What to Consider When Choosing a Dental Restoration for Your Tooth

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If you have a damaged, stained, or missing tooth, restorative dentistry can help. Restorative dentistry involves the repair or replacement of teeth. Some examples of restorative dentistry treatments are dental implants, dental bridges, and crowns. Because there are various types of dental restoration, some patients are unsure which restoration is right for them.

Types of dental restorations available

You have various types of dental restoration to choose from.

Dental implants

Dental implants replace missing teeth. Like natural teeth, dental implants have roots and crowns.

Crowns

Dental crowns can save badly damaged teeth. A dental crown fits over a damaged tooth and provides support and sturdiness.

Fillings

Fillings repair minor tooth damage and usually consist of amalgam or composite. 

Bridges

Dental bridges replace missing teeth, but they need to use adjacent healthy teeth for support.

Veneers

Veneers cover the frontal surface of the teeth in the front of the mouth to hide stains or cover damage.

Partial dentures

Partial dentures usually replace one or more teeth, but you need to remove them to clean them often.

Bonding

Composite bonding can repair minor surface damage or hide stains.

Before you choose a dental restoration, consider the following factors carefully. With careful consideration, you can choose a suitable dental restoration for your tooth.

The level of damage to a tooth

Just how badly damaged is your tooth? If the damage is something minor, such as a chip or a stain, then you can rule out treatments like dental implants, crowns, and partial dentures. For minor damage, veneers or bonding is a suitable option.

However, if you have a badly damaged tooth, you may need a crown to bolster the tooth, or even a dental implant to replace the tooth.

The location of the damaged tooth

Some restorations are not suitable for certain areas of the mouth. For instance, veneers are suitable for the teeth in the front of the mouth, such as your incisors and canines. And if you need to fill a tooth in the front of the mouth, bonding, which is tooth-colored and is often a more attractive choice.

The state of your oral health

If your oral health is in a good state, you can select any of the restorative treatments available. However, some dental conditions, such as gum disease and jawbone loss due to missing teeth, may prevent you from choosing restorations such as dental implants.

The cost of the restoration

If cost isn't an issue for you, then you don't need to limit your choices based on cost. But if you have a low budget to spend on repairing your teeth, you might need to consider going for the cheaper restorations. For example, instead of choosing a dental implant to replace a tooth, you could choose the much cheaper option of a partial denture.


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