Restorative Therapies

The incidence of tooth decay (cavities) has significantly diminished over the years due to the use of fluorides, sealants, and an increase patient awareness. However, teeth are still susceptible to decay, infection, and breakage and sometimes need to be restored back to health. There are many different types of restorative materials available today which correct these various problems.

Fillings

Decay, when diagnosed early, typically causes very little or no pain to the area. At this stage, treatment is less involved and less costly.

There are many types of filling materials available, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. We always recommend the most durable and least invasive restorations for our patients.

This type of therapy is used to resolve infections involving the nerve of the tooth. The nerve and other pulp tissues within a tooth become infected by one or a combination of the following: a large area of decay, a deep gum infection (periodontitis), and/or trauma to the tooth.

During this therapy the infected pulp tissue is removed and the inside of the tooth is smoothed, cleaned and filled with a soft "tissue friendly" material called "gutta-percha". Surprisingly, root canals still have a bad reputation for causing pain. In most cases root canals cause little discomfort. Typically, it is the pain from the infection prior to therapy that has caused a negative association with root canals. With our advanced techniques and modern instruments, root canal treatments are done more quickly and predictably.