Metal-Free Restorations – Altamonte Springs, FL
Keep Your Smile Looking Natural After Restoration
When you’re in need of a dental restoration, some of your first thoughts may include how this addition will affect your smile’s appearance. In the past, you may have worried that metal restorations would look unnatural in your teeth, especially if they were in visible areas of your smile. With the help of advanced dental materials, including porcelain, we can restore your smile’s functions without forcing you to deal with metals you may not feel comfortable using. To get your smile restored with high-quality, metal-free restorations from a cosmetic dentist in Altamonte Springs, call our office!
How Do You Restore Teeth?
When teeth are damaged, either as a result of tooth decay breaking down the many layers of enamel or from forced trauma caused by a physical injury, dental crowns are typically used to restore their function and esthetic quality. While crowns in the past were made from a combination of metals thanks to their durability, the dentists at Distinctive Dentistry have opted for metal-free materials like porcelain.
The same applies to onlays and inlays, which are restorations designed to address very specific areas of teeth. While they are not as large as crowns, they are also larger than tooth-colored fillings. Both work to restore damaged teeth without the use of metal materials.
Why Do You Use Porcelain?
The most obvious reasoning for using porcelain is because of its incredibly lifelike qualities. Porcelain mimics natural tooth enamel almost exactly, yet is much smoother in comparison. This makes it far more stain-resistant, unlike tooth enamel, which carries an extremely porous structure for liquids to seep into and settle.
Another reason our office uses porcelain to restore teeth is because of its durability. It can withstand regular biting forces for many years before needing any kind of replacement. And, unlike metal materials, porcelain does not expand and contract when exposed to different temperatures. Metal restorations can actually cause teeth to crack further after enough exposure. When you choose metal-free solutions, you remove that possibility.
What is the Process of Receiving Porcelain Crowns?
During your appointment, we’ll closely examine your damaged tooth and confirm if a metal-free restoration is the best solution for you. If we determine that is the case, we’ll go over the process of designing, creating, and placing your permanent crown. The overall process takes about two weeks to complete and consists of two main steps.
- First, we’ll gently shape your tooth by removing a very small amount of tooth enamel. This allows the crown to fit properly on your tooth. Then, we’ll capture an impression of your tooth via our digital impression system and send that 3D model to our dental lab next door.
- After the crown is fabricated, you’ll come back to our office to have the crown fitted. If adjustments are needed, we’ll make them and refit your crown until it feels and looks natural.