Restorative Dentistry

Restorative dentistry repairs teeth that are damaged, decayed, or missing to help you chew, speak, and smile with confidence again. It includes fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures, root canals, and implant crowns. Some dentists now use digital scans and in-house milling machines to design and build these repairs quickly and comfortably.

Tooth-colored fillings repair small cavities using a material that blends with your natural enamel instead of metal. They are amalgam-free, so no dark metal fillings are visible when you smile or talk. This option restores the tooth's strength and shape while keeping your smile looking natural, healthy, and bright.

Dental crowns and bridges restore teeth that are broken, worn down, or missing by covering or replacing them with a custom-made piece. Some dentists use a milling machine to create crowns from a digital scan, often finishing them the same day. Bridges use existing teeth or implants to fill in gaps from missing teeth.

Same-day crowns are possible when a practice has in-house milling technology. A digital scan of your tooth is sent to a milling machine, which shapes a custom crown while you wait. This process skips the temporary crown and the extra appointment usually needed to place a crown made in an outside lab.

Dentures replace some or all of your missing teeth and come in several types depending on your needs. Full dentures replace an entire arch of teeth, while partial dentures fill in gaps around remaining natural teeth. Implant-retained dentures snap onto implants for extra stability. Some dentists use in-house printers to design and build appliances.

Implant-retained dentures, sometimes called locator dentures, snap securely onto dental implants placed in the jaw. This connection keeps the denture from shifting while you eat or speak, unlike traditional dentures that rely on suction or adhesive. The result is a more stable, comfortable fit that feels closer to natural teeth.

Placing a dental implant requires a minor surgical procedure to position a small post into the jawbone. Many general dentists focus on the restorative side, designing and fitting the replacement tooth that attaches to the implant, while an oral surgeon handles the surgical placement. This teamwork gives you a complete, secure result for your new tooth.

A root canal treats a tooth with infected or damaged tissue inside its inner chamber, called the pulp. The dentist removes the damaged tissue, cleans the space, and seals it to stop the infection from spreading. This procedure relieves pain caused by the infection while saving your natural tooth instead of removing it.