Restorative Dentistry: What it is and Types of Dental Restoration
Restorative dentistry is quite common today, although going to the dentist is more often out of necessity and not for the purpose of aesthetics. The restorative dental, or the prosthodontic dentistry, has a main objective to preserve as many of your natural teeth as possible. Dentists will try everything to do that, but if your teeth are reaching a certain stage of decay, then unfortunately you will have to resort to some of the procedures.
There are two different types of dental restoration – direct and indirect, and there are different restorative dental treatments, such as: inlays, onlays and veneers, porcelain crowns and fixed bridges and root canal therapy or tooth-colored dental fillings. Unfortunately, the chances you will need to do at least one of these at some point in your life are high, so make sure you inform yourself well about a few key factors regarding restorative dental procedures.
Direct Dental Restoration
The direct dental restoration is usually less painful, quick to do and cheaper. As the name suggests, the procedure is done directly on the tooth inside the mouth and there are proper materials used for the filling, depending on the need of the patient and the size of the problem. Some of the direct dental restorations include composite filling, amalgam filling, or stainless steel crown. It usually happens when you have tooth decay or a fracture, or even if you just have sensitive teeth. Renowned professionals use white composite resign as it offers best quality and is most pleasing to the eye, though glass or resin ionomers are often used for replacements near the tooth root or the areas that are not exposed to heavy pressure from chewing.
Indirect Dental Restoration
Indirect restorations are made outside the patient’s mouth and then placed inside. They represent a customized tooth replacement and are mostly used for improving the strength of your teeth, as they are usually placed on the weak one. Some of the indirect restorations include a veneer, crown, implant, bridge, inlay or onlay, and the most common materials used are gold, porcelain and zirconia. Unlike the direct, the indirect dental restoration usually takes more than one visit to the dentist, since the fillings need to be fabricated in a lab.
Unfortunately, some of these procedures can be quite expensive, mostly because of the materials used and the rather complicated method itself. This is why there is so much emphasis on prevention in the form of proper oral hygiene as well as avoiding some of the worst enemies of your teeth, like smoking, alcohol or sweets. As the saying goes, it’s better to be safe than sorry, but if you have to go through some of the procedures, make sure you get the quality treatment you deserve.
