Dental crowns and other restorative service are customised to your needs and preferences at Kensington Dental

Dental crowns may seem like a “go-to” procedure for badly-damaged and badly-decayed teeth. While versatile, Kensington Dental understands the progressive nature of oral conditions like decay.

Not all patients benefit from dental crowns, however many patients benefit from restorative services at Kensington Dental.

Restorative dentistry refers to crowns and a wide range of other procedures. Imagine any way your tooth can be restored to its natural beauty and function, and it probably falls under the restoration category. Generally, Dr. Deepak Joshi and his associates practice conservative dentistry. A more conservative type of restoration is recommended before an invasive or fuller coverage option – as long as that conservative treatment holds up well over time. If there is any question as to how that treatment will support the structure and integrity of the tooth, your dentist will recommend the option that is a “step up” from the more conservative restoration.

Rebuilding a tooth, partially or entirely

The type of restoration recommended for you depends on the amount of damage your tooth has sustained. The more extensive the damage, the more artificial tooth structure is needed to restore an attractive appearance, a natural feel, and healthy function. Today’s dental materials and technologies recreate teeth that look and feel indistinguishable from natural teeth. The more natural tooth structure that is preserved, the better off you’ll be, because even the most advanced techniques and technologies are inferior to what developed naturally. For this reason, we emphasise the best restoration is no restoration.

Kensington Dental practices preventive dentistry. Recall appointments give your dentist the opportunity to detect problems that may be silent in their earliest stages, so they can be addressed before they threaten the integrity of your tooth. If there is a time that you need a portion of your tooth restored, you may be a candidate for a dental crown, or one of the procedures listed below may be more suitable.

• Fillings – The first trouble sign for your tooth is enamel erosion. You may experience sensitivity, and your teeth may appear discoloured or more transparent. When plaque caused by bacteria, sugars and starches attacks your teeth, tiny openings or holes develop in the enamel. These cavities get larger and affect the deeper dentin layers of your tooth if they aren’t treated appropriately. Treatment comes down to applying a dental material to “fill in” the damaged areas.
• Inlays – If the area to be filled in is large, you may benefit from the next step up in restorative care: dental inlays. Durable and tooth-like dental material is applied within the grooved areas between the points or cusps. The less artificial tooth structure for the natural tooth to bond to, the better. A large cavity generally requires more artificial structure and may not hold up as well as a smaller filling or an inlay. Large fillings are also prone to recurrent decay.
• Onlays – Similar to inlays, onlays cover the area and at least one of the points or cusps. Patients who have more extensive damage may be suitable candidates for onlays, because they provide greater coverage and support to the damaged tooth structure. In fact, onlays are called “partial crowns,” as they are more conservative than a full-coverage dental crown.
• Crowns – A dental crown is generally advised if a significant amount of tooth structure must be replaced. The crown replicates your natural tooth in both form and function. Made by a skilled ceramist in a dental lab, crowns are bonded to prepared tooth structure. Kensington Dental’s lab uses many different types of materials to create crowns, including porcelain, porcelain-fused-to-metal, and gold. Crowns fit snugly, yet comfortably over natural structure, similar to how a cap fits over your head. Crowns can restore oral health following root canal therapy, or restore the look of badly-broken, poorly-shaped or very discoloured teeth.
• Tooth replacement – Crowns are necessary for bridges and dental implants. When placed over teeth adjacent to a missing tooth, crowns provide support to the replacement tooth or pontic in a basic bridge system. Likewise, crowns cover implants. Placed in the jawbone, implants stand in for tooth roots and provide support to the overlying crowns.

Still other types of restorations, such as porcelain veneers, are popular cosmetic treatments that cover chips, gaps, and stubborn stains. Are you a candidate for crowns or a more (or less) conservative option? Call (905) 791-7549 to find out.