For Patients
Fact Sheets
Need to fill that gap?
Understanding the benefits of major restorative dentistry.
When you are out in public, do you purse
your lips to keep your dentures or partial in
place, or to hide unsightly teeth or gaps in
your smile caused by missing teeth? If the
answer is yes, you may he a candidate for
major restorative dentistry.
What does this mean?
Simply put, major restorative dentistry
involves treating patients with serious
dental problems by making use of such
treatments as crowns, bridges, dentures,
or dental implants.
Dental crowns
Crowns, or "caps" as they are sometimes
called, are usually the foundation of major
restorative dental treatments. Once a
diagnosis has been made, a patient may
have a crown or "cap" made for a single
tooth in as little as two appointments.
At the first appointment, the tooth is
anesthetized (frozen) and gently shaped
to form the base for a specific type
of crown. Impressions are made and a
temporary crown is placed over the tooth.
At the second appointment, the permanent
crown is fitted to the tooth and cemented
in place. Some patients may need several
of their teeth crowned. If this is the case,
the treatment may require several visits.
Dental crowns can be made with all
porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or all
metal (the metal can be either gold or
a metal alloy). Your dentist will advise you
as to which type is best for your needs.
Dental crowns are attractive and should
provide years of good service. The durability
makes the initial cost of treatment a sound
investment in your dental health.
Dental bridges
To replace one or more missing teeth,
replacement teeth are permanently anchored
to crowns placed on neighbouring strong
healthy teeth.
Dental implants
An alternative to replace a missing tooth is
the modern dental implant. A dental implant
is a sterile basket, one quarter the size of a
thimble, made from medical grade titanium.
Your dentist or dental specialist will place
the implant in the jaw, most often with local
anesthesia (freezing).
When your dentist assesses you for
implants, you will decide together how
many implants will be placed. Special fittings (implant posts) are threaded into the
implants. The implant can then be used to
hold a crown in place, or if there is more
than one implant post, they can serve as
anchors for a specialty designed bar which
connects one implant post to another.
A denture is attached to this bar with special
clips. These clips hold the denture in place
very securely, while allowing for the removal
of the denture for easy cleaning of the bar,
posts and implants.
If enough implants can be placed and
spaced out properly, a special fixed bridge
can be constructed to thread into the
implants.
In this way you can eliminate the need for
a denture and return to the comfort,
security, rigidity and function that would
normally have been available to you with
natural teeth.
To find out more about
major restorative options,
talk to your dentist.
We
care about you
and your teeth.
This information courtesy of your Manitoba Dentist.