Restorative Dentistry

White Fillings

Fillings are the most common type of ‘restorative treatment’. A filling replaces the part of the tooth that has been lost because decay has caused a cavity in the tooth or because the tooth has broken. One option in restoring the tooth is to have a white filling, commonly known as  a ‘Composite Filling’.

Many people have fillings, the majority being grey metal called ‘Amalgam’. Fillings do not just have to be practical, they can also be aesthetically pleasing and thus many patients no longer have the desire for amalgam fillings because they are visible : with most white fillings, no-one would know it was there.

Silver Fillings - Amalgam

Fillings are the most common type of 'restorative treatment'. A filling replaces the part of the tooth that has been lost either because decay has caused a cavity in the tooth or because the tooth has broken. One option in restoring the tooth is to have an Amalgam filling however with high quality tooth coloured fillings available, amalgam usage is now declining.

• Amalgam - Sometimes referred to as a silver filling. This is an alloy which is made up using Mercury, Silver, Tin, Copper and Zinc.
• It is extremely durable and able to withstand the grinding and chewing of the molar teeth over long periods of time.
• They are less expensive than white fillings

Inlays/Onlays

Inlays and Onlays are restorations that are used to rebuild a tooth that has lost a significant amount of its structure due to decay or trauma.  Similar to dental fillings but rather than being directly placed into your tooth and then set, they are fabricated in our dental laboratory and then cemented into place.  This is known as an ‘indirect procedure’. Inlays fit into the tooth whereas onlays sit on top of the remaining tooth structure.

Crowns

A crown is a tooth shaped cover which fits over the existing structure of your natural tooth to protect and restore the tooth’s function.

Crowns can be used to -

• Strengthen teeth which have been weakened by decay or a large filling.
• Protect fractured, cracked and worn teeth.
• Improve the shape, alignment and shade of a tooth.
• After root canal treatment, to help strengthen the tooth.

Bridge

A bridge is one of the options to replace one or more missing teeth. It is a permanent fixture which is anchored to the adjacent natural tooth or teeth (the abutment) to ‘bridge’ the gap where the tooth (or teeth) is missing (the pontic). This also prevents the adjacent natural teeth from drifting.

Dental Implants

Dental Implants are the latest innovation to replace a missing tooth or a number of teeth. An implant consists of an artificial titanium rod which is placed directly into the jaw bone and acts as a replacement for the root portion of the natural tooth. The implant is made using pure titanium which allows new bone cells to grow around it: the implant then integrates with the newly formed bone which firmly locks it into place. This process is called ‘Osseointegration’.

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