It’s a common experience to have an appointment with your dentist to address a cavity. These visits meant coming home with a shiny silver amalgam filling for many years. This filling was durable and malleable, making it a popular solution for nearly a century. However, they were an unmistakable sign that decay had been present. Modern restoration materials have been developed that are similar in appearance to your natural teeth. They are durable and long-lasting, making amalgam fillings a thing of the past. Countryside Smiles provides these attractive fillings for its patients in Murphy, TX.

Restoration Dentistry Options For Adults And Children in Murphy, TX

Thanks to the new materials in use today, there’s more than one type of filling, with some new restoration options available. Countryside Smiles provides restorations in ceramic, porcelain, porcelain-metal combination, and zirconia. The most common forms of dental restoration are laid out below:

• Fillings – Fillings are used when dental decay has been removed, leaving a hole in the tooth’s surface. This hole is filled with an appropriate filling material to restore appearance and functionality. It also serves to prevent further decay.
• Inlays/Onlays – These are a particular type of filling used to restore areas on the sides or surface of the teeth. Inlays and Onlays can be used to prevent the need for a crown in some instances, preserving more healthy tissue.
• Crowns – Also known as caps, this restoration restores and maintains the functionality of teeth that have become damaged. They’re a standard solution for teeth that have become cracked, severely damaged by decay, or undergone a root canal. They’re also used to create a dental bridge, another form of restoration.
• Bridges – Bridges are used when a gap exists between two existing teeth created by one or more missing teeth. The teeth on the two sides of the gap are shaped to accept a special crown. A pontic, a prosthetic tooth is affixed between these two crowns designed to fill the gap. The crowns, known as abutments, provide the support necessary for the pontic to cover the gap.

After a dental restoration has been put in place, you’ll have a short recovery period. The first two hours will allow the anesthetic to wear off and the area near the treatment site to regain sensitivity. You may notice a reduced sensitivity to cold during the next two weeks. If you experience the feeling of your restoration seeming ‘big’ or out of place, speak to our team. It’s possible that the filling may need to be adjusted.

Restoration Dentistry For Children

A common question we receive from parents of young patients is why baby, or primary, teeth need to undergo restoration. The reason is that every tooth in our mouth has a purpose to serve, even our primary teeth. These initial teeth play an essential role in your child’s developing mouth. They ensure that the spacing and placement of the adult teeth are where they should be. Until they fall out naturally, it’s essential to take steps to keep them in place to aid in this development. Schedule a dental consultation with our team to learn more!