Restorative care is when a tooth needs to be repaired. Sometimes this is because of cavities (also known as caries), or excessive grinding. There are several different types of restorative care. Below you will find our comprehensive list of restorative care services.

Fillings: A filling is a composite, or tooth colored material, used to treat a small hole or cavity in a tooth. When a cavity is present, a dentist will numb the area, remove the decay from the tooth structure, then fill the space with the composite material. The dentist cures the composite with a special light, then shapes the tooth to make sure it doesn’t affect the way you bite down.

Crowns: Crowns are used when the decay of the tooth is severe enough that a filling may not last long term. The crown is usually made of zirconia material and covers a tooth after the decay is removed. Sometimes, if the decay is large enough, a buildup of composite material is necessary to fill the space under the crown. These procedures may consist of 2 appointments. The first is to remove the decay and prep for the crown. At this appointment, an assistant may take impressions or a scan of your tooth, and a temporary crown will be placed on the tooth. That impression or scan is then sent to a lab for a permanent crown to be made. At the second appointment, the dentist removes the temporary crown and cements the custom made permanent crown to the remaining tooth enamel.

Bridges: Dental bridges are to replace the missing tooth and to help restore chewing surfaces. A bridge is typically 3 or 4 crowns, all attached together, to replace the missing tooth. Essentially, the first and last crown go on top of remaining tooth enamel and are connected to the crown(s) in the middle to replace the missing tooth. Once placed, the bridge looks and feels like a natural tooth. These procedures may consist of 2 appointments. The first is to remove the decay (if necessary) and prep for the bridge. At this appointment, an assistant may take impressions or a scan of your tooth, and a temporary bridge will be placed on the teeth. The scan is then sent to a lab for a permanent bridge to be made. At the second appointment, the dentist removes the temporary bridge and cements the custom made permanent bridge to the remaining tooth enamel.

Endo (or anterior teeth): Endo, or more commonly known as root canals, are a procedure in which the nerve is removed from the root of the tooth. This is a last resort procedure to save an existing tooth. The tooth is usually evaluated to determine the prognosis. If the prognosis of saving the tooth is good, either a dentist or endodontist will numb the area and remove the root of the tooth from the top surface. They will then place a temporary filling. The tooth needs more permanent restoration ideally within 4-6 weeks after the root canal is completed. Restoration typically consists of removing the temporary filling and completing a crown to protect the tooth. If the tooth already has a crown prior to endo, the temporary filling will be removed and a permanent filling will be placed.