Restorative Care
at Tindal Prosthodontics
Restorative dentistry refers to the field of dentistry that focuses on diagnosing, managing, and treating oral health problems related to damaged or missing teeth, as well as restoring the function, integrity, and appearance of the teeth and surrounding structures. The primary goal of restorative dentistry is to preserve natural teeth as much as possible and replace missing teeth to ensure optimal oral health and functionality.
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Dental Fillings: These are used to repair cavities or tooth decay. Fillings can be made from various materials, such as amalgam, composite resin, porcelain, or gold.
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Dental Crowns: These are tooth-shaped "caps" that are placed over damaged or weakened teeth to restore their shape, size, and strength, as well as improve their appearance.
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Dental Bridges: These are used to replace one or more missing teeth by anchoring a prosthetic tooth to the adjacent natural teeth or dental implants.
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Dental Implants: These are titanium posts that are surgically inserted into the jawbone to replace the root of a missing tooth. A dental crown, bridge, or denture can be attached to the implant to replace the visible part of the tooth.
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Dentures: These are removable prosthetic devices that replace multiple missing teeth and the surrounding gum tissue. Dentures can be full or partial, depending on the number of teeth that need to be replaced.​
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Restorative dentistry can greatly improve oral health, function, and aesthetics, enhancing the patient's overall quality of life.
tooth-colored fillings | composite fillings
In the past, if a patient needed to have a cavity repaired, a dentist would use an amalgam filling to do it. These fillings are very strong and durable because of the properties of the mercury, silver, tin, zinc and copper in it. However, amalgam fillings have some very distinct drawbacks, namely that they leave a large gray mark on a tooth and can make it more sensitive to hot and cold temperatures. This is why, at Tindal Prosthodontics, we now only use tooth-colored fillings in Sarasota.
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What are fillings made out of?
Tooth-colored fillings are made of a composite resin material—a compound of ceramic and plastic—that can be specially shaded to perfectly match the color of a patient’s enamel, helping the filling practically disappear inside the mouth. Although composite resin takes a little more time to place than amalgam, it is significantly less noticeable. Plus, because composite is more flexible than amalgam, Dr. Tindal can use small, conservative fillings that preserve more of a patient’s natural dental structure. This, in turn, helps the repaired tooth last much longer.
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Tooth-colored fillings have many advantages over their amalgam counterparts, including the following:
Composite resin can be closely matched to the shade of the natural tooth, which is much more aesthetically pleasing.
Composite resin is very stable, chemically bonding to the tooth structure.
Whereas amalgam fillings require more tooth structure to be removed to make space, tooth-colored fillings are more flexible and typically mean that less needs to be removed for the composite resin.
Composite fillings may result in fewer incidences of cracking or fracture than amalgam fillings.
The surrounding tooth structure can appear gray with amalgam but maintains its natural tooth color with composite resin fillings.
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How are fillings placed?
After applying a local anesthetic to numb the area, Dr. Tindal removes the decayed parts from the tooth and cleans out the cavity to make sure no debris or bacteria are still there. Then the composite resin is applied in layers, and each layer is hardened or cured by a special light. Finally your dentist in Sarasota shapes the filling, trims off excess material, and polishes the final result. Overall, the process is quick and painless for the patient and provides an appealing result.
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In just one quick visit to Tindal Prosthodontics, you could enjoy your healthy, natural-looking smile again with tooth-colored fillings. To learn more about your restorative options or schedule an appointment, contact us today.
who is a good candidate for dental crowns?
Dental crowns can be an effective solution for various dental issues, including those related to the function, structure, and appearance of your teeth. You may be a good candidate for dental crowns if you need treatment for any of the following situations:
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Covering a single dental implant: Dental crowns can be used to replace the visible part of a missing tooth supported by a dental implant. The crown is attached to the implant, providing a natural-looking and functional prosthetic tooth.
Restoring a tooth with a large filling or too weak for a filling: If a tooth has a substantial cavity or an existing large filling, it may not have enough healthy tooth structure left to support another filling. In such cases, a dental crown can provide the necessary support and protection to restore the tooth's function and prevent further damage.
Restoring a tooth with extensive decay: When a tooth has lost more than half of its original structure due to decay, a dental crown may be needed to rebuild the tooth and protect it from further damage.
Repairing a chipped or cracked tooth: Teeth that are chipped or cracked, either due to trauma or teeth grinding (bruxism), can benefit from dental crowns. The crown encases the damaged tooth, providing strength and preventing the crack or chip from worsening.
Protecting a tooth after root canal therapy: After root canal treatment, a tooth may become more fragile and prone to fracture. A dental crown can be used to protect and reinforce the
dental crowns
Do you have a noticeable cavity in one tooth that you haven’t gotten around to getting filled? What about a severely chipped tooth that you’re incredibly self-conscious about? Or a seriously stained or discolored tooth that mars your otherwise beautiful smile? In all of these cases, you might benefit from a dental crown in Sarasota. This customized restorative treatment can be used to correct multiple problems with your teeth. Keep reading to learn more about dental crowns and whether they’re right for you.
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What is a dental crown?
Dental crowns are restorations that are sometimes also called “caps” because they are designed to fit snugly over the whole visible portion of a tooth. They are designed to restore a tooth’s size, shape, and function back to what it once was. Crowns can be made of many different materials, like gold, zirconia, and ceramic, but here at Tindal Prosthodontics, we use dental porcelain because of its uncanny ability to mimic tooth enamel. Since we’ll take care to precisely match the color of your crown with the enamel of your surrounding teeth, no one should know that it’s not your “real” tooth.
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What are the benefits of dental crowns?
Generally, when teeth are badly damaged, your only options are to either repair them or to get them extracted. Because missing teeth can put you at a greater risk for multiple oral health problems, we typically suggest repairing the tooth whenever possible. In addition to saving your tooth from needing an extraction, dental crowns offer the following benefits:
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Aesthetics: Crowns are matched to your specific dental needs. They will look and feel like a completely natural part of your smile, to the point where only Tindal and the rest of our dental team will be able to tell it’s a crown.
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Durability: Although you’ll still want to refrain from chewing on ice, hard candies, popcorn kernels, etc., you’ll be able to eat crunchy foods to your heart’s content.
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Longevity: Provided you take good care of your crown with regular brushing, flossing, and checkups with us, your restoration can last for years to come.
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How are crowns placed?
To begin the process, we numb the treatment area with local anesthetic. Then, we reduce the tooth in size by removing a thin layer of enamel from the tooth’s surface. Next, we take an impression of your prepped tooth and send that off to a dental lab, where your restoration will be created to our exact specifications by a team of skilled ceramists. In the meantime, we’ll affix you with a temporary crown to protect your tooth. A few weeks later, when your crown is ready, we’ll replace your temporary with your permanent one, and voila! Your tooth is good as new!
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While the average crown lasts anywhere from 10-15 years, they have the potential to last even longer than that if you take proper care of them. That involves:
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Avoiding clenching or grinding your teeth, or wearing a nightguard to treat this problem
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Refraining from chewing on ice, hard candies, fingernails, etc.
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Brush and floss every day
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Attend checkups and cleanings with us at least twice a year
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Are you ready to make your damaged teeth look like new again? Dental crowns may be just the thing your smile needs. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!
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Call: (941) 225-2520