The Many Benefits of Restorative Dentistry

If your smile needs an update, maybe it’s time to look into restorative dentistry. Whether your issues are cosmetic or functional, a restorative dentist can create the smile of your dreams. 

At Margaret Culotta-Norton, DDS, PC, in Washington, DC, Dr. Culotta Norton and Dr. Peter Grinc can recommend the best combination of restorative dentistry treatments to address all of the issues you may be facing and get your smile back firmly in place. 

Candidates for restorative dentistry

Having imperfect or missing teeth is associated with unhappiness and depression. The more teeth that are damaged or lost, the worse the emotional impact is. In one study,  depression and anxiety plagued adults who had six teeth or more removed. A damaged smile can cause:  

• Low self-esteem
• Poor self-confidence
• Anxiety (especially over public eating, drinking, or speaking)
• Trouble advancing at work
• Feelings of depression
• Social isolation

Restorative dentistry procedures

First, we’ll evaluate your smile and note any issues that are making you feel like you can’t show it. Then we’ll put together a restorative dentistry plan that may include one or more of the following:

Bonding for cosmetic benefits

If your teeth are chipped, cracked, stained, unevenly spaced, or oddly shaped, we can use bonding to cosmetically fix them. Dr. Culotta-Norton will apply an adhesive and composite resin that exactly matches your tooth color to cover flaws and reshape your smile for maximum beauty.  

Crowns for protective benefits

Crowns are often referred to as “restorations,” and are artificial tooth caps that cover your tooth above the gumline. They are used after a root canal, on damaged teeth that are too fractured for a filling, and teeth that are chipped badly or misshapen.

Bridges for structural benefits

Bridges are prosthetic devices designed to replace an entire tooth with an artificial one called a pontic. They are called bridges because they bridge the gap left by a missing tooth. Bridges are held in place by attaching them to the teeth on either side of the gap and preventing those teeth from drifting.

Dentures for arch replacement benefits

Dentures are an oral appliance made of a gum-colored, acrylic base and artificial teeth fabricated from porcelain or resin materials matched to any existing teeth or your ideal color choice. These can be partial, replacing several teeth (that do not have to be adjacent), or full, meaning they replace all of the teeth in your bottom or upper arch, or both. 

Recapping the benefits of restorative dentistry

Tooth loss or damage is known to cause depression and emotional upset. Restorative dentistry not only addresses issues with your teeth or lack of them from a functional standpoint, but makes your smile brilliant and fills out your cheeks and lips attractively, eliminating the “sunken” look.

In addition to enhancing  the appearance of your smile, restorative dentistry can:

• Improve functionality for eating and speaking
• Distribute the force of your bite, helping you avoid jaw pain
• Protect your teeth from shifting into gaps left by missing teeth
• Keep your bite properly aligned for better biting and chewing

Are you ready for the smile of your dreams? Call our office at 202-833-1111 or request an appointment online today.