Restorative Dentistry

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root made from biocompatible titanium alloy. In order to replace a missing tooth, a single-tooth dental implant is surgically placed into the jawbone by one of our highly trained dentists. After a period of healing, a digital impression is taken of the implant to begin the process of making the restoration. A custom implant abutment is screwed inside the titanium post and connects the dental implant to your final restoration, your implant-supported crown!

A dental implant functions independently of other teeth, allowing you to floss like normal between your natural teeth and the crown.

Our dentists in Shelby and Macomb Township, MI, may suggest that you need a dental bridge to restore, enhance, or replace teeth. Traditional dental bridges consist of two or more crowns with a false tooth in between. The crowns are placed over anchoring teeth on either side of the gap, also known as “abutment teeth”. Bridges can also be supported by dental implants if natural teeth are not present and can last a lifetime if good oral hygiene is practiced daily.

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped cap that our local family dentists may place over a tooth, helping to restore its shape, size, strength, or to improve its appearance. A crown not only strengthens a tooth but also can dramatically improve a tooth’s appearance, shape, and alignment. When a crown adheres into place, it will fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

Our dentists may use a crown to replace a large filling when only minimal tooth structure remains, protect a weak tooth from fracturing, attach a bridge, or to restore a fractured tooth. In addition, a crown may be used to cover a dental implant, a discolored or poorly shaped tooth, or a tooth that has had root canal treatment.

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and their surrounding tissues. There are two types of traditional dentures available, which are partial and complete dentures. Partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain, while complete dentures are used to completely replace all teeth. Dentures are made to resemble your natural teeth so there should be no noticeable change to your appearance. In fact, dentures may even improve your smile!

If you have lost some or all of your teeth due to gum disease, decay, or accidental impact, dentures can dramatically improve your smile. Our dentists may suggest full dentures or partial dentures, depending on how many natural teeth you have lost and the condition of your existing teeth. Implant-supported dentures are also available for those wanting a permanent option.

Our family dentists care about your oral health. As such, they offer beautiful porcelain inlays and onlays to patients in both Shelby Township & Macomb Township, MI, offices. Inlays and onlays are used in place of traditional metal fillings that can shift or crack, leaving you vulnerable to bacteria and further decay.

Inlays and onlays are a more conservative treatment because less tooth material is removed. Unlike fillings, these procedures strengthen a tooth’s structure and leave your smile whiter and healthier than ever before. Inlays and onlays provide strength, durability, protection, and brilliance.

Root canal treatment, or endodontic therapy, is necessary when a cavity is neglected, allowing it to penetrate all the way to the pulp. Sometimes deep restorations or trauma to a tooth may cause the nerve to be damaged to the point it needs root canal therapy. Once this occurs the pulp becomes infected and can even extend through the root tip and begin to eat away at the surrounding bone, which would be considered an abscess.

By the time the pulp is infected, it must be treated because it cannot heal on its own. It can even weaken the entire immune system. Usually, a core build-up and crown is recommended for restoring a tooth that has undergone root canal therapy.