What is Restorative Dental Care?
Restorative dental services are those that restore the normal function and appearance of your teeth and gum in cases where damage or disease has occurred.
Naturally, we want to avoid dental disease and damage in the first place if we possibly can, but sometimes it just happens. In these cases, dental restorations like bridges and crowns, fillings, and implants can help bring our smiles back to their normal state.
Additionally, dental restorations can, in some cases, serve as preventive measures. By fixing existing problems, we can prevent them from getting worse, of course, but we can also prevent them from causing other, related dental problems. For example, replacing a missing tooth with a dental implant can help prevent the teeth surrounding the gap from shifting out of position.
Whatever dental health issue you're facing, our dentists can help. We'll evaluate the nature and extent of the issue, provide the appropriate restorative treatment, and advise you on after care so you can avoid such dental health problems from developing in the future.
Tooth Repair Treatments
Teeth can become damaged for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways, and it's not always as simple as poor oral hygiene, though this can be a factor. Things like wear and tear, damage from trauma, the side effects of certain medications, and even the foods we eat, can damage our teeth. Thankfully, there are several options for repairing and restoring the function and appearance of teeth available to us. Learn about them below.
Composite Dental Fillings in Toronto
Dental fillings are probably the most common restorative treatments we apply at our practice. At Yonge Street Dental, we use tooth-coloured composite fillings, which blend in well with natural teeth, to repair cavities and certain types of damage due to trauma. These fillings can withstand pressure from the constant stress of chewing, and can be used on front and back teeth.
With proper care, composite dental fillings can last many years, sometimes even a decade or more, before needing to be replaced.
Dental Inlays & Onlays in Toronto
Dental inlays and onlays are tooth-coloured dental restorations that are usually made out of composite resin, porcelain, or gold. They are used to repair cavities or other types of damage that are too extensive for a standard dental filling. An onlay is used to cover a cusp of the tooth, while an inlay is used to fill the area between the cusps.
Both inlays and onlays are custom-made in a dental laboratory and then permanently cemented to the tooth as a single piece.
Root Canal Treatment in Toronto
Root canal treatment is required when the pulp (the soft tissue) inside the root canal becomes inflamed or infected. This can happen in a number of ways, including deep decay, repeated previous dental procedures on the tooth in question, a faulty dental crown, or a deep crack or chip in the tooth.
During a root canal, the dentist will remove diseased blood vessels, nerves, and tissues from the interior of the affected tooth. a root canal can halt the spread of infection and help prevent the need for a tooth extraction.
Porcelain Dental Veneers in Toronto
A dental veneer is a thin piece of porcelain that is applied to the front of a tooth. This is done in order to improve the appearance of the tooth by altering its colour or shape. We often use veneers on teeth with uneven surfaces and chips, as well as on teeth that are discoloured, oddly shaped, unevenly spaced, or crooked.
Dental veneers are a cosmetic treatment and do not offer any real health benefits. However, the renewed confidence many patients often feel when the damage to their natural teeth is repaired in this way cannot be overstated.
Tooth Replacement Treatments
Sometimes teeth are damaged to the extent that they cannot be saved. While we understand that this can be upsetting, please don't worry! It's more common than you think, and we can help restore the appearance and function of your smile. Any of the following tooth replacement options may be recommended by your dentist, depending on your needs, goals, and budget.
Dental Crowns (Caps) in Toronto
Crowns (sometimes called dental caps) are a type of dental restoration that completely covers or encircles the remaining natural tooth material or dental implant. They can be used to replace all or most of the visible portion of the tooth, above the gumline, in cases where the damage to too severe to be repaired by a dental filling, inlay, or onlay.
Crowns have a range of useful functions. They can anchor bridges, cap dental implants, or help prevent a cracked tooth from deteriorating further. They can also help to restore a discoloured or stained tooth to its natural appearance.
Dental Bridges in Toronto
As the name implies, a dental bridge can literally bridge a gap in your smile. Structurally, a dental bridge is a fixed dental prosthetic used to replace one or more missing teeth. They join an artificial tooth or teeth definitively to adjacent teeth or dental implants.
Dental bridges typically have two major parts. Abutments, the structures that support your dental bridge. These can be the natural teeth on either side of the gap, or the tiny connector posts used in dental implant-supported bridges. The other part of a bridge is the pontics, the artificial (false) teeth that fill the gap.
Full & Partial Dentures in Toronto
Dentures are prosthetic devices designed to replace missing teeth. They are typically supported by the surrounding soft and hard tissues of the oral cavity, and custom-made to fit a patient's mouth comfortably and securely. While conventional dentures are usually removable, some varieties rely on bonding or clasping onto teeth or dental implants.
Dentures have come a long way in recent years, and they are often the most cost-effective solution for people missing multiple teeth.
Dental Implant Restorations in Toronto
Dental implants are dental prostheses used to replace missing teeth. The implant is essentially a small, titanium screw that is fused with the jaw bone to create a sturdy root foundation. This is then capped with a dental crown to create a natural-looking, durable tooth replacement.
While the procedure itself is somewhat invasive compared to other tooth replacement options, dental implants are generally considered to be a stable, long-lasting and natural-looking option for replacing missing teeth.