Tooth restorations are the various ways your dentist can replace missing teeth or repair missing parts of the tooth structure. Tooth structure can be missing due to decay, deterioration of a previously placed restoration, or fracture of a tooth. Examples of restorations include the following:
Fillings are the most common type of dental restoration. Teeth can be filled with gold, silver amalgam, or tooth-colored plastic materials called composite resin fillings.
Crowns are a tooth-shaped "cap" that is placed over a tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, appearance, to hold a bridge in place or cover a dental implant.
Bridges are false teeth that are designed to "bridge" the gap d by one or more missing teeth. Bridges can be anchored on either side by crowns and cemented permanently into place.
Implants are replacement tooth roots. Implants are actually a small post made of metal that are placed into the bone socket where teeth are missing. The implant is covered with a replacement tooth called a crown.
Dentures are a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. They are made of acrylic resin sometimes combined with metal attachments. Complete dentures replace all the teeth; partial dentures are considered when some natural teeth remain and are retained by metal clasps attached to the natural teeth.
