Crowns, Fillings, Bridges
Dental Restorations
Dental restorations can help restore your smile, protect your oral and dental health, and allow you to eat, speak and smile with confidence.
Dental restorations can help restore your smile, protect your oral and dental health, and allow you to eat, speak and smile with confidence.
If your teeth are missing, decayed, damaged or weakened, it’s time to talk about dental restorations.
Dental restorations can help restore your smile, protect your oral and dental health, and allow you to eat, speak and smile with confidence.
A dental restoration is a procedure that helps repair the damage caused by tooth decay, trauma or gum disease. It may also be used as part of an overall treatment plan for improving appearance and function. A dentist will determine which type of dental restoration best suits your needs based on:
There are several common types of dental restorations available, including crowns, veneers and bridges. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, so we’ll discuss each in turn below.
Dental Crowns
This option involves replacing one or more of your natural teeth with a cap made from metal, ceramic or composite material. The crown protects the underlying structure of the tooth while allowing for normal chewing forces.
Dental crowns provide excellent protection against further decay but cannot replace all original tooth structures. They do not improve bite strength, nor does their placement affect speech patterns. If you have multiple cavities, crowns should only be considered if enough healthy teeth are left around them to support the new crown.
Bridges
When two adjacent teeth need to be replaced, this is called a bridge. Bridges require at least three implants placed into the jawbone. Once healed, the implant posts serve as anchors for artificial teeth attached to a pontic. This allows you to chew normally without any discomfort. Bridgework requires extensive planning because it takes longer than other options to complete. You must wait until after healing before placing the final prosthesis.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
These fillings are usually recommended when a cavity is small and close to the surface of the tooth. Tooth-colored fillings look like your natural tooth enamel. Many people also choose to replace their metal amalgam fillings with tooth-colored filling material to hide the fact they’ve had dental restorations. These materials include composites and compomers. Both offer good aesthetics and durability. However, these materials tend to wear down over time due to biting pressure and grinding habits. In addition, some patients find that tooth-colored fillings feel different from natural dentition.
Veneers
Veneers are thin layers of porcelain bonded directly onto the front surfaces of your teeth. Veneers give you beautiful results quickly and easily. Unlike traditional bonding techniques, veneers bond permanently to the outer layer of your teeth rather than just covering up discoloration. Because veneers cover less area than full-coverage crowns, they don’t permanently eliminate sensitivity. But they’re still very effective at masking minor imperfections such as chips, cracks and stains.
Dental Implants
An implant is an anchor post surgically inserted into the bone, where it will fuse with living tissue. It’s used most often to restore missing teeth. An implant can last many years, providing long-term stability and function. There are four basic steps involved in installing an implant:
After surgery, you may experience swelling, bruising and tenderness.
If you notice any of the following signs, contact us right away!
Sensitivity: When eating certain foods, drinking cold drinks or even brushing your teeth, you might notice pain or sharp sensations along the gum line.
The sensitivity indicates that bacteria have penetrated the protective seal between the gums and the tooth, causing irritation and decay.
Missing Teeth: Missing teeth cause problems including difficulty speaking, poor nutrition, increased risk of infection and bad breath. We recommend having damaged teeth restored, so you’ll never lose another tooth.
Discoloration: Your smile could use a little color boost. Discolorations occur naturally on our teeth, but sometimes we eat things that cause staining. If you see dark spots on your teeth, talk to Dr. Kowalczyk about whitening treatments.
Chipped/Cracked Teeth: A chipped or cracked tooth can lead to more severe problems if left untreated. Contact us today so we can help prevent further damage from occurring.
Loose Dentures: Loose dentures can make chewing difficult and uncomfortable. Talk to us about replacing them with new ones made specifically for your mouth.
Are you ready for a dental restoration? Call us now to schedule an appointment.
Contact us to find out more or how we can help you.
3301 S Walton Drive Ste 19
Bentonville, AR 72712
Call Now: 479-259-9060
Office hours: Monday – Thursday 7:30am – 4:30pm