Restorative Dentistry at Fourways Dental restorations in Borough Green, Sevenoaks
Restorative dentistry is all about giving you back the teeth you once had, or even better. Over time, sometimes despite our best efforts, our teeth succumb to decay and our gums to disease. This can cause a range of dental problems, from cavities to tooth loss. Once the underlying issue has been treated, we are pleased to be able to offer excellent solutions for giving you your smile back.
What restorative dental treatments are available?
White fillings
One of the most common dental restorations is the filling, used to restore a tooth after the removal of a small area of decay. Traditionally, fillings were made from amalgam, a mix of mercury with another metal. This provided strong and long-lasting restorations, but today are considered unsightly. Some patients are also concerned about having mercury in their mouths.
At Fourways Dental, we therefore offer composite, or ‘white’ fillings instead. These have come a long way since they were first introduced, and are now strong enough to be used on all teeth, even your rear grinding ones. White fillings are made to match your natural tooth colour and have the added advantage of being metal-free.
Porcelain crowns
A crown is a restoration that is placed over a compromised tooth to amend its shape, size or strength. Crowns are typically used to cover heavily filled, decayed or broken teeth, as well as to reinforce teeth after a root canal treatment.
Metal-based crowns have long been used to strengthen or rebuild teeth, but today, porcelain crowns are an effective, aesthetically-pleasing option which can be completely metal-free. They are made to match the exact colour, texture and translucency of your natural teeth.
Veneers
Veneers are very thin shells made of either composite material or ceramic, that are fit over the front of your teeth to improve their look or shape, or to fill in gaps. They are made specially to match the natural shade of your teeth, or can be made lighter if your goal is to brighten your smile. Veneers are one of the quickest, easiest ways to cover a multitude of minor dental defects and makeover your smile, which is probably why they’re so popular in Hollywood!
Dental bridges
Bridges are natural-looking restorations that can replace a section of missing teeth. To place a bridge, we crown the two teeth either side of the missing teeth and false teeth are fixed to them, therefore ‘bridging the gap'. Unlike dentures, a bridge is not removable, giving you increased support and stability within the mouth. Because they are custom-made for your mouth, bridges are barely noticeable and can restore the natural contour of teeth, as well as the proper bite relationship between upper and lower teeth.
Fissure sealants
Most commonly used to protect children’s teeth from decay, a fissure sealant is a clear plastic-like coating that, as the name implies, seals the tooth against bacteria. Fissure sealants are quick, easy and painless to apply, as they are simply painted onto the tooth and dry within a few minutes.
