Restorative dentistry

At some point in your life, you will likely need some kind of restorative dentistry care.
Fillings, crowns, inlays, and onlays are all common procedures used to increase the strength and function of your teeth when damage has occurred. Our advanced restorative services will strengthen your smile and improve functionality. We are experts in solving complex cases and can provide you with beautiful, lasting results.

Crowns

Crowns are used to restore and enhance teeth that are damaged. They can also be used to replace missing teeth in some cases.

A crown, also sometimes referred to as a cap, is used to entirely cover a damaged tooth. A crown not only strengthens the tooth, but it can also dramatically improve the tooth’s appearance, shape and overall alignment.

CROWNS MAY BE USED TO…

  • Replace a large filling when there is little tooth structure remaining
  • Protect a weak tooth from fracturing
  • Restore a fractured tooth
  • Attach a bridge
  • Cover a dental implant
  • Cover a discolored or poorly-shaped tooth
  • Cover a tooth that has had root canal treatment

CEREC same-day crowns

Crowns used to be a multi week process where patients were required to wait and often endure uncomfortable pain while waiting for their crown to be made at an offsite lab. At Summit, we have invested in advanced CAD/CAM technology that allows us to design, fabricate, and place a crown in the SAME DAY!

CAD/CAM stands for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing. This specialized computer tooling allows the dentist to use an intraoral scanner to take a digital scan of a tooth that has been prepared to receive a crown. Using special software, the data from the scan is then measured and used to fabricate a custom crown. CAD/CAM technology also enables us to not only create precise and custom crowns, but inlays and onlays as well.

Bridges

A bridge is one or more artificial teeth that are cemented into place using existing real teeth on either side for support. Bridges are often a good choice for filling the space created by a missing tooth. A bridge replaces the missing tooth both functionally and cosmetically.

Bridges can be made out of gold alloys, porcelain bonded to a metal alloy, or an all-ceramic material that is made to match your natural tooth color. The choice of material depends on bridge’s requirements for strength, wear, and/or esthetics.

Implants

A dental implant is an ideal option for tooth restoration when a patient is completely missing one or more teeth for reasons such as injury or periodontal disease.

Implant placement

A dental implant is an ideal option for tooth restoration when a patient is completely missing one or more teeth for reasons such as injury or periodontal disease.

To begin the implant process, a metal post is surgically positioned into the jaw. This post acts as a permanent “root” for the implanted tooth. Once in place, the surrounding bone and tissue needs time to heal.

Implant placement requires advanced training, as it is a surgical procedure. Our Summit Team is highly skilled in implant placements to meet your dental needs.

Implant restoration

After the metal post is placed for a dental implant, an implant restoration is performed. An implant restoration is typically completed with a replacement crown.

An abutment will first be added to your implant, on top of which your new crown will be attached. We will work carefully to ensure that your new crown looks, acts and feels like a natural tooth in your mouth.

While implants are typically more expensive than other methods of tooth replacement, they provide superior benefits. Implants are stronger than natural teeth are often a more favorable approach than bridgework, because they do not depend on neighboring teeth for support.

Full-mouth restoration

Full mouth rehabilitation is the process of rebuilding or restoring the teeth on the upper and lower jaws.

It is an encompassing procedure that can consist of a number of treatment options including veneers, crowns, bridges and dental implants. A full mouth rehabilitation procedure is typically something that someone needs due to extreme pain or discomfort. If you have experienced the following issues, you may benefit from full mouth rehabilitation:

  • Teeth lost to decay or damage
  • Teeth that are currently injured and cause pain
  • Teeth that are worn from acid-erosion or grinding
  • Ongoing issues and pain of jaw, head, and neck

Complete and partial dentures

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. There are two types of dentures available: partial dentures and complete dentures.

Partial dentures fill in missing teeth while complete dentures are used to replace all the teeth. Partial and complete dentures are made to resemble your natural teeth to allow for consistency in your appearance. In many cases, partials and dentures may even improve your smile!

Complete Dentures
This restoration method is used to restore smile and mouth function if all teeth have been lost. The complete dentures are custom created and natural looking. They function in place of your original teeth. Complete dentures are removable and may require adjustments in order to create a proper fit with the gums and mouth.

Partial Dentures
A removable partial denture is used when one or more natural teeth still remain in the upper or lower jaw. Made of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, partials help restore better functionality to the mouth. Partial dentures are removable and may require adjustments in order to create a proper fit with the gums and mouth.

Root canal

Root canal treatment (also referred to as root canal therapy or endodontic therapy) is used to save an infected or damaged tooth and avoid having to remove it. A root canal becomes necessary when bacteria from a cavity reaches all the way to the pulp at the center of the tooth, causing the pulp and/or surrounding area to become infected.

Trauma can also cause deep damage to the nerve of a tooth. Once this occurs, the pulp becomes infected and begins to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is called an abscess). Infected pulp must be treated and cannot heal on its own. In many cases, an abscess can even weaken the entire immune system, making it very dangerous and painful. Symptoms of infected pulp/abscess may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, pain when biting, irregular pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth.

A root canal is performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the canals of the tooth. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) is filled to prevent any further infection. Crowns are usually recommended to cover and restore a tooth after root canal therapy.