Restorative Dentistry – Cottonwood Heights, UT

Composite Fillings

When treating a cavity, Dr. Hansen at White Peak Dental will remove the decayed portion of your tooth and fill it with another substance. This procedure is called a filling. There are multiple options for the material to be used in the filling, the most common of which are composite and amalgam.

A composite filling is also known as a tooth-colored filling since the material can be closely matched to the color of your teeth. Composite fillings provide good durability for small to medium cavities, and the procedure typically involves removing less enamel compared to an amalgam filling. They are also particularly well suited for treating front or highly visible teeth because of their natural look.

Learn More About Tooth Colored Fillings

Dental Crowns

All-ceramic crowns or caps offer a natural-looking solution for a broken tooth, cracked tooth, or teeth that are too badly damaged to be corrected with fillings or veneers. Incorporating bonding with all-ceramic crowns can restore both the strength and beauty of damaged teeth.

Learn More About Dental Crowns

Root Canal

This treatment is a set of specialized procedures designed to treat problems of the nerve tissue inside the tooth. While some mistakenly think of it as an unusually painful treatment, in most cases, the procedure is no more uncomfortable than getting a filling. It is actually one of the most effective ways of relieving some kinds of tooth pain.

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are fixed restorations that replace several teeth at once. In most cases, they’re composed of dental crowns fused to either side of an artificial tooth. They thus usually rely on your remaining teeth for support. However, our office also happens to provide implant bridges. These kinds secure themselves with dental implants, meaning they’re permanently fixed to your mouth and won’t slip or fall!

Learn More About Dental Bridges

Dental Implants

Dental implants are unique because they are the only option that restores an entire missing tooth from root to crown. A small titanium post is placed into the jawbone, and this serves as the foundation for a new crown, bridge, or denture. Implants look, feel, and function just like natural teeth, and with regular care, they have been shown to last multiple times longer compared to other restorations.

Learn More About Dental Implants

Temporary Acrylic Removable Partial Denture 

Known as the “flipper” in dentistry, this is generally the least expensive option for replacing missing teeth. Some flippers have a wire clasp to help attach the acrylic base to the teeth while others have no clasps at all. These removable partial dentures have an acrylic base just like a complete denture. The biggest benefit of this type of removable partial denture is that it can be made before any teeth are removed and delivered the same day when extractions are done. Then, if more teeth need to be removed later, teeth can be added easily and economically to the flipper.

Cast Framework Partial Dentures 

As the name implies, these are partial dentures that have a cast metal framework supporting the acrylic and teeth. These partials are mainly tooth-supported and are therefore extremely stable. The metal framework is cast extremely thin and is therefore much less noticeable than the acrylic framework partials. 

The clasps are designed to retain the partial in place, and the teeth are altered slightly to allow the patient to bring teeth all the way together without interfering with the clasps. This also makes it possible to place the clasps in positions that are less visible than wire clasps.

The cast framework is also very strong and less likely to break than acrylic, and since the metal does not rest on tissue, but on teeth, these partials do not sink below the level of the teeth. Finally, since there is little contact with the soft tissue, sore spots are not much of a problem.

Flexible Framework Partial Dentures 

The newest types of partial dentures are made from a nylon-like material and are called Valplast (the most common) or Flexite partials. This material replaces the metal and acrylic of a standard partial denture. The clasps that hold the partial to the teeth are made of the same pink material and are generally indistinguishable from the gums, a very nice aesthetic benefit. The material is also nearly unbreakable, so it can be made quite thin, a distinct advantage over acrylic framework partials.

Combination Metal Framework with Flexible Clasp Partials

For the patient with high esthetic demands who also needs the most stable framework possible, we are now able to make a metal framework with clasps made of the pink material used in Valplast or Flexite partials. This allows us to hide the clasps while alleviating many of the sore spot problems associated with flexible frameworks.

White Peak Dental and Dr. Hansen will spend time consulting with you on which removable partial denture is best for you.