Restorative dentistry can help prevent and treat structural or functional dental problems. In addition to making you feel self-conscious, crooked, cracked teeth can cause a misaligned bite and create uneven wear on your tooth surface or extra strain on your jaw, which can cause pain in your temporomandibular joint- or TMJ. Crowded teeth make proper dental hygiene more difficult and can leave places for cavity-causing bacteria to build.
The dentists at our practice perform restorative dental procedures relating to the health and function of your smile, including the treatment and repair of chipped, broken, infected or otherwise damaged tissue, gums and teeth. Rest assured that each of our Alpharetta dentists are professionals with years of education and years of experience. While restoring broken or damaged teeth, our dentists and staff do not overlook you, the patient, in the process. You might have anxieties, questions or concerns about dental procedures, and our staff is ready to address those as well.
Most tooth decay happens because of improper brushing and flossing techniques, neglecting routine dental check-ups or a poor diet. However, accidents also occur that result in chipped, damaged or missing teeth. Restorative dental procedures include tooth-colored fillings, crowns, partial dentures, dental implants, extractions and root canals.
Crowns
Our Alpharetta dental experts use a crown when a patient needs to strengthen a tooth structure that has been compromised by injury or severe decay. The crown is a tooth-shaped covering made of metal, porcelain or ceramic. The dentist removes tooth decay, takes exact measurements of the tooth and creates a crown that fits over the tooth structure. The end result is a protective covering for the remaining tooth structure that also reinforces the jaw and your bite alignment. Porcelain crowns are the most natural-looking because your dentist matches the translucency and color or you natural teeth.
Root Canal
A root canal is necessary when one or more of your teeth are badly decayed or infected. The procedure eliminates the pain of a deep cavity and removes any infected tissue. Root canals are the hollow channels reaching from the central chamber to the bottom of the tooth roots.
Treatment starts with the dentist cleaning out the damaged area, prepping it for the filling and sterilizing. He or she then fills the prepared root canal with a rubber-like material, packs the area with cotton and places a temporary filling to seal the opening. At a follow-up visit, your dentist removes your temporary filling and fits the permanent filling or crown in place, bonding the structure securely against your tooth.
Porcelain Veneers
A veneer is a different option that the dentist might suggest for your tooth repair. Veneers are custom-designed shells of tooth-like ceramic material applied over the surface of a tooth, covering worn tooth enamel, uneven tooth alignment or spacing, and chips or cracks. The effect of veneers is usually a brilliant, white smile with perfectly aligned teeth that appear natural.
Inlays & Onlays
Dental inlays and onlays are both conservative restorations our Alpharetta cosmetic dentists use to repair teeth that are not damaged severely enough to require a crown or to replace metal fillings when patients want a more natural looking smile. Inlays and onlays are usually made from porcelain and composite resin, designed to blend in with your natural teeth.
Dental inlays are used to treat teeth that have decay or damage between the cusps of the tooth, or the chewing surface. Dentists use dental onlays to treat decay that extends down the side of the tooth structure to one or more of the tooth’s cusps.
Much like a dental crown, the procedure takes two office visits. On the first visit, one of our dentists removes the decay in the tooth structure, makes an impression of your tooth and places a temporary inlay or onlay in place. Our office sends the impression to a dental lab to create a customized, exact fit. During your second office visit, the dentist removes the temporary inlay or onlay and fits you with the permanent one. The inlay or onlay becomes part of the tooth, splinting it together and making it stronger.
The customized nature of inlays and onlays allows our dentists to securely bond them to your tooth’s surface, adding structural integrity and preventing bacteria from entering and forming cavities. They save damaged teeth and help you avoid a need for more extensive treatment with dental crowns, dental bridges or dental implants.