Treatments

Traditional dental restoratives include gold, porcelain, and composite amalgam. The strength and durability of traditional dental materials continue to make advances and are useful for situations where restored teeth must withstand extreme forces that result from chewing.

Newer dental fillings include ceramic and plastic compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. These compounds, often called composite resins, are usually used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important. They can be used on the back teeth as well depending on the location and extent of the tooth deterioration.

What's Right for You?

Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity and expense of dental restorations:

• The compounds and materials used for the restoration
• The amount of intact tooth structure remaining
• Where and how the restoration is performed
• The chewing load that the tooth will have to endure
• Length and number of visits for preparation and adjustment of  the restored tooth

The ultimate decision about what to use is best determined in consultation with your dentist, before your treatment begins. To help you prepare for this discussion it is helpful to understand the two basic types of dental fillings: direct and indirect.

• Direct fillings are fillings placed immediately into a prepared cavity in a single visit. They include dental amalgam, glass ionomers, resin ionomers, and composite (resin) fillings. The dentist prepares the tooth, places the filling, and adjusts it during one appointment.
  
  
• Indirect fillings generally require two or more visits. They include inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns, and bridges fabricated with gold, base metal alloys, ceramics, or composites. During the first visit, the dentist prepares the tooth and makes an impression of the area to be restored. The dentist then places a temporary covering over the prepared tooth. The impression is sent to a dental laboratory which creates the dental restoration. At the next appointment, the dentist cements the restoration into the prepared cavity and adjusts it as needed.

However, in cases where restoration is not an option due to eccessive deterioration of the teeth other options including implants, bridges, crowns and so forth are available in modern dentistry.