Restorative dentistry is all about restoring your teeth to an improved, functioning state.  It can often be included in the bracket of cosmetic dentistry, but treatment is usually required rather than voluntary and undertaken  for other reasons besides aesthetics.  Patients seek restorative procedures in order to repair damaged decayed or missing teeth. 

There are a wide range of procedures that make up restorative dentistry including crowns, dentures, fillings and bridges.  Root canals, where the infected pulp of a tooth is removed and the space within the tooth sealed from the ingress of bacteria, is also included within the treatments of restorative dentistry.

Crowns are a great option for patients who have severely damaged teeth.  Crowns are tooth-shaped coverings made from either metal, ceramic, porcelain or a combination of porcelain bonded to metal  and are used to restore strength and eliminate discomfort.  They can also immensely improve the appearance of decayed, discolored or misshapen teeth.

Dental bridgework  can be useful for patients who have missing teeth.  They are one method used to fill gaps created by one or several missing teeth and are made up of two dental crowns for the teeth on either side of the space and a porcelain tooth in between.  Dental bridges can improve the function and the appearance of teeth immensely. At Pennington Dental we are placing more and more implants to replace missing teeth thus negating the need for long spans of bridgework and the unnecessary destruction of sometime healthy adjacent teeth.

For patients who are missing several or more teeth, dentures are often a good option.  Unlike dental implants and bridges, which are permanent, dentures are prosthetic teeth which are attached to a supporting structure and can be removed nightly or whenever desired.  Dentures are also less expensive than dental implants and bridges and no surgery or preparation of adjacent teeth is required.

At Pennington Dental, we like to educate all of our patients on the important topic of preventative care, so that in the future, less and less of our patients will have to undergo restorative treatments.  We like to think that prevention is better than cure and that with regular examinations and sufficient knowledge and consistent visits to the hygienist team, our patients will be able to maintain their teeth intact and healthy for life.