Restorative Dentistry

Years of wear and tear, injury, or poor care can hurt the look and function of your teeth. The Dorothy Lane Dental team changes lives every day through restorative dentistry. Rejuvenate your smile today!

Composite Resin (Tooth Colored) Fillings

At Dorothy Lane Dental we only use composite resin for our fillings so you can say good bye to those old, dingy amalgam (silver) fillings! Composite resin fillings can be utilized to restore decayed teeth, repairing small chips and many other cosmetic procedures. There are many advantages to having composite resin fillings which include:

  • The material used with this type of restoration will match your natural tooth color and appearance
  • A curing light is used with this type of filling which hardens the restoration in seconds instead of days
  • Composite resin restorations are bonded to the tooth chemically which reduces the risk of the restoration breaking and gives it greater strength
  • Less tooth structure removal is required with composite resin restorations
  • Composite resin restorations can be easily repaired if necessary

Porcelain (Zirconia) Crowns

WHAT IS A CROWN?

A dental crown is essentially a cover or cap used to restore tooth shape, function, appearance and strength.

WHY WOULD I NEED A CROWN?

There are many reasons a crown is necessary to restore a tooth such as:

Large Restoration

  • A crown is often recommended when half or more of the coronal structure of the tooth is a restoration or is missing. When there is a large portion of the coronal structure missing or restored the tooth is more likely to break or fracture.

Fracturing

  • Fracturing is when there are one or more cracks on that tooth which puts the tooth at a higher risk of becoming painful, sensitive and breaking and a crown is usually recommended.

Cracked Tooth Syndrome

  • Cracked tooth syndrome is when the fracturing of the tooth has begun presenting with symptoms such as sharp pain when biting, pain when releasing from bite, pain when grinding and sensitivity. At this point the tooth has not yet broken but may require endodontic therapy (root canal therapy) prior to having a crown placed.

When a tooth has undergone endodontic therapy

  • A crown is recommended after endodontic therapy (root canal therapy) because the tooth or teeth have become weakened and brittle which puts them at a higher risk of breaking. In most cases endodontic therapy is needed when there is deep decay, large restoration or a large portion of the tooth structure has broken.

Sensitivity

  • A Crown may be recommended if a patient has a tooth that is overly sensitive and is unable to be helped with fluoride treatments or sensitivity toothpastes. The crown covering the tooth prevents the dentin tubules from being exposed to anything hot or cold which creates sensitivity and in some cases pain.

Gum Recession and Root Exposure

  • A crown may be recommended for extreme sensitivity caused by gum recession or root exposure. Gum recessions and root exposed is caused by brushing too hard and/or periodontal gum disease. If exposure is caused by periodontal disease and it has been maintained with scaling and root planing and periodontal maintenance cleanings a crown may be recommended to decrease sensitivity.
WHY CHOOSE A PORCELAIN (ZIRCONIA) CROWN?

There are many advantages to having a Porcelain Zirconia Crown which include:

Biocompatibility

  • Zirconia is a compatible material with the human body which decreases the change of infection, complications, pain, discomfort and allergic reactions once the crown as been placed.

Long Lasting Durability

  • Due to the crystal components of this type of crowns they can easily withstand the vigorous chewing and biting and are more resistant to hot and cold temperatures.

Great at hiding tooth damage underneath the crown

  • This type of material is preferred because it hides underlying tooth staining and surface fracturing.

Aesthetically pleasing

  • This type of material give the tooth a natural shape, appearance and color.

Porcelain (Zirconia) Bridge

WHAT IS A BRIDGE?

A dental bridge is a fixed prosthetic that is utilized to replace one or more missing teeth. A dental bridge replaces missing teeth by joining an artificial tooth or teeth to the adjacent natural tooth or teeth or even dental implants.

WHY CHOOSE A BRIDGE?

There are many advantage to choose a dental bridge which include:

Prevents teeth from shifting

  • When you lose a tooth the surrounding teeth will begin to shift and tip to fill in the missing space. Tipping of the teeth will cause you to lose the contact of two teeth and allow food to be trapped in this area which can cause decay. If you are missing a tooth on the lower the upper tooth will actually come down from the periodontal ligament called supraeruption. Supraeruption can throw off your bite tremendously over time and cause headaches, jaw aches and tension, root exposure, increased sensitivity and possible loss of tooth.

Eliminates stress on surrounding teeth

  • When a tooth is missing there is additional stress put on the surrounding teeth which can cause them to weaken. This stress can cause coronal fracturing, root fracturing, breaking of tooth and possible loss of tooth.

Comfort

  • Dental bridges are fixed with dental cement which makes getting used to a dental bridge easier and makes chewing feel more natural and comfortable.

Aesthetically Pleasing

  • Dental bridges are made with porcelain zirconia which gives the dental bridge a natural shape, appearance and color.

Partial Dentures

WHAT IS A PARTIAL DENTURE?

A partial denture is a removable prosthetic used to replace two or more missing teeth. The most common types of partial dentures are Interim Partial Dentures (Temporary), Valplast Partial Dentures (All Acrylic) and Cast Metal Partial Dentures.

INTERIM PARTIAL DENTURES (TEMPORARY)

Interim partial dentures are utilized to replace one or two missing teeth temporarily until a permanent restoration or prosthetic can be completed. An interim partial denture is an acrylic based partial denture that may have metal clasp with denture teeth. The advantage to an interim partial is it allows you to replace the tooth while the area is healing and awaiting the permanent prosthetic.

Valplast Partial Denture (All Acrylic)

A Valplast partial denture is made with an acrylic base, acrylic clasping and denture teeth. The advantages of a valplast partial denture is that they are cost effective and aesthetically pleasing.

Cast Framework Partial Denture

Cast framework partial dentures are made of a cast metal base and clasping with denture teeth. The advantages to a cast framework partial denture is that they are very durable due to the metal base; they last longer and are less bulky than other types of partial dentures.

Dental Implants

WHAT IS A DENTAL IMPLANT?

A dental implant is needed to replace a missing tooth/teeth and is a surgical component that is placed within the jaw bone to support a dental prosthesis such as a crown, bridge and dentures and acts as an anchor.

WHY CHOOSE A DENTAL IMPLANT?

There are many advantages to having a dental implant such as preventing teeth from shifting, preventing bone loss, placing less stress on remaining teeth and longevity.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DENTAL IMPLANTS ON OUR IMPLANT DENTISTRY PAGE! 

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