Rebuild Your Smile
Do chipped, cracked, or broken teeth make your life just a little bit harder every day? Perhaps they prevent you from smiling as much as you’d like, or maybe they’re actually causing you pain. Whatever your situation may be, Dr. John Krell can help you with a variety of restorative treatments. No matter what you need, we’ll make sure you leave our office with a renewed smile you’ll be proud to show the world. Below, you can learn about just a few of the treatments we use every day.
Tired of hiding your teeth? Ready to be pain free? If so, contact us today in Houston to make an appointment.
Crowns & Bridges
When it comes to restoring damaged teeth and even replacing missing teeth, two of the most reliable treatments involve dental crowns and bridges. Dr. Krell has repaired thousands of smiles using these restorations, and that’s because they are excellent at recreating a tooth’s appearance and function at the same time. Want to know how they work? Simply click on the links below to get more helpful information.
CEREC One-Visit Dental Restorations
Have a tooth that needs to be repaired but don’t have time to do it? That might have been the case in the past when it took WEEKS to get a dental crown, but thanks to our highly advanced CEREC system, we can completely fix your damaged tooth in just one visit. It’s perfect for the person who needs to fit dental care into their busy schedule. How does it work? Is it right for you? Click on the link below to find out more about this amazing new treatment.
Dental Inlays & Onlays
Inlays and onlays are also known as partial crowns. We use them to help repair damaged teeth that still have an adequate amount of healthy dental structure. They are both made of dental ceramic, meaning they’ll seamlessly blend with your teeth and the rest of your smile. Inlays are typically used to support a tooth from the inside, while an onlay is placed on the outer surface. Could either one of them work for you? Follow the links below to learn more.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
In the past, fillings were made of a substance called amalgam. While they were great at fixing a small cavity, they certainly didn’t look very good, creating a dark gray spot on the tooth. This is why our practice uses tooth-colored fillings, a more cosmetically pleasing option that can completely blend into your smile while giving your tooth the strength it needs. Even better, since the composite resin material is able to bond directly to the enamel (unlike amalgam), less of your tooth needs to be removed for it to be placed, ensuring it will last for much longer.
Partial, Full, and All-On-4 Dentures
If you’re missing a large amount of teeth, dentures are a simple and effective way to replace them. Our practice offers a variety of dentures that can be made to suit your particular needs. Partial dentures can fill in the gaps in your smile like the missing piece of a puzzle, full dentures can replace an entire row of teeth, and All-On-4 dentures use dental implants to make sure they never slip out of place.
Root Canals
Despite its reputation, a root canal is actually a practically painless procedure, and it is even one of the best tools we have to relieve severe dental pain and save teeth that would otherwise need to be extracted. We typically need to use it when a cavity has reached the innermost layer of a tooth where the sensitive nerve resides. This procedure can often be completed in just one visit, and you’ll be amazed at how easy we’ll make the experience for you.
Tooth Extractions
Dr. Krell will always strive to protect and preserve natural teeth through his work, but there are some situations where extraction is the necessary option. Our team prioritizes your comfort throughout this procedure, and restorative solutions are available if the removed tooth or teeth need to be replaced.
Restorative Dentistry vs. Cosmetic Dentistry
Restorative and cosmetic dentistry share some similarities. For example, they can both result in an improved smile appearance. However, restorative dentistry is primarily concerned with restoring the health and function of the teeth. This includes a range of procedures, each of which is intended to address damaged or missing teeth.
Urgency: The dental conditions that necessitate restorative dental procedures are typically associated with severe pain. Restorative dentistry is used to alleviate this and other serious and disruptive symptoms. In other words, there is a sense of urgency that accompanies restorative dentistry. On the other hand, cosmetic dental treatments are elective and are designed to improve aesthetic aspects of the teeth, such as color and shape. Generally, patients seek out cosmetic dental procedures because they are unhappy with how their smile looks (as opposed to pain, swelling, etc.). As a result, restorative dental procedures usually need to take place before cosmetic dental work is performed.
Dental materials: Another key difference between cosmetic and restorative procedures is the materials used during treatment. Dental restorations often prioritize materials that are affordable and durable, but not necessarily aesthetically pleasing. An example would be amalgam fillings, which are highly visible and may even give the tooth an unflattering silver hue but can last for 10 years or more. Cosmetic dental materials mimic the color and translucency of natural teeth so that a seamless, beautiful result is created. However, more and more patients are interested in the appearance of their restorative work, giving rise to the popularity of tooth-colored fillings and other natural-looking restorations.
