Are you suffering from a toothache? Restorative dentistry involves treating your tooth pain with services such as root canals, fillings, tooth extractions, and more. Located in Lake Mary, Florida, Dr. Akmal Ahmed at Healthy Smiles of Orlando continues to help his patients alleviate tooth pain and manage their oral health. Call Dr. Ahmed or schedule an appointment online.
Restorative dentistry involves the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of oral diseases. The goal of restorative or prosthodontics is to preserve your natural teeth as much as possible. Dr. Ahmed may suggest a treatment plan to restore decayed, chipped, cracked, discolored, or even missing teeth.
Replacing missing teeth with a dental implant, bridge, or full or partial denture helps promote dental health as well. Filling in empty spaces in the mouth can prevent cavities in the remaining teeth because gaps are vulnerable to a buildup of plaque-causing bacteria. Missing teeth also put extra stress on your remaining natural teeth because you don’t have as much surface area to chew with.
Dr. Ahmed preserves your natural teeth before resorting to full or partial dentures, if possible. This way you won’t have to remove and clean the device regularly. But sometimes full or partial dentures are the better option if you have many missing teeth and you’re not a good candidate for dental implants.
What are some common restorative dentistry procedures?
Dr. Ahmed typically performs restorative procedures including:
Root canal
A root canal is a procedure that repairs severely damaged or infected teeth, often caused by a cracked tooth or a severe cavity. A root canal involves removing the damaged tooth’s pulp, which is the soft tissue inside the tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. The pulp extends from the crown to the tip of your jawbone’s root.
Tooth extraction
Tooth extraction is the removal of your tooth from its socket in the bone. When Dr. Ahmed can’t repair your tooth with a routine filling or a crown, you may need a tooth extraction.
Fillings
There are a variety of treatment options to restore the surface of your teeth or replace a missing tooth. Fillings, for example, often use amalgam to restore the tooth’s surface. Dr. Ahmed usually places amalgams on teeth in the back of the patient’s mouth.
Amalgam fillings are an alloy, which contains mercury or a mercury substitute. Composite fillings, on the other hand, are resins used for tooth-colored restorations and are used on both front and back teeth. Many people prefer these because they blend in better.
Dr. Ahmed uses three types of dental materials to restore your teeth: porcelain, dental amalgam, and composite resin.
What’s the difference between restorative and cosmetic dentistry?
Restorative dentistry fixes structural problems, such as damaged or missing teeth. It includes devices such as dentures, crowns, bridges, and dental implants.
Cosmetic dentistry works to enhance your smile. If you think you have an aesthetic flaw with your smile, cosmetic dentistry can eliminate these problems to boost your confidence and improve your appearance.
Whether you’re in need of a root canal, tooth extraction, or just need a tooth filling, Dr. Ahmed can help. Call Healthy Smiles of Orlando or schedule an appointment online.