Restorative Dentistry

When our patients think of dental crowns, most view them as part of traditional dental care and something used when a tooth is broken, heavily decayed or treated with a root canal. While all those things are true, there are many benefits to crowns, also called caps, and it is why we want all of our patients at Provo Family Dentistry in Provo, Utah to know more about them.

Dental crowns are not like traditional crowns worn on the head. The latter are bands of precious metal that fit around the head, but not always covering the entire top of it. With dental crowns, however, the entire tooth is sheltered beneath a very durable and long lasting cover. Typically made of porcelain fused to a long-lasting metal, they look just like your other natural teeth and allow you to retain a tooth that would have otherwise been lost to damage, disease, or decay.

There are many reasons a general dentist will suggest crowns.

- They can be used when a tooth is severely decayed and a traditional filling will not give it adequate support. - Crowns are often used when an old amalgam filling is removed and when too much of the original tooth has been removed to place the original filling. - They are used, quite often, during root canal therapy as much of the crown is removed to access the root. - Crowns are used when a tooth has fractured and cannot be restored through bonding or a filling. - They are used when a patient is getting a dental bridge and the natural teeth are not strong enough to serve as abutments without first being fitted with crowns. - A crown is the finishing touch to a dental implant. - Crowns are even cosmetic dentistry when a tooth is deeply stained or esthetically flawed.

Of course, we love them because they allow us to treat a damaged or decayed tooth while also restoring it to its fullest function. Keeping adult teeth is a tremendously important choice as it ensures your long term oral health and well-being.

In addition to crowns offering such a flexible and optimal solution to so many issues, they are also very easy to take care of over the long term. Just brush and floss like normal, get regular cleanings and checkups and report any changes or issues to our dental office immediately. They are such an effective way of restoring a tooth to its former strength and function that our patients can typically rely upon them for at least 20 years or more.

Like other treatments, such as veneers, crowns are unable to be whitened and are resistant to stains. This is something to consider if using them as a cosmetic solution, and something to discuss with a cosmetic dentist in our dentist office.

Losing even a single adult tooth can come with a long list of harmful consequences, and it is why the remarkable technology behind dental implants is so valuable. At Provo Family Dentistry in Provo, Utah, our restorative dentistry solutions include implants, and are certainly an option for those missing teeth and in need of any sort of restorative support.

Though it is possible to restore the use of the mouth through a less invasive option, such as dentures, dental implants come with tremendous benefits that just should not be ignored.

For instance, they replace the entire tooth – roots as well as crown. This ensures the ongoing health and stability of jaw bone and soft gum tissue in addition to the maintenance of the bite. When an adult tooth is lost, it can allow the remaining teeth to loosen and shift out of alignment. This leads to everything from chips and uneven wear to complex jaw issues like TMJ.

Dental implants, though, halt any of these issues and allow you to eat, speak and look just as you always have, and in some instances, in a way that is even better than before!

Implants are just as they sound, and involve a single post that is implanted into the jaw and gum tissue. Once this has healed, it is then topped with a traditional dental crown and will function exactly as an entirely natural tooth. The life span of an implant is estimated at upwards of 40 years or more, making them an ideal solution for those who have lost an adult tooth to decay, injury or simple aging.

However, implants are available from a restorative dentist in more than a single style. We offer our patients:

- Single tooth implants - Multi-tooth implants – It is safe and possible to implant more than one new tooth - “All on 4 Implants” done by a specialist in our office – This is an option that uses four special implants to support an entire set of dentures - Implant supported dentures – Those who wish to have partial rather than full dentures may opt for implants of this kind - Implant dentures – This is similar to the all on 4 option and will use implants to secure a full set of dentures on the upper and/or lower jaw

The success rate for implant procedures stands at an astonishing 95 to 99%. That means it is almost fail-proof and is done in a single procedure in our office. If you require some supportive treatments in advance, such as bone grafts, sinus lifts and other work, our restorative dentist works with you to get this done. In roughly six months, your procedure is fully healed and our team can insert the permanent crown that will work just like a natural tooth.

The reputation held by dentures is incredibly unfortunate and remarkably outdated. When people hear that they are a candidate for this restorative dentistry, they might feel upset by it, when they should be relieved that there are such functional and agreeable options. After all, modern dentures look exactly like natural teeth, fit like a glove, and allow you to look, speak and eat like you have always done (or like you could in the years before struggling with dental issues). At Provo Family Dentistry in Provo, Utah, we offer patients an array of general, cosmetic and restorative dentistry, including access to dentures of many different kinds.

Modern dentures can include:

- Full dentures - Partials - Implant dentures - Implant supported dentures

That short list represents a remarkable range of options. After all, the classic full denture is going to replace an entire set of upper or lower teeth lost to disease, injury or age. However, if you prefer to preserve the jaw bone and gum tissue, you can opt for implant dentures. Full mouth dental implants, or “all on 4” implants, replace several teeth with implants and then use them to secure the denture in place.

There are also implant supported dentures that work like a traditional partial, relying on a tooth to secure the denture in place. However, with the implant supported denture, one or more implants are used to hold the partial in place. This too is done to enable a patient to enjoy the benefits of restorative dentistry while also retaining more jaw bone and gum tissue (which typically recedes if a tooth is removed or lost).

To determine if dentures of any kind are a workable solution for you, you must first meet with our restorative dentist in our dental office. At that time, they will review the many options we make available to patients who are facing the loss of teeth or who require restorative work. There are so many solutions, but if dentures are the right answer, you can then choose the optimal type of denture.

Dentures can be immediate or they can be made once the swelling in the gum tissue has diminished in the weeks after any extractions or tooth loss. Regardless of how or when the denture is made, our team ensures that you enjoy a good and comfortable fit. We will have you keep the denture in place for the first 24 hours after you receive it. This enables you to grow accustomed to it, and to determine if there are any areas of unnatural rubbing between the soft tissue and the denture itself. We then adjust it for you.