Restorative Dentistry – Brock, TX

Tooth-Colored Fillings

After the bacteria that caused a cavity to form have been removed, the lost enamel needs to be replaced with a relatively simple restoration known as a filling. While in the past this meant placing metal amalgam on the tooth, we prefer a mercury-free tooth-colored substance known as composite resin. It can mimic the color of real teeth, so once it has been placed, sculpted, and properly shaded in, it will be virtually indistinguishable from the rest of the tooth. Also, the material will bond with the tooth directly, strengthening it from the inside.

Dental Crowns

Crowns have a variety of uses, whether it’s stopping a weakened tooth from breaking any further, restoring the shape of a broken tooth, or hiding a variety of cosmetic flaws. We make our crowns out of a lifelike ceramic material that matches both the color and light-reflecting properties of real enamel. Most people can’t tell the difference between a dental crown and a natural, healthy tooth. A normal crown will last between 10 to 15 years with proper maintenance.

CEREC® One-Visit Restorations

We understand not wanting to spend too much time in the dentist’s office; you’re simply too busy to be making multiple appointments. With CEREC, we can create and place crowns in a single visit, thus significantly shortening the restoration process. You won’t be left taking care of temporary restorations while waiting for a separate lab to send over the final version. You’ll simply have your tooth scanned so that our CEREC machine can create a personalized crown just for you in less than an hour.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are a traditional way to replace a single missing tooth or several consecutive teeth. First, we need to remove a small amount of enamel from the teeth on either side of the gap. Then a dental bridge can be created out of two crowns and one or more false teeth called pontics. The crowns use the prepared natural teeth for support so that the pontics can fill in the gap. There are various kinds of dental bridges that might be used, but they all have one important thing in common: they allow you to eat, speak, and smile normally again.

Fixed Bridges

A fixed bridge gets its name from the fact that it is meant to stay in your mouth at all times. It is attached to two abutment teeth via two crowns on either end of the restoration. The exact style of bridge that we recommend for your specific case will vary depending on your oral health. Sometimes, the teeth on either side of the gap simply won’t be healthy enough to support a fixed bridge. In these cases, it may be better to get a dental implant instead. Also, if your bridge needs to replace many teeth at once, it may be a good idea to get a removable partial denture or to have the bridge attached to two implant posts.

Dentures

You’ll receive a dental bridge when only a small number of teeth are missing. If you’ve lost a significant number of teeth, then a denture is generally the more suitable solution. Full dentures replace an entire arch, allowing you to continue to perform a variety of tasks such as chewing that would be much more difficult with an entire row of teeth gone. Partial dentures are also available if you still have a sufficient number of healthy teeth but have multiple gaps in your smile.

Dental Implants

The part of the tooth you see when you smile is the crown; meanwhile, the roots of the tooth lie hidden underneath the gums. Traditional bridges and dentures only replace the normally visible parts of the teeth. The only way to replace the roots (and thus replace the entire dental structure) is with a dental implant. By using an appropriate number of implant posts to support a restoration, you can make your smile stronger and more stable. When dental implants are placed successfully, they can last 30 years or longer.

Learn More About Dental Implants

Full-Mouth Reconstructions

When most or all the teeth need to be restored or replaced, the process of doing so is called a full-mouth reconstruction. The exact steps that we’ll take in rebuilding your smile will vary depending on the situation. Some might need multiple crowns and fillings while others might benefit from one of our various forms of tooth replacement. We have seen many kinds of smiles over the years, and we always love helping patients and their loved ones take control of their oral health and reclaim their smiles after dental trauma or disease.