Restorative
Dental Care
Bring back your natural smile and actually enjoy the experience!
At Vial Family Dentistry, restorative dental care includes many standard services that help return your teeth to full function and optimal oral health. Most people already know about restorative dental care when thinking about the dentist — cavity fillings, crowns, bridges, and implants or dentures.
Restorative Services
Dental Fillings
Arguably the most common procedure we perform is filling cavities to prevent further decay or damage.
Crowns
Crowns are used to cover broken teeth or when decay is beyond the capacity for a standard filling.
Bridges
Bridges are useful as a permanent way to return optimal appearance or chewing capacity.
Bonding
We use resin bonding to cure many issues, including chipped teeth, gaps, discoloration, and more.
Implants
After tooth extraction, dental implants may be the optimal permanent solution.
Full or Partial Dentures
With large gaps from missing teeth, full or partial dentures are a common option.
Understanding Your Options
One of our guiding principles at Vial Family Dentistry is to ensure you understand all the options for your dental care. With our consultation, we examine your current situation and chart out a few recommendations.
While these procedures are common in our practice, we are committed to remembering that this is not all that common in your experience. Our goal is to help you be confident and comfortable with your decision.
We recommend that you contact us sooner rather than later to schedule a consultation for restorative dental care. Many times, waiting will cause you to lose many options as damage or decay removes some of your choices.
Comfort First Care
Does the thought of the dentist give you sweaty palms and a pounding pulse? We understand if you’re feeling a bit nervous about your dental care. Harvard reported that surveys estimate that fear around dental work affects as many as 24% of people. It’s not an uncommon feeling!
We’ve prepared for that when setting up our practice at Vial Family Dentistry. Your comfort is our main priority. Our team focuses on making you comfortable, and confident in our work. You’ll walk out of our offices with a genuine smile from the entire experience!
— Elizabeth (via Google review)
How to Prepare for Major Dental Work
Restorative dental care can provide much-needed relief if you’re dealing with pain or discomfort. Still, we don’t want you to rush into any decision uninformed. Before you schedule a consultation, take a moment to learn how the process works with our team.
Verify Insurance
The best way to avoid a painful experience, at least financially, is to verify your insurance coverage before committing to any procedure. We recommend that you take a moment to verify the type of coverage you have now to save headaches later. We’ll also check your insurance coverage in the office if you’re unsure about the details of your policy (including sending preauthorization requests to ensure we understand the full details of your coverage).
Most insurance providers have a website that outlines many covered procedures. Pay special attention to which procedures your insurance covers for restorative care and which are considered cosmetic dental care. Reviewing what is and is not included in your coverage can help you better decide from the options available during consultation.
Without insurance, please call us to discuss your options and better prepare you to make the best decision for your situation.
Schedule a Comprehensive Exam
During our initial exam, we will thoroughly examine every part of your mouth. We don’t want to miss anything! The comprehensive exam includes X-rays, a TMJ evaluation, screening for oral cancer or disease, and a tooth-by-tooth evaluation. We search for signs of cavities, tooth wear, alignment issues, and gum or bone support issues.
This thorough exam lets us see the complete picture of your oral health. With more information, we can tailor a treatment plan to your individual needs with recommendations, timelines, and cost expectations. With accurate information, you can make the best decision on how to proceed with our expert consultation.
Procedure Time
We’ll be able to perform the procedure after consulting with you on your available options. We’re as excited to get you into your new smile as you are! In cases where you may want to take some time to decide on your options, we’ll follow up with you to schedule the procedure.
Whenever the restorative procedure occurs, our team is committed to your comfort. We’ll walk you through the process before and during to ensure you understand what’s being done. You’ll have an opportunity to ask questions throughout the procedure.
When everything is complete, you’ll leave with clear instructions on how to care for your teeth and a smile! 😁
What’s the Difference?
Implants vs. Bridges
Both implants and bridges are a solution to replace missing teeth after extractions. Dental implants are permanently connected to your jaw and require surgery using titanium screws. Alternatively, bridges fill in the gaps and “bridge” the space by fusing to adjacent teeth. Both are typically fixed — meaning once they’re in place, they won’t be able to come off.
- Cost – Bridges are more affordable than implants, though the two options are similar in cost. Insurance typically covers a bridge procedure, but there may be slim or no coverage on implants.
- Maintenance – Implants require similar upkeep as bridges, as both are permanently affixed to your mouth and need similar daily cleaning as your natural teeth. Bridges will require special floss to keep the anchor teeth clean. The remaining natural teeth can still develop cavities, but implants cannot decay.
- Durability – Most patients keep their implants forever. Bridges are also long-lasting as long as the adjacent teeth are kept healthy.
- Oral Health – Because dental implants are fixed to your jaw, chewing stimulates the bone and keeps it healthy. With bridges, the lack of stimulation to the bone may lead to shrinkage of the jaw where the missing tooth previously was. We recommend consistent exams to monitor this over time.
Full vs. Partial Dentures
While implants and bridges can replace missing teeth, a full or partial denture is another solution that may work for a large number of missing teeth. Insurance usually covers many situations when we would recommend dentures. There is a bit more maintenance for dentures and may be less durable than a permanent implant or bridge, but this is a great option for affordability and without surgery.
If you’re interested in learning more, call us with questions and we’ll schedule an exam to get you started.
Crowns vs. Bonding
Crowns and resin bonding are solutions for damaged teeth, such as chips or breakage, but crowns are often used in more severe cases of damage or decay. Additionally, crowns can provide additional utility when used with bridges or implants.
- Cost – Crowns are traditionally more expensive because they require more preparation time and a lab custom fabricates the final crown fitting.
- Durability – Bonding tends to be less durable and requires in-office maintenance after several years as compared to the more durable crowns.
We will share our recommendations during your consultation based on your unique situation. When both are an option, bonding is best for time and cost while crowns are best for durability and long-term maintenance.