Restorative dentistry is a branch of dentistry which deals with restoration of teeth that have been damaged due to various reasons such as accidents, infection or age.
Restorative procedures are complicated and involve a number of steps.
The treatment options are given to you after your dental and medical history has been thoroughly evaluated by the dentist.
Teeth may be restored to their original form and function by dental implants, veneers or lumineers.
Restorative procedures are becoming very common because more and more people are opting for them due to their effectiveness.
A number of procedures are involved in restorative dentistry.
Some of these include: Teeth whitening procedures: Teeth whitening, as the name implies, are designed to whiten your teeth.
Teeth can become discolored due to a number of reasons: mineral deficiencies, smoking, consumption of certain foods such as tea or coffee in excessive amounts, and certain illnesses.
Irrespective of the cause of discoloration, teeth whitening procedures are very effective in restoring the color shade of the teeth.
Conventional tooth whitening procedures involve the use of a bleaching agent which is applied to the teeth directly.
However, new techniques are constantly being developed and one such technique is laser teeth whitening.
This method uses the energy of the laser beam to bleach the teeth.
In laser whitening, a special bleaching agent is used which is sensitive to laser light.
Laser teeth whitening can be costly, but the results are very effective and thus this method is often highly recommended.
Dental veneers and Lumineers: Dental veneers and Lumineers are made from porcelain.
These are thin strips of porcelain which are cemented to the tooth to improve the appearance.
They are very effective in restoring appearance in a number of dental conditions such as misaligned, broken, chipped or discolored teeth.
Lumineers are a special type of veneer that are made from porcelain called Cerinate.
These are comparatively cheaper and the procedure is also simpler.
Dental implants: Dental implants are another common restorative procedure.
Implants are used to replace missing teeth.
Implants are made from titanium.
Titanium implants are very stable because of the Osseo integration phenomenon (integration between the bone and the implant).
Other types of dental implants exist, but they are not as popular.
Other restorative procedures include braces, Invisalign, crowns and bridges.
Combinations of these procedures are used in restorative dentistry.
The procedure that is best for the patient will be determined by the dentist.
If you're thinking of getting restorative procedures, you can start by contacting your family and cosmetic dentist.