The Benefits Of Aesthetic Restorations
A cavity, a crack, a chip — Annoying? Painful? Unattractive? With tooth-colored, aesthetic restorations, you can fix these problems with a natural-looking procedure that will last for many years and stay looking fantastic. The best part is, tooth-colored restorations are completely safe and designed to enhance a patient’s oral health.
What is an Aesthetic Restoration?
In the past, fillings consisted of a mixture of silver metals, called amalgam. While this material was effective at taking care of the problem, the dark color of the metal was obvious against healthy white tooth enamel, making some patients less confident in their smiles. Additionally, metal fillings would react to hot and cold temperatures, creating additional sensitivity and discomfort.
With advancements in dental technology, filling material has evolved to be more natural looking and biocompatible. Now, dentists use composite resin, a mixture of plastic and glass, to restore decayed or cracked teeth. This composite material also works well for making cosmetic improvements, like fixing discoloration and reshaping malformed teeth, because it can be tinted to the exact color of the surrounding tooth enamel. A composite resin restoration is virtually undetectable, even up close.
Types of Tooth-Colored Restorations
- Fillings – the most common restoration procedure performed. When a tooth becomes damaged by decay, the dentist can clean out the unhealthy material and fill in the space with a composite filling shaded to match the rest of the tooth. With the filling in place, the tooth is strong again and looks like new.
- Bonding – cracks, chips, and slight misalignments are often fixed with composite resin. The material is highly pliable, so it can be molded to restore the shape of a tooth and enhance its appearance. Once cured, the composite resin bonding is durable enough to withstand the normal forces teeth experience every day.
- Crowns – when a tooth is very badly damaged, a crown covers it to restore structure and strength. Crowns can be made of a variety of materials, including ceramic and composite resin. Once in place, a crown looks like a natural tooth and blends in perfectly with the patient’s smile.
Getting a tooth-colored restoration to fix a crack or chip, fill a cavity, or cap a tooth benefits the patient in many ways. Not only are these restorations strong, safe, durable, and durable, but they are also highly aesthetic. For our patients in Monroe, WI, tooth-colored restorations are our first choice to enhance their oral health and maintain the natural beauty of their smiles.
