There are many types of dental restorations that a dentist may recommend for your teeth. Often times, the differences among the restorations can be difficult to differentiate and understand. Here we discuss the differences among the main types of dental restorations

Sealants

Sealants are very thin resin restorations that are carefully placed on teeth to protect them from cavities. This anesthesia-free, drill-free procedure is quick and extremely effective, and is often recommended to children and teenagers when their adult teeth begin to erupt to protect them from harmful bacteria. The sealant material is placed in the deep grooves of the teeth, where these bacteria typically collect and cause cavities.

Fillings

Fillings are used to conservatively restore teeth after removing a cavity from a tooth. Our office utilizes cosmetic tooth-colored or “white” fillings to restore teeth, so they barely detectable to the human eye. Fillings were previously restored with silver or amalgam, which are not too esthetic and often times break or cause cracks within the teeth. If you currently have any silver fillings, it is important to have them checked every 6 months to make sure they do not have any complications that could harm your teeth. The advantage of fillings are that they are small and conservative, and are the optimal choice for conserving as much of your tooth structure as possible.

Veneers

Veneers are a thin shell or façade that is placed on the front of tooth to change its appearance, such as making a tooth longer, wider, whiter, etc. Veneers are a great way to cosmetically enhance your smile in a uniform manner. There are two main types of veneers that patients may choose from: composite veneers and porcelain veneers. Composite veneers are made from resin and are hand-molded and designed by your dentist. Porcelain veneers are stronger thin shells that are made by a ceramist at an external dental laboratory. These porcelain veneers are then cemented onto the patient’s teeth by their dentist. Although both types of veneers achieve great esthetic results, porcelain veneers are more expensive since they involve an external laboratory, so patients often make their decisions for the type of veneer they want based on cost.

Inlays & Onlays

Inlays and onlays are like porcelain puzzle pieces that are used to restore a tooth after cavity removal. They are often used to treat medium or large sized cavities that are too large to be treated with a filling. The porcelain inlay/onlay is also made by an external dental laboratory, and is then carefully cemented by the dentist onto the tooth.

Crowns

Crowns are cosmetic tooth-shaped caps that are placed on top of a tooth with a large defect or cavity. They are fabricated by an external laboratory, and can be made from different materials such as porcelain or zirconia. These restorations are extremely strong and offer structural protection for compromised teeth which may otherwise break without a crown.

Bridges

Bridges are one method to replace missing teeth, when a patient is not a candidate for an implant. They consist of several crowns which are fused together. The teeth on either side of the missing tooth receive crowns, which then anchor a middle “fake” tooth between them to make it seem that there is a tooth present. Bridges are made by an external dental laboratory from porcelain or zirconia, and are carefully inserted with cement by your dentist. Bridges are a convenient and esthetic way to replace your missing tooth within the matter of just a few weeks, and can be completed in as little as 2 appointments.