Missing or damaged teeth should be treated promptly before they lead to more advanced problems that may require more costly and complex dental procedures. Restorative dentistry is a series of treatments that can repair or replace natural teeth to improve their appearance and functionality.
Fixing broken or chipped teeth early can help your child maintain a healthy smile that looks appealing and boosts their self-esteem. Restorative dental treatment Louisville KY includes a wide variety of procedures.
Dental Implants
Dental implants replace the tooth root and offer an alternative to dentures. They are also used to support a bridge and can help improve the appearance of your smile. Our team can design a custom treatment plan for your individual needs.
To qualify for a dental implant, you need strong, healthy jawbones. X-rays and other diagnostic tests are taken to see how much bone is available. If it isn’t enough, a bone graft can be performed to build up the area.
After the surgery, you must wait about 6 months for your gum tissues to heal and for the dental implants to bond with the bone. During this time, you will wear temporary teeth and eat a soft diet. After the healing process, you can replace the temporary teeth with your permanent ones. This will significantly improve your comfort, chewing and speech. You will also enjoy a renewed sense of confidence in your smile. All-on-4 dental implants can give you a full mouth of beautiful, functional and natural-looking teeth.
Fillings
Dental fillings are one of the most common restorative dental treatment Louisville KY. They can remove decayed areas of the tooth, restore it with a durable material and prevent further damage to the tooth. This treatment is typically completed in a single visit. Our dentists will select the right type of filling to restore your tooth depending on its size, location and extent of decay. This can include direct fillings, glass ionomer cement, or silver amalgam fillings and indirect fillings like inlays and onlays.
Composite (plastic) resins can be matched to the shade of your surrounding teeth and blend in better with the smile than traditional amalgam fillings. These materials contain no metal and can protect the tooth while also improving its aesthetic appearance. Some patients may experience sensitivity to hot or cold after having composite fillings placed, but this should subside shortly as the tooth acclimates to the restoration.
Crowns & Bridges
Crowns cover damaged teeth and bridges fill in gaps caused by missing or diseased teeth. They are both fixed prosthetic devices – unlike removable partial dentures – and can only be removed by a dentist.
Dental crowns protect and strengthen tooth enamel while restoring its aesthetics. They can be made from a variety of materials, including silver amalgam, composite resin, porcelain and gold. Your dentist will help you choose the material that best fits your needs, considering the strength and appearance of your tooth and the rest of your smile.
A bridge consists of two or more crowns that span a gap left by a missing tooth. At least two of the healthy teeth on either side of the gap are covered with a crown to serve as anchors for the false tooth called a pontic in the middle. The most common type of bridge is a traditional bridge, but there are other types as well, such as cantilever and Maryland.
Dental Hygiene
Dental hygiene is the practice of preventing or treating oral diseases such as periodontitis, dental caries and bad breath (halitosis). It involves brushing and flossing your teeth, using mouthwash and visiting your dentist for X-rays and exams. It also includes other preventative treatments, such as getting regular fluoride treatments and avoiding tobacco.
Dental hygienists are part of the dental auxiliary team and work under the supervision of dentists to help patients care for their oral health. In order to become a licensed dental hygienist in the state of Kentucky, you must have a Bachelor’s degree from a CODA-accredited school, pass national and regional board examinations, and complete an approved HIV/AIDS course.
Students who have already completed one semester of college coursework and have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.8 may be admitted directly to the dental hygiene lower division pre-professional curriculum if they meet minimum admission standards and university deadlines.
