite, and loss of jawbone density.
Enhancing Aesthetics: While primarily focused on functionality, restorative dentistry also considers the aesthetic aspect of teeth. Materials used in crowns, fillings, and replacements are often chosen to match the natural color and appearance of the patient's teeth.
Restorative procedures not only fix existing problems but also aim to prevent future oral health issues. By restoring the structure of teeth and their functionality, restorative dentistry helps maintain overall oral health, aiding in the prevention of further decay or damage.
A filling, or dental restoration material, is placed inside a tooth cavity to restore the shape of the original tooth. It prevents bacteria from damaging the tooth further and can help to keep the mouth free of food debris because it cannot get lodged in the cavity.
Baby teeth play an important role in the development of adult teeth, and so it is crucial to keep them healthy so that your child does not lose them prematurely. Losing them too soon may mean that other teeth shift into the gaps, which then affects the permanent teeth when they come through as there will be no room.
If your child has an infected tooth, it is important to extract the permanent tooth as soon as possible because if not treated properly this can lead to a rotting root and other problems. If you extract your molar due to cavity infection, then there are many unpleasant symptoms that may arise such as pain or decay of surrounding roots which will need orthodontic treatment in later years after adolescence has passed through adulthood into old age where wisdom replaces ignorance but hopefully before any pain.
If your tooth is diseased or damaged, a dental crown—a tooth-shaped cap that covers the tooth—can be fitted to restore and add strength to the tooth. Although crowns are made from a variety of different materials for adults, for children they are usually made of stainless steel because the material is strong and unlikely to become damaged.
A dental bridge is used to fill the gap created by one or more missing teeth. It consists of two or more crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap (these anchoring teeth are known as abutments) and a pontic tooth in between. These replacement teeth can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials.
Essentially, while a crown is used to cover and protect a single tooth without altering the surrounding teeth, a bridge spans the space where teeth are missing and is anchored to neighboring teeth to replace the lost ones and restore dental functionality and appearance.
Dental implants offer adults the closest possible replication of natural teeth, making them an excellent choice for those who want to restore their smile or improve their ability to eat comfortably.
Choosing dental implants provides significant advantages. They prevent bone loss by signaling to your body that the jawbone is still needed, maintaining both bone strength and facial structure. Additionally, implants prevent the adjacent teeth from shifting, which can alter your bite and lead to jaw pain and weakened teeth. By opting for dental implants, you contribute to the overall health and stability of your remaining natural teeth.
For further information about restorative dentistry treatments at Queen Anne Family Dental, call us at (206) 424-4450.
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