As the saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Likewise, there is more than one way to fix a tooth. If you are the lucky owner of a set of perfectly healthy teeth, you may never need any of these procedures. But most of us will need to restore a tooth sooner or later. This post from The Lewisville Denteist looks at five cosmetic dentistry procedures that are used routinely to repair damaged teeth.
A Porcelain Veneer
These wafer-thin covers can hide a chip or crack or repair the alignment of a tooth that is slightly crooked.
A Filling, Inlay, or Onlay
This procedure has been used to restore teeth for over a century though the materials and techniques have advanced. One fairly new option is white filling replacement for metal fillings. A traditional filling is shaped and molded after it is applied to the tooth. Because inlays and onlays are created in a dental lab, they are frequently called indirect fillings. Inlays are applied to just the center of the biting surface of a tooth (not to a cusp or point) and are usually smaller than onlays. An onlay restores one or more cusps of a tooth.
Dental Bonding
Bonding, technically known as composite veneers, is used to correct chips, cracks, stains, and make teeth longer. It is also sometimes used to fill cavities. A skilled cosmetic dentist applies pliable composite resin and molds it to the perfect shape needed. The resin is then hardened with a special curing light.
A Dental Crown
A crown replaces the entire visible portion of the tooth, restoring appearance, durability, and function. Crowns are used for teeth that have had a root canal, teeth with severe decay, the replacement tooth in a dental bridge, and the visible portion of a dental implant. Crowns can be made of all metal (such as gold), porcelain-fused-to-metal, all ceramic, or all resin.
Dental Implants
Many dentists consider dental implants to be the ultimate restoration, because they restore the entire tooth – both root and crown. They look and function just like a natural tooth. Implants also prevent bone recession, which is common at an extraction site.
To find out more about cosmetic dentistry from The Lewisville Dentist, please call our office to schedule an appointment. We also offer a full range of family dentistry procedures. Call us today!
Contact The Lewisville Dentist:
469-708-4713
Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):
297 E Round Grove Rd Suite 127
Lewisville, Texas
75067
