Restorative Dentistry

Fillings, Crowns and Veneers can be made right in our office with Cerec Technology.

Restorative dentistry goes by many names, but is most commonly known for fillings, crowns and bridges created to restore a tooth after tooth decay or on chipped, cracked and worn teeth.

Fillings

Having a toothache from a cavity and finding out that you needed a filling used to mean you were limited to one type of metal filling or metal cap. Today, many options exist to fix cavities including tooth-colored or composite fillings and porcelain crowns. Tooth-colored composite fillings are often used when an old and unsightly metal filling needs to be replaced. After restorative work is completed, most fillings and crowns blend in extremely well with the remaining natural teeth and are difficult to point out.

Crowns

A crown is a dental restoration that covers or caps a tooth to restore it to its normal shape, size and function. A crown can restore a tooth when there isn’t enough tooth remaining to provide support for a large filling, attach a bridge to replace the missing teeth, protect a weak tooth from fracturing, restore a fractured tooth, cover a badly shaped or discolored tooth, or to cover a dental implant.

With powerful software and advanced equipment, we can quickly custom-design a tooth-colored Cerec® crown that is milled in our own office. Cerec uses digital video capture, computer CAD CAM design and a precise milling machine to help complete the entire process in about 2 hours from start to finish - all in one appointment! No impressions, no temporaries and no return appointments two weeks later. In certain cases we use a dental laboratory to achieve the results we desire.

Veneers

Veneers are most often fabricated in order to change the appearance, shape and color of the patient’s natural teeth. This is a technique used to create a smile make-over. A veneer is typically a thin layer of material bonded onto the tooth, either to improve the aesthetics of a tooth or to protect the tooth's surface from damage. There are two main types of material used to fabricate a veneer: composite and dental porcelain. A composite veneer may be directly placed (built-up in the mouth) on a tooth. A porcelain veneer is indirectly fabricated, giving the operator better control of the shape, color and appearance of the tooth and is the longest lasting of the materials.

Root Canals

A root canal is needed when the pulp inside the tooth is damaged or infected. The pulp is soft tissue inside the tooth that contains blood vessels and nerves. When the pulp is diseased or injured and unable to repair itself, it dies. The most common causes of pulp death are a cracked tooth, a deep cavity, problems with large fillings or serious injury to the tooth. The pulp canals in the tooth are cleaned, disinfected and sealed with a restorative material. Root canal treatments are highly successful and add significant longevity to the life of a tooth. Root canal therapy on a back tooth typically requires a crown. However, a tooth that needs a crown does not necessarily need a root canal. Root canals on front teeth can be restored with a filling or a crown. This is assessed on an individual basis.

Having a dental abscess is an emergency and needs urgent dental care. Without treatment, the abscess can spread infection to the rest of the body and create a slew of other problems. 3D Cone-beam Digital Imaging is helpful to diagnosing and treating abscessed teeth and locating hard to find tooth canal systems.

Full Arch Replacement

When all the teeth are missing in the upper or lower arch the restorative options include a fixed implant supported porcelain bridge, a fixed implant supported acrylic denture, a removable implant overdenture (locator denture), and a traditional denture.

Multiple Teeth Replacement

When there is a span of missing teeth the restorative options are a fixed implant supported bridge, a fixed tooth-supported bridge and a removable partial denture.

If more extensive restorative work needs to be done and teeth need to be extracted, then a bridge, partial denture, full denture or dental implants are options. Please see our Implant information page or view the Before and After Gallery. Conventional bridges can fill a gap left by an extracted tooth by permanently attaching a porcelain tooth to two surrounding teeth.

Additionally, affordable full/complete and partial dentures are available. Partial dentures typically replace several teeth, act much like a retainer and can be removed for cleaning. Full dentures cover the entire upper or lower gums after teeth are removed. Several new, great technologically-advanced options including designing a Locator denture that is secured to implants for added retention and security. When a denture is not desired, implant supported bridges such as All-On-4® and other designs of replacement teeth never have to come out and are the closest thing to natural teeth. Dr. Miller and his staff can help you find the best restorative dental treatment for you.

Single Tooth Replacement

A single missing tooth can be replaced with an implant supported crown, a fixed tooth supported bridge attached to the adjacent teeth, or a removable partial denture.

Missing teeth causes bone loss. Significant bone loss can shrink the contours of the jawbone causing wrinkled lips and a sunken mouth and chin. Implants can help maintain jawbone and restore a youthful appearance.

A dental implant is the next best thing to the real thing.

Please see our Implant information page or view the Before and After Gallery.