Restorative Dentistry

Restorative dentistry is what most people associate with when they think of a dentist and how they help. With it, we can preserve the integrity and health of your current teeth while repairing them when needed.

Various procedures fall under the term “restorative dentistry.” For example, fillings are just one type of restorative option we offer. Fillings are often required to save a tooth when it starts to decay. However, with that, we can utilize restorative dentistry to fix cosmetic problems to some extent. For example, crown treatment is restorative and is often something that we offer for cosmetic purposes.

In short, restorative dentistry can improve your smile and protect it in various ways. The only treatments that we don’t call restorative are those that are done purely for cosmetic reasons. For instance, whitening treatments have no restorative benefits.

What Is Restoration Dental Care?

Dental restorations often cover various dental care types and options. Essentially, any work that you have done to your teeth to protect their structural integrity is called dental restorative care. Almost everyone requires some sort of restorative dentistry at some point in their life.

As mentioned earlier, dental restoration covers various types of work. Among the options for dental restoration, you can find dentures, fillings, implants, crowns, and bridges. People from every walk of life and background require restorative work sometimes. They might have a small cavity to fill or require a full root canal. Both of these options fall under restorative dentistry.

Most people think about cavities developing when they focus on reasons to go to the dentist. However, your teeth and the surrounding bone structure naturally weakens and softens with time. We can also treat these issues with various restorative dentistry options to fit your needs and budget.

Who Needs Restorative Dentistry?

Almost everyone requires restorative dentistry in their lives sooner or later. The type of work you need depends on different factors. Some people are just more prone to having cavities than others. If you’ve got a genetic tendency for cavity development, restorative work might be required more often to preserve your smile.

Others are lucky to have hardier and resilient enamel. If that’s the case, you may not require restorative dentistry until you’re older because your gums and teeth weaken and soften with time. However, that may also mean that the work you do need is more extensive.

Sometimes, people require restorative dentistry after they’ve injured their mouth or teeth in an accident. With that, we can repair your teeth and treat the injuries to restore full functionality.

Why Are Restorative Dental Procedures Important?

Often, people call restorative dentistry prosthodontic dentistry. This is a broad term, but it’s not as comprehensive as restorative options. Prosthodontic refers to a specific dentistry style where the missing teeth are replaced along with the jaw structure using implants and more.

Regardless of what you call it, though, restorative dental procedures are very important. Some even argue that it’s one of the most crucial parts of medicine because it focuses on the teeth, which affect the rest of your body.

If you think you require restorative work on your teeth, you are currently at a higher risk for:

• Referred pain
• Chronic pain (resulting from nerve damage or untreated cavities)
• Widespread infection (from the unresolved issues in your roots and nerves)
• Localized infection (gum abscesses, etc.)

For example, if you have an infected tooth and don’t get it treated, the infection gets worse. This increases your chance of developing a serious illness or condition. Tooth infections can contribute to various brain and heart diseases, resulting in a heart attack.

Therefore, if you have any pain or issues with your teeth, it is imperative to seek restorative treatments as soon as you can.

Benefits of Restorative Dentistry

Restorative dentistry s very beneficial. Some patients focus on tooth extractions to reduce pain but don’t replace the lost tooth. However, you may want to consider restoring your teeth so that you:

• Avoid pain – Severely decayed teeth or cavities are painful when you don’t treat them quickly. However, regular visits to the dentist can discover the cavity and fill them before there’s ever any pain. In fact, when you’re in severe pain, it might be too late to save your teeth.
• Have functionality – A person’s teeth are there to speak properly and chew food. When you have restorative procedures completed as needed, you prevent those problems from getting worse. Therefore, you don’t need a more complex or costly procedure or get to the point where the tooth can’t be repaired. With restorative dentistry, you keep your natural teeth longer.

What Is the Difference Between Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry focuses on the procedures that enhance your teeth’s appearance. Such treatments are solely for aesthetic purposes and not for functionality or to improve oral health.

For example, coffee stains aren’t harmful, but they can affect how your smile looks. Teeth whitening is a great example of cosmetic treatments. You can whiten your smile and make it look better, but it doesn’t restore function or prevent pain.

On the other hand, restorative dentistry focuses on dental treatments that can restore tooth functionality. Missing teeth and other problems might prevent you from chewing or talking efficiently. Therefore, your quality of life suffers. When you have your teeth straightened or use faux teeth through implants or dentures, you can restore your smile and live life to its fullest.

Restorative Dentistry Treatments Ivory Dental Offers

At Ivory Dental, we offer many restorative dental treatments and procedures. Whether you have an urgent case or we notice the problem during a routine check-up, we offer personalized and high-quality restorative dental care.

We’re proud to help people get back their smiles and live without pain again. Patient satisfaction is a priority for us, and we make sure that you’re safe and comfortable. Here are the restorative dentistry treatments we provide:

• Dental Bonding – We can use special materials to shape your teeth, correct chips, and other issues. That way, you restore functionality, and your teeth are stronger.
• Dental Implants – If you’ve lost a tooth, you can consider an implant. This puts a special titanium screw in your jawbone to stimulate it and prevent the other teeth from sliding into that open space.
• Dentures – If you can’t afford implants or dislike the idea of having surgery, dentures are a great alternative. We can help you decide which option is right for you.
• Root Canal – Those with severe cavities may find that a filling isn’t enough. With root canal therapy, we remove the pulp and sterilize the area, adding composite material to fill it in and put a cap over it. That way, it’s strong and ready for action.

How to Choose Your Restorative Dentist in Albuquerque

Choosing the right restorative dentist is crucial because you want to be safe at all times. Typically, we offer preventative dentistry to offset the need for restorations. However, when you do require fillings, root canals, and other options, we are here for you.

When you find the right dentist, you can stick with them for many decades. They get to know your habits and your teeth, which ensures that they offer the best treatments. With that, they can help you watch your overall health and keep you healthy and ready to go for many years to come.

If you’re searching for an Albuquerque restorative dentist, you want one who is:

• Well-trained
• Experienced
• There for your health and comfort, prioritizing your needs
• Offers personalized treatment plans

Your issues are unique, so no other patient has the same problems. For example, you might be fearful of visiting the dentist. That means you want to find one who specializes in sedation dentistry or has a quiet bedside manner to help you through the tough parts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Patients usually have questions about their dental visits. Below, we have put together a list of the most common ones we receive. That way, you can get the answers you seek without having to call us.

We hope this clears up your questions, but if it doesn’t, please get in touch with us. Someone can answer any questions you have to put your mind at ease.

What Are the Costs Associated with Restoring Teeth?

The cost to restore your tooth depends on the damages and decay and how much work is necessary. For example, filling a small cavity is much cheaper than doing a root canal.

Costs associated with restorative dentistry also depend on your specific needs. For example, you might require sedation or more anesthetic, so it costs more than if you didn’t. However, don’t let that affect your decision to get restorative care.

If you have questions, please call directly to ask about prices. We can give you a better estimate of treatment costs.

Does a Restoration Hurt?

Many people put off restorative dentistry because they fear pain. This is a common occurrence, so you might avoid visiting the dentist. However, modern technology makes dentistry nearly or completely pain-free! Therefore, if you are worried about restorative dentistry needs because of pain, that shouldn’t hold you back anymore!

You can always request an anesthetic during your dental session. When it’s used correctly, it makes the restorative work painless. Usually, the injection isn’t that painful, either. We do find that, sometimes, the pain for your procedure can’t be eliminated completely.

However, it’s always minimal, and we do everything we can to prevent it from being bad. Those with extreme phobias of pain or dentists might prefer sedation dentistry.

What Might Happen If You Don’t Do Anything?

This question is actually quite hard to answer. It depends on a lot of factors and luck. Some people can live with a cavity for decades with no consequences, pain, or change in the tooth structure. However, others might leave their cavity for a few weeks or a month, and it deteriorates quickly. These people then require extensive work to fix the problem, usually in the form of a root canal.

If you don’t do anything to your damaged or decayed tooth, you are taking a gamble with your overall and oral health. It’s usually better to get the restorative work you require now. That way, things don’t get worse later.

For example, if you have a small cavity, it might be okay to leave it until your next check-up. You get a routine filling, and you’re done. However, you might leave it, and it infects the nerve, causing excruciating pain. Now, you must spend more to get a root canal.

Does Insurance Cover Restorative Dentistry?

That is a tough question to answer because the dental insurance is based on the provider and the policy you own. However, many insurance companies that cover dental focus on preventative and restorative dentistry.

However, you might have to pay something out of pocket for anything that’s not preventative (cleanings, X-rays, etc.) Most insurance companies want you to focus on prevention than restoration.

Still, we can help you understand what your policy offers and bill the insurance company for you at the time of treatment. You may also consider calling the insurance provider and asking for a breakdown of the costs and options.

How Do You Fix Broken Teeth?

If you have suffered a broken tooth, you may have problems chewing or talking. Our comprehensive restorative services can help you fix the issue. Usually, we use dental crowns to cover the exposed tooth portion and fill it with special material to mold and restore the tooth. We always make sure that it’s color-matched to your other natural teeth so that it looks the same and no one can tell the difference.

Why Choose Ivory Dental for Your Restorative Dentistry Procedures

If you are searching for a dentist in Albuquerque, you have found the right one. Ivory Dental offers restorative dentistry treatments to fix a variety of issues. Often, this requires fillings, root canals, or other procedures.

The good news is we can help you decide what’s right for your teeth, budget, and smile. When you come in for treatment, we assess your needs. With that, we also offer cosmetic and preventative dentistry options.

That way, you can take control of your oral health and the appearance of your smile. Now is the time to focus on restorative dentistry to fix your dental problems and have a healthier mouth. Call today to schedule your appointment.