Restorative Dentistry
Dr. Cole and the team at Integrity Dental emphasize prevention as the first line of defense against dental disease. Even if you visit our Farmington dental practice regularly and take care of your teeth diligently at home, problems may still arise. Restorative dentistry provides relief for patients who suffer common dental health problems. Rest assured that Dr. Cole provides a wide range of restorative dentistry procedures to treat the conditions affecting your teeth and gums.
Modern dental restorations are designed to look and feel natural, improving appearance as well as oral health. When cavities attack your teeth, Dr. Cole will remove the infection and use natural-looking tooth-colored fillings. Root canal therapy is an effective restorative dentistry procedure that removes the damaged pulp, or nerve, to relieve pressure and pain.
Dental crowns are a typical restorative dentistry procedure used to strengthen cracked, chipped, or damaged teeth. When the tooth is too compromised for a filling or structurally unsound, Dr. Cole will use a dental crown to return health and function. Each restoration is handcrafted to match the size, shape, and color of your existing teeth blending seamlessly with your smile.
If your smile is missing teeth, restorative dentistry procedures may be used to replace them. Dr. Cole uses dental implants, a modern tooth replacement option that includes a surgically planted post topped with a dental crown. Dental implants have many benefits over traditional options, such as crown and bridgework. Dentures or partials can replace an entire missing arch of teeth, and implant-retained dentures may offer you a whole new way of smiling.
If you are nervous about visiting our Farmington restorative dentistry practice, talk to Dr. Cole or one of the Integrity Dental team members about sedation dentistry. Designed to calm you, oral sedation and nitrous oxide provide a deep level of relaxation so that you can receive the care you need. We have had many patients who had a fear of dentists and now fall asleep in the dental chair because Dr. Cole is so gentle and their level of trust has been built on the comfort of our office.
Quality, comfort, and integrity are important aspects of our restorative dentistry offerings. We strive to develop a good working relationship, and provide education and motivation that helps you to maintain great oral health. Restorative dentistry is just one way to accomplish a lifetime of healthy smiles. Contact our restorative dentistry practice for you appointment today.
Dental Crowns & Bridges
Dental crowns are complex restorations that fit over the top of damaged teeth to replace lost dental structure, prevent the need for tooth extraction. Dental crowns are available in a variety of materials. We offer gold crowns, porcelain bonded to metal, and all-ceramic restorations. The material we recommend will depend in large part on the size and location of the damaged tooth. Before we begin treatment, our team will evaluate patients’ smiles, and help them determine what the best material is to meet their needs. We may recommend dental crown restoration in the following cases:
- Decay or damage too severe to be repaired with more conservative options such as fillings
- To protect teeth and restore strength following root canal therapy
- Concealing cosmetic flaws that are not easily improved by less invasive means
- To replace one or more consecutive missing teeth as part of fixed bridge tooth replacement or dental implant supported crown and bridge
Tooth-Colored Fillings
Following minor decay or damage, we will likely recommend a filling to replace the lost dental structure. In the past, we used durable, amalgam materials, but in addition to being visually unappealing, these metal fillings had a number of disadvantages for oral health. They required the removal of a greater amount of healthy tooth structure to create wedges that hold these fillings in position, and amalgam expands and contracts with temperature changes causing teeth to break or allowing bacteria to access the tooth. This is why we recommend the cosmetically superior solution – tooth-colored fillings. Not only do they blend seamlessly into patients’ natural smile line, but they are also a more conservative solution. The composite resin material is shaded to match the natural color of teeth, and we apply the resin directly to damaged teeth. Once the putty-like material is shaped into place, we use a curing light to harden it, and then, we polish and seal the treated tooth, leaving patients with beautiful smiles.
Dentures & Partials
Patients with extensive tooth loss can experience a number of negative dental and whole body health effects including inability to consume a well-rounded diet, difficulty speaking clearly, lack of confidence while smiling or speaking, and more. Partial and full dentures replace any number of missing teeth or a full arch to restore oral health. Dentures are tooth replacement prosthetics crafted by combining replacement teeth with a gum colored base to replace a number of teeth with one prosthetic. Partials are shaped to fill gaps in patients’ smiles, and they are held in place with metal clasps connected to remaining healthy teeth. When a full denture is needed, there are no remaining teeth to support the prosthetic. Instead, the base is shaped to fit snuggly against the gums, creating suction. This suction holds the denture in place, and some patients also utilize a small amount of denture adhesive to improve stability.
Root Canals
When patients experience severe toothache or lingering sensitivity to changes in temperature, they may need a root canal. While these procedures have a bad reputation for being painful, they actually significantly relieve toothache pain by removing the source of discomfort – the nerve system of the tooth that has been accessed by decay or damage.
Teeth Extractions
We work hard to provide preventive and restorative treatments that allow patients to keep their teeth for life, but in some situations, the best solution to maintain overall oral health is extraction. Dr. Cole only recommends extraction when the loss of one or more teeth is necessary to benefit patients’ oral health. The most common reasons we extract teeth include:
- Decay or trauma that has damaged too much of the tooth to be repaired with fillings, crowns, or other restorations
- Decay or damage that has accessed surrounding teeth, gums, and other tissues
- Preparation for orthodontic correction where crowding is a concern may necessitate the extraction of one or more teeth to allow for the comfortable repositioning of teeth
- Before creating or placing a partial or full denture teeth that may create issues or that are likely to be lost over time may be extracted to ensure the integrity and longevity of the denture
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
The most commonly extracted teeth are wisdom teeth. This third set of molars are the last to erupt into the smile line, and the jaw may not have adequate space to accommodate this final set of teeth. When this is the case, patients may experience crowding, shifting bite alignment, and inability of teeth to erupt (impaction). To prevent these issues, we may recommend extraction.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder that effects millions of US adults each year. It is characterized by the cessation of breathing for ten or more seconds at a time throughout the night. Sleep doctors use continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to force air into the lungs keeping the airway unobstructed during sleep. However, the sensations and sounds that accompany the use of CPAP can be difficult for patient to adjust to. We offer comfortable oral appliances that shift the jaw forward to keep the airway clear and unobstructed.