Tooth-Colored Restorations
Dentist in Manchester, MO
One of the best innovations of modern dentistry is tooth-colored restorations.
Gone are the days of metal fillings or metal-and-porcelain crowns diminishing the appearance of your smile. We now use composite resin or zirconium to restore cavities, restore damaged teeth, and enhance your smile.
Not only are these materials more esthetic, they’re also more durable because they can be bonded directly to your tooth with the loss of less tooth structure required. Here are some of the high quality materials you will find us using at Stanford Dental.
Composite Resin Fillings
Composite resin is now the material of choice for filling the cavities left in your teeth by tooth decay. Composite is pliable, easy for Dr. Carron to work with, and it can be customized to perfectly match the natural color of your tooth.
Unlike metal fillings of the past, composite preserves more of your natural tooth structure since it can be bonded directly to your tooth. This also makes it more durable because it doesn’t pull away from the tooth due to temperature changes in your mouth like metal fillings can.
Composite can also be used for dental bonding, a cosmetic treatment used to address issues such as:
- Gaps or spacing between your teeth
- Stains or discoloration
- Tooth size or shape discrepancies
- Excessive wear
- Slight misalignment issues
- Small chips or fractures
Dental Veneers
Veneers are very thin layers of porcelain that are designed to fit over your tooth to cover many of the same imperfections that bonding does. The difference is that a veneer can also change the shade, size, and shape of your tooth, which allows you to the opportunity to redesign your smile.
Like composite fillings, veneers are also be bonded directly to your tooth. They can be used to repair one or two teeth, or they can completely enhance your entire smile.
Microdentistry
Dr. Carron follows a philosophy of microdentistry, which means that he looks for any concerns such as tooth decay in its earliest stage. He recommends that you treat issues like cavities right away because it allows him to preserve more of your natural tooth structure, which helps keep your tooth strong and healthy.
Advanced Technology
Dr. Carron uses a tool called the Diagnodent at every routine examination. The Diagnodent utilizes laser technology to detect tooth decay in its earliest stages, often before it can even be seen during an examination. Early detection also benefits our patients since their treatment will be less costly and less invasive early on.
When decay is detected early, Dr. Carron can often utilize a technique called air abrasion. This procedure uses a powerful blast of air to remove decay and clean out the tooth for a filling. When using air abrasion, it’s often not necessary to use dental anesthetic so patients don’t have to be numb, and they also don’t have to endure the dental drill since air abrasion removes all the decay.
At Stanford Dental, we utilize the best materials and most advanced technology because we have your best interests at heart. We hope that with consistent preventative care and treatment early on, we will help you avoid many of the dental issues that require more complex treatment procedures.
