Dental Restorations in Santa Rosa, CA & Petaluma, CA
There’s no denying that teeth are strong, designed to endure the forces of constant chewing and speaking. Even so, teeth can still chip, crack, become infected, or fall out. As your trusted team for skilled dentistry, it’s our goal at Santa Fe Dental Group to always try to save your teeth that can be saved and only replace those which cannot through top-quality dental restorations.
Whether addressing minor decay, replacing missing teeth completely, or reestablishing oral health after infection or trauma, Dr. Jorge Vasquez-Garcia and his dedicated team provide customizable restorative treatments to help renew the function, beauty, and health of your entire smile.
If you’re experiencing dental pain, discomfort, or suspect you need restorative care, contact our dental offices in Santa Rosa or Petaluma to schedule your appointment! We have the skill, technology, and compassion to restore your smile like new!
CALL US: (707) 536-3685 REQUEST APPOINTMENT
Why is Dental Restoration Necessary?
Whether due to a car accident, being used as tools, or a sports injury, teeth can be damaged and need prompt and effective treatment by a professional. If you postpone care, your teeth may be vulnerable to more serious infection, pain, and even loss.
Dental decay, or cavities, can progress into further concern if the inner workings of your tooth are exposed. This can lead to nerve and tissue inflammation. Restorative procedures, like root canal therapy, are used to remove the infection and preserve as much natural tooth structure as possible.
With restorative dentistry, not only can our team remove infection, we can restore damaged teeth, replace ones lost, and alleviate dental pain, so you can get back to smiling with renewed confidence.
What Dental Restorations Are Available?
From minor repairs to complete smile rejuvenation, we offer the following treatment for professional dental restoration:
Which Restoration Treatment is Right for My Smile?
When choosing the best restoration option for your smile, we first take the time to fully understand your needs and concerns, as well as what you hope to achieve during treatment. After a detailed discussion, our dentists then analyze your current oral health and your medical history.
During dental examinations, we use advanced equipment like intraoral cameras and digital imaging to help you understand why we are recommending certain restorations for you. Ultimately, we’ll make a recommendation based on a variety of important factors.
The top three considerations when choosing the most ideal restoration option for you include:
- The current condition of the tooth
- How much of the natural tooth structure can be saved
- The likeliness of future damage or decay
The strength of your tooth’s remaining structure is important. For example; composite fillings are excellent if most of your tooth structure is in good shape. If your tooth is weakened due to fractures or more extensive damage, a crown may be the better choice.
Whatever treatment we recommend, you can rest easy knowing we combine exceptional treatments with the highest quality materials to restore your smile effectively.
What Options are Available for Replacing Missing Teeth?
When you visit our office for tooth replacement, we examine your teeth, gums, and jawbone strength to determine which treatment is best for you.
At Santa Fe Dental Group, our options for tooth replacement include:
Dental Implants
Implants serve as artificial tooth roots made of titanium that fuses with living tissue and bone in a process called osseointegration. When surgically inserted into the jawbone, dental implants are considered the most ideal way to replace missing teeth, from root to crown.
Implant posts work to restore the essential stimulation your jawbone needs to remain functional and healthy. This helps protect any neighboring, healthy teeth and also preserves facial features, improves digestion, and encourages proper eating and speaking.
With dental implants you can expect:
- Success rates of over 95% in patients with good oral health
- Lasting comfort and stability
- No preparation of neighboring teeth
- To brush and floss as normal
- Aesthetics that are discreet and completely natural-looking
With good oral hygiene at home and regular visits to our office for preventive care, your dental implants should last many decades.
Zirconia Crowns
Our crowns look, feel, and function like natural teeth. When attached to a single dental implant, crowns look practically identical to the rest of your smile. Crowns are the most popular and dependable restoration for replacing or repairing a single missing tooth.
Implant-supported crowns offer:
- Completely natural results
- Proper bite & chewing functions
- Improved oral health
- Lasting durability
- Comfortable treatment
Dental Bridges
Bridges consist of one or more dental crowns used to replace one or several missing teeth in a row. Traditional bridges use natural, neighboring teeth on either side of the space for durability and support.
When bridges are affixed to dental implants, however, it eliminates the need to use healthy, remaining teeth as an anchor.
Notable pros of implant bridges include:
- No modifications to natural, adjacent teeth
- Help prevent future jawbone loss
- Improve oral health
- Easier brushing and flossing
- Reinforces stronger bite
Partial & Complete Dentures
Partial dentures consist of multiple artificial teeth which rest on a pink, acrylic base. These restorations use metal clasps which fit over neighboring teeth, to hold them firmly in place but allow for easy removal for cleaning.
Full or complete dentures are a great solution for restoring your entire smile. Similar to partials, full dentures also consist of prosthetic teeth which rest on a natural-looking acrylic base, however, dentures are designed to replace all missing teeth along an upper or lower arch. Complete dentures can be removable or attached to dental implants for a permanent solution to tooth loss.
Advantages of partial & complete dentures:
- Restore natural appearance almost immediately
- Provide support for facial muscles, preserving structure and aesthetics
- Promote proper speech and chewing function
- No dietary restrictions
- Can be removed and adjusted to accommodate changing jawbone structure
At Santa Fe Dental Group, Dr. Vasquez-Garcia provides complete treatment for replacing one or all missing teeth, from dental implant placement to custom crowns and dentures.
How Do I Know If Dental Implants Are Right for Me?
During your consultation, our dentist examines your gum and jawbone health, and any remaining teeth using advanced digital x-ray technology to determine the state of your current oral health. He’ll also evaluate your medical history, lifestyle habits, and other related aspects that could potentially impact implant placement.
While dental implants aren’t for everyone, as long as you’re in good oral and overall health and are willing to invest in the longevity of your smile, chances are you’ll likely qualify for dental implants.
What Can I Expect During Dental Implant Surgery?
Implant surgery typically involves the following five stages:
- Any severely damaged teeth or infected teeth are removed. (if they haven’t already fallen out some other way)
- Your jawbone density is evaluated and any preliminary procedures such as a bone graft are done before placement and allowed to heal.
- The implant(s) is inserted into your jawbone.
- Your jaw is given time to heal, then the abutment, (the piece that screws into the implant), is placed.
- Your customized restoration is affixed on top, completing your implant treatment process.
Your implant-supported restoration may be a dental crown, a bridge, or a complete or partial denture, depending on how many teeth need replacing and where. Every restoration we provide is tailored to your unique smile and designed to provide lasting function.
Do I Need a Crown or a Filling?
It’s not uncommon to require a filling or crown at some stage in life. Whether due to routine chewing and biting or from tooth clenching or grinding, damage and wear are common. Restorations like fillings work best where minor damage is present but most of the natural structure is still healthy.
Dental crowns, however, are used for deeper cracks or when the damage cannot be repaired with a filling alone. Crowns are also used in combination with other treatments like root canal therapy or dental implants.
When are Composite Fillings the Best Choice?
Fillings literally “fill” the spaces in teeth where decay has been removed.
The white, composite materials used for our fillings bond well to teeth and offer natural-looking results for those who need minor repairs but wish to keep treatment discreet.
When Zirconia Crowns are Best
Think of crowns as an excellent way to restore teeth weakened by deep cracks, fractures, or tooth decay. A crown is a tooth prosthetic, designed from beautiful zirconia to appear completely life-like which fits over an existing tooth, preserving its structure and protecting it from further harm.
Crowns are versatile and can be used alone or combined with many other procedures, like capping a tooth treated by root canal therapy.
Should I Be Worried If I Need a Root Canal?
Not at all! While root canal therapy may have a bad reputation, treatment is straightforward and can save your tooth, benefitting your overall oral health.
Typically, the procedure feels more like getting a filling. A root canal is necessary if the interior of the tooth becomes infected. When the damaged tissue is properly removed, pain is relieved, and the roots remain intact.
What Does a Root Canal Involve?
Once the tooth and surrounding areas are thoroughly numbed, the pulp chamber is accessed, and a special tool is used to remove the infected tissues. The pulp chamber is properly disinfected from the top of the canal(s), all the way to the end of the root.
The chamber is then filled with an antibacterial, body-safe material and sealed with an adhesive. A customized crown is often placed over your treated tooth for lasting protection.
5 Ways to Protect Your Smile
While strong, diligent oral hygiene is always recommended by our team, daily brushing and flossing can only defend your smile so much. Even though dental wear, cracks, chips, and tooth loss can happen from accidents or sudden trauma, there are still preventive measures you can take to help protect your smile; we recommend the following five:
- Brush twice daily and floss at least once a day
- Eat a healthy, low-sugar diet
- Try to avoid acidic, high-sugar drinks like soda
- Schedule your professional cleaning and examinations every six months
- Consider using a custom mouthguard during active sports and intensive workouts
Find Out More About Your Dental Restoration Options!
At Santa Fe Dental Group, Jorge Vasquez-Garcia and his team provide a comprehensive selection of top-quality restorations and treatments. We proudly serve residents of Santa Rosa, CA, Petaluma, CA, and the surrounding Sonoma County, CA, communities.
If you'd like to learn more about your options for dental repair or tooth replacement, call and schedule your appointment today!
CALL US: (707) 536-3685 REQUEST APPOINTMENT
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