Dental restorations are the different ways dentists in Saskatoon can restore damaged, decayed, or missing teeth; and return your teeth to their natural form and function.
Teeth that are decayed or damaged are weakened and can fracture further with extra pressure. Similarly, missing teeth put stress on your remaining teeth since you do not have the normal number of teeth to chew with.
The objective of dental restoration is to preserve your natural tooth structure as much as possible. This can be done with the help of different procedures like fillings, indirect fillings, crowns, implants, bridges and dentures.

Types of Tooth Restoration Options

Some of the most common examples of dental restorations performed by West 14 Dental’s dentists in Saskatoon are:

Dental Fillings

Dental fillings are the most common type of dental restoration option available. This procedure is minimally-invasive and is used to restore teeth that have suffered mild damage or decay. Dental fillings can be made from a variety of different materials including gold, silver amalgam, acrylic resin, and ceramic.

Inlays

Inlays are a type of indirect fillings that are pre-fabricated in a lab instead of being directly applied to the tooth. Inlays are used when the damage to the tooth is too extensive for a simple filling to fix. They are used to repair damages that occur in the pits and fissure of the tooth.

Onlays

Onlays are similar to inlays but they cover an even larger area. Onlays are used when the damage extends to the points or cusps of the tooth but is not so severe that a dental crown is needed. Since onlays are prefabricated and made-to-fit exactly, there is less chance of infection to find its way into the tooth.

Crowns

Crowns are tooth-shaped caps that are used to restore badly decayed or damaged teeth. They can also be used to cover an implant, attach a dental bridge, or cover a root canal treated tooth. The affected tooth needs to be filed down so that the crown can fit on top of it and restore its normal functions. This is a lengthy process and may require two or even more visits to complete since the crown is created in a lab. However, with CEREC technology, high-grade ceramic crowns can also be made in an office and the procedure can be finished in a single appointment.

Bridges

Bridges are one or multiple artificial teeth attached together and are designed to fit in the gap left by lost teeth. Dental bridges can be anchored to one or both sides by adjacent crowns or cemented into place on natural teeth. A bridge keeps your natural teeth from moving out of position.

Implants

Implants are replacements for the tooth root. These are screw-shaped prosthetics that are embedded into the jawbone on the site of the missing tooth. The implant may be fixed with an attachment called an abutment that will be covered by a crown. Dental implants are the most natural-looking tooth restorations, have the best results, and are the most comfortable.

Dentures

Dentures are removable devices for missing teeth and the lost surrounding tissues. Dentures have a flesh-colored base and artificial teeth typically made of an acrylic resin which can be fitted into the mouth. Complete dentures provide a replacement for all your missing teeth while partial dentures are used when a few of your teeth remain.

Regardless of what type of dental restorations you have, it is important that you exercise proper oral hygiene and avoid damaging habits to increase the life of your restorations. If you feel that your teeth will benefit from a dental restoration, get in touch with West14 Dental’s dentists in Saskatoon.

Call us today at +1-306-933-2114 to schedule an appointment.