All About Restorative Dentistry and Types of Dental Restoration

Defining Restorative Dentistry

 

The term “restorative dentistry” is the integrated management of oral health problems and restoring of the mouth to a functional and esthetic state.

 

Restorative dentistry is often referred to as prosthodontic dentistry. Whether your dental professional uses the term “restorative dentistry” or “prosthodontic dentistry,” the goal is to preserve natural teeth as much as possible.

 

When deciding on a strategy for restorative dentistry, you’ll need to consider both physical and fiscal factors—your health and your budget. Most dentists from Dental Clinics in Manila involved in restorative dentistry will try to preserve your natural teeth if possible before resorting to full or partial dentures so you won’t have to remove and clean the devices regularly. But sometimes full or partial dentures are the better option if you have many missing teeth and you’re not a good candidate for dental implants due to other health issues.

 

There are two types of Dental Restoration. Direct and Indirect. Direct tooth restoration involves placing a filling into a prepared tooth cavity immediately. This procedure can be done in a single office visit. Your dentist chooses from a variety of filling options based on the type and location of the filling. For example, glass or resin ionomers are often used for replacements near the tooth root or other areas not subjected to heavy pressure from chewing. Indirect tooth restoration involves customized tooth replacements in the form of crowns, onlays, or inlays. A crown covers the entire chewing surface of a tooth, an inlay lies within the cusps of the tooth, and an onlay covers and one or more cusp tip, including part of the chewing surface. An indirect tooth restoration will require more than one office visit because the inlay or onlay must be fabricated in a lab. Crowns, inlays , and onlays can be made from a variety of materials. Gold is still used for some inlays, but for someone concerned about white teeth, porcelain and tooth-colored composite resins are other options.