Restorative Dentistry

Stellenwerf Dental Studio provides comprehensive restorative dentistry services. Here is a closer look at each procedure and what the patient can expect:

• Dental implants – Dental implants are a permanent restorative dentistry solution that can replace a complete tooth structure, from root to crown. Implants consist of three components – the screw, the abutment and the crown. The screw and abutment are made from titanium, and the screw is inserted directly into the jawbone for maximum stability, comfort and utility. The abutment connects the screw to the crown, which looks and functions like a natural tooth.

  Dental implants are recommended for more than cosmetic reasons. People who are missing teeth all the way down to the root are at an elevated risk of additional dental problems. Bone density loss in the jaw is one example. Another example is a malformed bite that places additional stresses on other teeth, potentially leading to damage and more lost teeth.

  It typically takes several appointments to place dental implants, but once installed, you’ll have a natural-looking smile and a restored bite, so you can enjoy the foods you love.

• Dental crowns and bridges – Dental crowns and bridges replace one or more missing (or damaged) teeth, therefore restoring appearance and function in the oral cavity. Crowns are like caps placed on a single tooth, while bridges replace multiple missing teeth by anchoring on top of existing teeth in the mouth.

  
  Modern crowns and bridges are designed to look and feel like real teeth, so they will improve bite function and prevent additional dental issues, while also enhancing aesthetics. To place a dental bridge or crown, your dentist will first need to prepare the existing tooth – or teeth – to accommodate the replacement. This means shaping the existing tooth and etching the surface to facilitate a strong bond between the existing tooth and replacement.

• Full and partial dentures – Full and partial dentures are prosthetic dental devices that can replace all or several lost teeth when placed in the mouth. High quality dentures look like natural teeth, even when the mouth is open, and can be used with confidence. Dentures also improve speech clarity, facilitate better digestion (due to more complete chewing), and improve facial definition (by preventing sagging).
  
  

  The key to effective, comfortable dentures is to ensure they fit the patient’s mouth perfectly. To guarantee this for our patients, we will first take dental impressions of the patient’s bite and send these off to a lab. There, custom dentures are fabricated for the patient to produce an ideal fit and then sent back to our practice.

• Smile makeover services – Our smile makeover services offer a comprehensive approach to improve the look and function of your teeth. Every patient’s restorative dentistry needs are different, so we customize our treatment regimen for each person individually. This may include teeth whitening, placing porcelain veneers, shaping or contouring the gums or replacing metal fillings with composite fillings that are perfectly color matched to the teeth.
  
  
• TMJ treatment and Botox injections for jaw pain – The temporomandibular (TMJ) joint acts like a hinge for your jaw, connecting the lower jawbone to the skull and allowing the jaw to open and close. It’s also a common source of orofacial pain for many people. If you hear a clicking when you open your jaw or feel discomfort when chewing, Stellenwerf Dental Studio can determine the source of your jaw pain and recommend various pain-relieving treatments. This may involve imaging your jaw to see if there are any anatomical issues and studying your bite pattern to check for misalignment.
  
  

  Depending on the cause of your temporomandibular disorder, our team may recommend a night guard to prevent night-time teeth grinding (bruxism) or Botox injections, which have shown clinical efficacy in treating jaw pain.