Dental restoration aims to restore the functionality of the mouth and teeth. It includes various dental procedures that repair damaged or missing tooth structures resulting from poor oral hygiene, infection, or trauma to the teeth or gums. There are two types of dental restorations: direct and indirect.

Besides restoring the mouth to a functional state, dental restoration also aims to preserve as much of the patient’s natural teeth as possible. Patients may experience missing tooth structure due to decay, chips or fractures, or deterioration of a previously placed restoration. Dental restorations can help fix such problems.

A direct dental restoration is one that is created and placed entirely within the mouth. During this process, we will replace small amounts of damaged tooth structure with a filling. Once the filling is in place, our dentist will harden the material with ultraviolet light to create a permanent seal that restores tooth functionality by preventing reinfection or further damage.

There are various types of filling options, including:

• Amalgam: Durable mixture of mercury, tin, copper, or silver, though not tooth-colored.
• Cast gold: Strong and long-lasting (15+ years), but more expensive.
• Ceramic: Porcelain-based and stain-resistant.
• Composite: Tooth-colored resin offering strength and a natural appearance.
• Glass ionomer: Silicate glass powder used for temporary fillings or areas near the gum line.

Indirect dental restorations are fabricated outside of the mouth before being placed at the treatment site. These customized restorations include:

• Bridges: Replace one or more missing teeth by anchoring to adjacent teeth.
• Crowns: Tooth-shaped caps that restore shape, size, strength, and appearance.
• Implants: Artificial tooth roots that support replacement teeth for a natural look and function.
• Inlays: Custom-fit fillings that replace minor tooth structure loss within the cusps.
• Onlays: Partial crowns covering one or more cusps to repair extensive decay.
• Veneers: Thin front-of-tooth coverings that restore appearance of stained or chipped teeth.

Dental restoration can repair teeth weakened by decay or trauma and prevent further complications. Direct restorations (fillings) stop decay while preserving tooth structure. Indirect restorations—crowns, bridges, implants—are needed when fillings alone are insufficient to restore function.

Ideal candidates for restoration have localized structural damage. Our dentist evaluates factors such as damage type, extent, and location to recommend direct or indirect restorations. Patients lacking sufficient tooth structure often benefit from crowns, bridges, or implant-supported solutions.