Restorative dentistry returns form and function to your bite and properly aligns the dental arches while preserving as many of your natural teeth as possible. It goes hand-in-hand with cosmetic dental treatments, because we strive for all dental restorations to look, feel and function just like your natural teeth.
Restorative dentistry addresses the needs of patients who are missing multiple teeth. It is important that missing teeth be replaced with dental implants or bridges because leaving a vacant space in the dental arch can create additional dental problems down the road when neighboring teeth shift into the open space and adversely affect your bite.
Reconstructive dental treatments are best described as restorative and cosmetic dentistry on a mass scale. Let’s say someone is missing some teeth, and some teeth have shifted and tipped as result. Perhaps their bite has collapsed deepened, and periodontal disease is present. All of this can be corrected through a series of dental treatments.
Treating cases such as these typically begins with taking a diagnostic series of pictures, and creating models of the teeth. It often involves a team approach, where a periodontist may address the gum disease, an orthodontist would create a treatment plan to address the shifting teeth, and one of our dentists would do the restorations once the gum disease is under control and the teeth are positioned properly. Our selected teams will often meet with all of your records in hand to spend an hour or more discussing the treatment options that might best restore your dental issues. We would then meet you (as you too are a member of the team) and explain all of your options before proceeding.
Dr. Meleo or Dr. Ligums would complete necessary treatments such as crowns, bridgework and implant restorations to restore form and function once other team members have completed their portion of treatment.
Crowns– We use this restoration to protect teeth that have been significantly damage by decay or trauma. The crown serves as a protective cap over the tooth to restore its shape and strength.
Dental bridges– This restoration can be used to replace one or more missing teeth. We put crowns on the healthy teeth or dental implants on either side of the missing tooth/teeth to serve as anchors for the false teeth that fill the space left by your missing teeth. Bridges make it possible for you to chew and speak properly and maintain your face shape.
Implant restorations– once an implant has been surgically placed into the jawbone to serve as the root for a missing tooth, it can be restored with a ceramic crown. Placement of implants is relatively non-traumatic and predictable, as long as a proper workup has been performed. Even Dr. Meleo’s mother had two implants placed at the age of 90 and felt that she “didn’t even need to take Advil.” We restore implants to return normal function to your mouth. Once restored, implants look, feel and work just like natural teeth.
Once reconstruction is complete, the patient enters our maintenance program. Protective splints to be worn at night are constructed to advance the life and integrity of your dental investment.