Tooth restoration costs
The cost of tooth restoration depends on many factors, including the type of procedure, the dentist, and the material used. In some cases, full mouth restoration may be required to correct serious dental issues. This procedure can take a year or more and multiple office visits to achieve the desired results, and is much more expensive than a simple filling or crown. Dental insurance may cover some of these procedures.
Am I a candidate for tooth restoration?
Dental problems may cause difficulty eating, tooth sensitivity, and other health problems, in addition to concerns over the appearance of the mouth. If you have missing or decayed teeth, you a an ideal candidate for tooth restoration.
The benefits of restoring damaged or decayed teeth go beyond cosmetic concerns. In addition to making patients more comfortable smiling, tooth restoration can protect the remaining part of the tooth, in many cases preventing its eventual loss due to spreading decay. Tooth restoration can also permit comfortable eating and chewing and keep remaining teeth from moving to fill a gap caused by a missing tooth. Tooth restoration is planned with both aesthetic and functional goals in mind.
What is tooth restoration?
Dental restoration includes a variety of techniques. The most common type is a filling, in which a cavity caused by tooth decay is filled in with gold, silver amalgam, or a tooth-colored composite material. Similarly, a root canal is used when dental decay has extended to the root of the tooth. Crowns are a "cap" placed over an existing tooth to restore its size, appearance, and strength. Bridge work is designed to fill in the gap created by a missing tooth, and is anchored on either side by crowns on the adjacent teeth. Other ways to fill in the area created by a missing tooth include a dental implant or removable dentures.
Tooth restoration steps
The process of tooth restoration varies greatly depending on the techniques used to correct the specific dental problems experienced by the patient. Usually, the first step is an x-ray to determine the exact problem being confronted. In general, the procedure itself begins with the delivery of a local anesthetic. In many cases, existing tooth material may need to be cut or ground, and dental decay or structurally unsound tooth material removed, to make space for the planned restoration.
Once the tooth is prepared, the dental restorative material, such as the filling or crown, will be fitted in place to restore the missing dental areas. Some, like fillings, may bond to the teeth by themselves; others are attached with dental cement.
Depending on the dental issue, a temporary restoration may be needed to correct an emergency situation, especially with crowns and other tooth restoration procedures requiring more than one office visit. If your tooth is causing a lot of pain, visit the dentist immediately to have the problem corrected, at least on a temporary basis. If the permanent tooth restoration cannot be completed at this appointment, the temporary restoration will be placed instead.
Tooth Restoration Recovery and Healing Steps
Following tooth restoration procedures, many patients find that the most uncomfortable aspect is the lingering numbness in the cheek and mouth, which will subside over several hours as the anesthesia wears off. You can expect some soreness, discomfort, or pain for a few days, particularly following more extensive tooth restoration procedures.
Although most tooth restoration work will last for many years, it may not be permanent. For example, fillings have an average lifespan of about ten years. You may need to have the tooth restoration redone in a few years.
Tooth Restoration Side Effects and Procedure Risks
Tooth restoration is generally a very safe procedure. Risks of tooth restoration include infection, inflammation, and increased tooth sensitivity.