We offer a number of restorative procedures to improve your bite and smile. Our goal is to provide cosmetic and restorative dentistry that looks and feels like your natural teeth. Common restorative procedures include:

• Bridges
• Crowns
• Inlays and Onlays

Bridges

All of your teeth play an important role in speaking, chewing and in maintaining proper alignment of other teeth. Tooth loss does not necessarily have to occur as you age, but if you do lose teeth, they must be replaced to maintain proper function of your mouth. Fortunately, there are options for correcting tooth loss.

Bridges replace missing teeth with artificial teeth, and are often referred to as partial dentures. The bridge can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials and is bonded onto surrounding teeth for support.

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Crowns

Where damage to a person's teeth is extreme, and beyond repair, we can use porcelain or porcelain "fused on gold" crowns to make the smile appear "as new".  This is an extremely reliable technique for repairing the most severe of dental problems, including:

• Permanently replacing missing teeth to offer a complete smile and a functional bite.
• Alleviating unexplained pain from filled back teeth, which is usually due to hairline cracks in the chewing part of the tooth.
• Replacing older fillings in front teeth that have weakened the teeth and caused "appearance" problems due to staining or chipping. (Porcelain crowns and bridges are suitable in cases where porcelain veneers are not.)
• Preventing breakage in teeth with root canal fillings

Fitting a crown requires at least two visits to our office.  Initially, we will remove decay, shape the tooth, take impressions and fabricate a provisional crown of either plastic or metal.

On the subsequent visit we will remove the temporary crown, and then fit and adjust the final crown. Finally, we will cement the crown into place and you have a new beautiful looking tooth.

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Inlays and Onlays

Inlays and onlays are a restorative technique used when more than half of the tooth's biting surface is damaged and a traditional filling will not be adequate.

Inlays and onlays can be made of porcelain, gold, or composite resin. These pieces are bonded to the damaged area of the tooth, actually increasing the strength of the tooth by up to 75 percent.

An inlay, which is similar to a filling, is used inside the cusp tips of the tooth. An onlay is a more substantial reconstruction, similar to the inlay but extending out over one or more of the cusps of the tooth.

Traditionally, gold has been the material of choice for inlays and onlays. In recent years however, porcelain has become increasingly popular due to its strength and color, which can potentially match the natural color of your teeth.

Like crowns, inlays and onlays require two appointments to complete the procedure. During the first visit, the filling being replaced, or the damaged or decaying area of the tooth is removed, and the tooth is prepared for the inlay or onlay. To ensure proper fit and bite, an impression of the tooth is made and sent to a lab for fabrication. Dr. Stone will then apply a provisional restoration on the tooth and schedule the next appointment.

At the second appointment, the provisional restoration is removed and Dr. Stone will make sure that the inlay or onlay fits correctly. Once the fit is satisfactory, the inlay or onlay will be bonded to the tooth with a strong resin and polished to a smooth finish.

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