Modern dentistry has at its disposal various methods of restoring teeth that allow you to make adjustments to their shape, size, to fix chips, cracks, to hide gaps and other defects, to remove yellow tint, as well as to restore the functionality of the tooth row in case one or more teeth are completely lost. Thanks to a comprehensive and professional approach, it is possible to ensure the natural attractive appearance of the smile and full chewing functionality.

Let us now dwell in more detail on what options for restoring teeth are offered by dentistry today. We will describe their features, advantages and disadvantages.

The need for dental restoration: in what cases arises

There may be several reasons why a dental restoration may be necessary. The most common include:

• excessive destruction of enamel, serious cases of caries, which appeared as a result of improper care, untimely treatment;
• the presence of inflammatory processes in the gums;
• improper diet, involving excessive consumption of foods with a high sugar content;
• chronic diseases, including diabetes mellitus, malfunctions in metabolic processes;
• facial trauma involving damage to one or more teeth and, consequently, the need to restore them;
• complete tooth loss, either as a result of trauma or age.

All these manifestations are a reason to think about what modern methods of restoring teeth exist, and about visiting the dentist directly. If you do not pay proper attention to restoration, you can cause serious damage to your health in general. In particular, the absence or damage to one or more teeth will cause incomplete chewing of food, which will lead to a violation of the gastrointestinal tract, the development of various chronic pathologies. And also incorrectly distributed and increased load on the jaw will provoke further destruction of the tooth row, can cause inflammation in the facial muscles, thus contributing to changes in the oval of the face, the appearance of asymmetry. Gum tissue will also be destroyed.

To prevent such negative consequences for your own body, do not neglect visits to the dentist. Make an appointment with the doctor as soon as you identify any problems with your teeth. And remember that even for the most difficult cases, there are treatments that will prove to be extremely effective in practice. Those that will restore not only the functionality of your teeth, but also their aesthetics, giving you a sense of confidence in yourself and your smile.

Methods of tooth restoration

All methods of tooth restoration that modern dentistry offers can be divided into 2 separate groups:

1. Direct. The entire cycle of work is performed entirely in the patient’s oral cavity.
2. Indirect. Assume the renewal of the damaged tooth by prosthetics, installation of crowns and other orthopedic structures, implantation.

Let’s consider both of these categories in more detail.

Features of direct methods of tooth restoration

Direct methods of restoring the dentition include tooth tissue augmentation, canal treatment, and tissue restoration to form the basis for a crown. In this case, restoration is performed using filling materials. It can be used even if the crown part is too destroyed. In particularly complex cases, a post is installed, after which the missing part of the tooth is built up layer by layer using reflective composite materials. The result in this case will be characterized by high aesthetics and more than decent strength parameters.

In most cases, direct restoration is performed in the following sequence:

• Examination of the oral cavity by the dentist to diagnose the problem, determine its complexity, and draw up a treatment plan, including the selection of the most appropriate materials.
• To minimize patient discomfort during the direct method of restoring teeth, local anesthesia is performed.
• Preparation for restoration. Assumes the arrangement of the cavity, mechanical, chemical treatment of all those surfaces that have been damaged.
• Restoration of the upper part of the tooth using composite materials. Assumes layer-by-layer build-up with layer-by-layer polymerization.
• Processing of the tooth in order to form an anatomically correct shape. At this stage fissures are formed, correct occlusion.
• Surface grinding to give the tooth smoothness and natural shine.

Direct restoration involves restoring teeth with minimal time and effort, and will be low in cost. In addition, there will be a short recovery period.

Features of indirect methods of tooth restoration

Indirect methods of restoring teeth are used when it is not expected to be possible to restore the dentition in a direct way. It involves the use of special prosthetic structures that are made in dental laboratories. In terms of price, these types of restoration are more expensive, as they involve the use of expensive materials, mainly ceramics, and are difficult to fabricate. Here, an individual impression is made beforehand. This is the only way to get a design that will fit the patient exactly.

Also in this case, you should be set up for a fairly long treatment and repeated visits to the dentist. This is due to the fact that before the direct restoration, a number of preparatory measures are also carried out, which involve making impressions, filling the canals, production of prostheses, their fitting. And only after this is the installation itself carried out.

But despite the higher price and rather long installation process, indirect methods of tooth restoration are extremely popular in modern dentistry. With their help, it is possible to obtain durable, aesthetic structures that will serve the patient for decades. It is impossible to distinguish dentures, implants, veneers from natural teeth visually.

The most common ways of restoring teeth

The following types of tooth restoration are the most commonly used in practice today in dentistry:

1. Restoration with a filling material. It is performed if the visible part of the tooth is less than 50% destroyed. It involves the use of photopolymers and glass ionic cement. In this way, one or two teeth can be restored in one visit to the dentist.
2. Inlay Restoration. It involves the use of an individually manufactured microprosthesis, which replaces the directly destroyed part of the tooth. This restores its integrity and functionality. It is also performed if the crown part of the tooth is lost by no more than 50%. Here, an individual impression is supposed to be made, which will allow to repeat the anatomically correct structure of the crown and ensure its tight fit, thus excluding the subsequent destruction of healthy tissues. The inlays themselves can be made of composite materials, metal or ceramic.
3. Using veneers. This method of restoring teeth involves the use of thin ceramic plates that are applied to the outer surface of the tooth in order to hide visual defects and improve aesthetics. Veneers are also made according to individual impressions. They are fixed on the surface of the tooth using composite compositions. When professionally installed, they are completely invisible on the teeth.
   Prosthetics. It is performed with the use of zirconium or metal-ceramic crowns. Allows you to restore a tooth both partially damaged and completely destroyed. The technology of restoration, as well as the optimal materials, is selected by the dentist, focusing on the clinical picture of the patient. The resulting structure will be invisible when smiling and will ensure full-fledged chewing of food.
4. Implantation. Used when a completely missing tooth needs to be restored. It is the longest lasting and most reliable way of restoring a tooth, but it will be the most expensive and will require repeated visits from the patient.

Even if you are missing a rather impressive part of your teeth, the dentists of the Prisma Medical Center will choose the most suitable method of tooth restoration for you and perform all the work at a high professional level. To make an appointment with the dentists, call us or send an application via the online form.