Its the term dental professionals use to explain how they replace missing or damaged teeth. Fillings, crowns (“caps”), bridges and implants are common restorative options.
Dental Sealants
Dental sealants provided by our Sammamish restorative dentistry team are highly effective in preventing decay on the biting surfaces of your chewing teeth. Dental sealing is a simple procedure in which a tooth-colored acrylic “coating” is painted onto the surface of the tooth.
Dental sealants effectively “seals” the deep grooves, acting as a barrier and protecting enamel from plaque and acids.
Dental sealants protect the depressions and grooves of your teeth from food particles and plaque that brushing and flossing can’t reach.
Easy to apply, dental sealants take only a few minutes to seal each tooth. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and can last several years before a reapplication is needed.
Children and adults can benefit from dental sealants in the fight against tooth decay.
Dental Bridges
All of your teeth play an important role in speaking, chewing and in maintaining proper alignment of other teeth.
Tooth loss doesn’t necessarily have to occur as you age, but if you do lose a tooth it often should be replaced to maintain proper function of your mouth.
Fortunately, there are options for correcting tooth loss with our restorative dentistry team in Sammamish, including sealants, bridges, and crowns.
Dental Bridge Options
A dental bridge — a device used to replace missing teeth — attaches artificial teeth to adjacent natural teeth, called retainer teeth. Bridges are either permanently attached (fixed bridges), or they can be removable (removable partial denture).
Fixed bridges are applied by either placing crowns on the retainer teeth or by bonding the artificial teeth directly to the retainer teeth. Removable bridges are attached to the teeth with metal clasps or by precision attachments.
If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may be aware of their importance to your appearance and dental health. Your teeth work together for many daily functions from eating to speaking. With missing teeth, it’s difficult to do these things. Missing teeth can and should be replaced. Getting a dental bridge from our Sammamish restorative dentistry team is a great way to restore your dental health and appearance.
Why do I need a dental bridge?
Oral functionality and appearance are important reasons for wearing a bridge. A bridge helps support your lips and cheeks. The loss of a back tooth may cause your bite to collapse and your face to look older.
Dental health is the most important reason for a bridge. Teeth were designed to complement each other. Unusual stresses are placed on the gums and other oral tissues when teeth are missing.
Missing teeth can cause speech disorders as they are used to make many of the sounds we use to speak clearly.
How is a dental bridge attached?
The bridge procedure usually takes two or three appointments to complete. At the first appointment at our Sammamish dentistry office, Dr. Quickstad or Dr. Wang will prepare the teeth on either side of the gap by removing a portion of the enamel and dentin.
Since the bridge must be fabricated very precisely to ensure correct bite and to match the opposing tooth, impressions of the teeth are taken and sent to a lab where the bridge will be fabricated. It usually takes about two weeks for the laboratory to make your new bridge. During that time you will have a temporary bridge that will hold the space for the permanent restoration.
When the bridge is ready to be seated, our Sammamish restorative dentistry team will check for an exact fit and comfortable bite. When the bridge has been determined to fit properly, it will be cemented to the retainer teeth using permanent cement. You will be taught to clean your bridge so that it will last you many years.
What materials are used for dental bridges?
Bridges can be constructed from Zirconia or gold alloys, non-precious alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials.
How do I take care of my bridge?
A strict regimen of brushing and flossing will keep the bridge and surrounding teeth clean. This is of critical importance as the bridge relies on the neighboring teeth for support.
Dental Crowns
Most dentistry looks like dentistry. Our goal is to provide dentistry that is undetectable. We replace existing dental crowns and fillings with restorations that look and feel like your natural teeth.
Where damage to a person’s teeth is extreme, and apparently beyond repair, we can use porcelain crowns to make the smile appear “as new”. This is an extremely reliable technique for repairing the most severe of dental problems, even permanently replacing missing teeth to offer a complete smile and a functional bite. Our Sammamish restorative dentistry team is renowned for the quality of our work and the fantastic changes we make for people using this technology. These treatments are used for a long-lasting correction of major dental problems. It is usual for these treatments to last for 15 to 20 years, which is as close to permanent as dental treatment can get.
How long does it take to fit a dental crown?
Fitting a crown requires at least two visits to our office. Initially, we will remove decay, shape the tooth, and fit it with a temporary crown of either plastic or metal.
On the subsequent visit, we will remove the temporary crown and then fit and adjust the final crown. Finally, we will cement the crown into place and you have a new beautiful looking tooth.
Key benefits of dental crowns
Replaces missing teeth
Offers support to misshapen teeth or badly broken teeth
Looks completely natural
Fixes “smile” and functional chewing problems
What are the capabilities of crowns?
Crown and bridgework is a very reliable solution for major dental problems caused through accidents, diseases or wear and tear. Major problems can usually be corrected using these techniques. Material used in these repairs is either high-grade porcelain or porcelain bonded to gold. A higher strength of the porcelain and gold materials is recommended to treat the most serious of dental problems. Where accidental damage has occurred, resulting in lost teeth, or where teeth have broken away through excessive wear, or as the result of old fillings breaking, dental crowns and/or dental bridges can be used as a long-term solution.
Many people have unexplained pain from filled back teeth, which is usually due to hairline cracks in the chewing part of the tooth. Placing crowns on these teeth relieves the pain and allows a return of full dental function for these teeth. In front teeth, older fillings can both weaken the teeth and cause “appearance” problems due to staining or chipping. Porcelain crowns and bridges are suitable in cases where porcelain veneers are not. In teeth with root canal fillings, crowns can prevent breakage.
