Feeling confident about your smile and your oral health is important. That’s why restorative dentistry is a great path to explore if you or someone you know is feeling unsatisfied with the look and feel of their teeth.
Perhaps you have lost teeth in an accident or as the result of disease. Restorative dentistry and its incorporated procedures can be a positive solution. Read on to learn more about restorative dentistry, some of the common procedures that people get done, and how you might be able to make it work for you.
What is Restorative Dentistry?
People often refer to restorative dentistry as an integrated type of dentistry. This is because it integrates numerous areas such as periodontics, endodontics, and prosthodontics. Restorative dentistry also integrates different types of care and management systems.
Restorative dentistry also focuses on the management and understanding of different oral health diseases and how they affect the teeth and related structures. Restorative dentistry aims at repairing the damages in order to return those teeth and structures to a functional level.
In the process, a person’s smile also returns to a more normal and aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Types of Dental Restoration
When it comes to understanding what restorative dentistry is and what kind of specific procedures might be right for you, there are two main types of dental restoration: direct and indirect.
Direct dental restoration typically includes faster and more immediate procedures such as fillings. A dentist will fill a tooth cavity and the type of filling depends on the type of cavity and where it is in the mouth.
Indirect dental restoration is usually more involved and may take more than one visit to complete. Indirect restoration includes more customized options such as onlays, inlays, and crowns.
Picking the Right Facility for You
Once you decide that you would like to receive dental restoration procedures, one of the most important steps is finding a practice to entrust yourself to.
With any healthcare physician, you need to find someone and somewhere that is going to best fit your needs. That’s why it is important to do a little bit of research. Many dental practices have publicly posted information available to look through to gain some insight, such as a company website. For example, the website from Inside the Smile features content for interested new patients. Furthermore, these sites can help you learn about the various options you may have so that when you do meet with a dentist, you will be prepared with relevant questions and be able to express your specific preferences.
Understanding Costs and Insurance
Depending on where you live, you may or may not be able to get your insurance to cover restorative dental procedures. In some countries, the national dental health organizations there don’t recognize restorative dentistry as an official branch of regulated dentistry.
Sometimes it depends on the specific situation or circumstance that caused a need for tooth restoration that might qualify you for insurance coverage. Before getting any restorative dental work done, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your insurance and see if it’s something covered under your plan.
Whether you will get insurance coverage or not, if you decide to move forward with restorative dentistry, talk with your dentist to understand the different costs involved and what procedures might work for your budget and your needs. Many dentist offices will offer various payment plans to make the procedure more financially manageable.
Some Benefits of Restorative Dentistry
At the end of the day, the decision to have restorative dental work done is a big decision and should be thoroughly thought through before pursuing. But there are many benefits of restorative dentistry that might make it the right choice for you.
Restorative dentistry usually rehabilitates areas that were affected by past dental issues or injuries. However, restorative dentistry can, in many ways, also prevent future issues from occurring by strengthening and improving different structures in your mouth.
Another benefit of restorative dentistry is that it can build confidence. When you have a smile that feels nice and looks nice, it will definitely boost your self-esteem. If you have been self-conscious about smiling for pictures, you won’t have to worry about that anymore.
