Restorative Dentistry

An Olympia restorative dentist like Dr. Bath may perform a simple tooth filling to restore a damaged tooth, or he may need to create a full set of teeth for an edentulous patient using dental implants and dental crowns. There are so many tooth restoration options today, and with missing teeth being a much more common problem than you might think, it’s essential that we stay at the forefront of new restorative dentistry techniques and technology.

Dental restorations are performed to save teeth and gum tissue. You may need any of the following to restore full function to your damaged or missing teeth:

Fillings: The sooner a cavity is filled, the less likely it will get bigger. Tooth-colored fillings are so much more attractive than the metal fillings of the past.

Dental crowns: A damaged tooth can be saved with a crown, commonly called a “cap.” When crowns are placed, Dr. Bath removes some of the enamel from the tooth, and the crown is placed on top of the tooth. Your CEREC® (same-day) dental crown will look, function, and feel like your natural tooth; crowns allow the tooth’s natural root to stay in place and are a common restorative dentistry procedure.

Dental bridges: A dental bridge is an artificial tooth suspended between two crowns. The bridge is held in place by crowns over the existing teeth on either side of the bridge or by dental implants.

Inlays: Dental inlays are usually made of ceramic, porcelain, or resin composite material and fit perfectly into a hole in the damaged tooth. They are strong and often the best option for treating cavities.

Onlays: Onlays are often used to restore damaged or decayed cusps on teeth. Teeth are made up of many rounded elevations, ridges, depressions, and grooves. The cusp is the elevated part of the tooth found on the occlusal surfaces of molars and premolars and the incisal surfaces of canines. Your canine teeth have one cusp, premolars typically have two or three cusps, and most molars have three to five cusps. Some teeth have multiple cusps, so each cusp is named according to its location on the tooth (occlusal, incisal, etc.).

The benefits of dental restorations are numerous:

Dr. Bath is an implant dentist, so replacing missing teeth is a huge part of our practice. You may be surprised to learn that millions of Americans face tooth loss each year; some of our patients only miss a couple of teeth, while others miss a full set or single arch of teeth. Regardless of the severity of your tooth loss, Dr. Bath can help. He has undergone extensive training and education in implant dentistry and utilizes the most innovative dental technology to replace missing teeth with high-quality, long-lasting dental implants.

As you read, please remember that every patient’s dental implant journey is unique to their circumstances and goals. Here, you will find general information to help you learn about implant dentistry at Impressions Dentistry, serving Olympia, Washington, and surrounding communities.

A dental implant is an artificial tooth and tooth root system. The implant root is typically made of titanium, a biocompatible metal that bonds with the jaw bone to form a stable hold. The root is surgically placed in the jaw, and a dental crown is attached to the top as the final step of the dental implant process. The dental implant looks and functions like a natural tooth and is often considered the best tooth replacement option.

Dental bone grafting may be necessary if there is insufficient bone mass to support and stabilize dental implants. Any number of events may lead to bone loss or insufficient bone mass. You may have experienced trauma to the bone, have periodontal disease, or maybe genetics or some other medical condition that has affected your bone density.

The bone grafting procedure is quite simple. We will explain what happens every step of the way; you will not feel pain during the implant procedure due to local anesthetics. Once the area is sufficiently numb, a small incision will be made through the gum so Dr. Bath can access the area where the bone loss occurred.

The bone grafting material goes directly onto the bone loss area under your gum tissue and then is covered to secure it. After a few tiny stitches, the dental implant procedure is complete; your bone graft will heal. Restorative dentistry is a large part of our practice because so many people face tooth loss yearly, and no one wants to be without teeth.