Thorough Restorative Dentistry in Bakersfield, CA

It’s great news that the incidence of tooth decay has significantly diminished over the years due to the use of fluorides and an increase in patient awareness.  However, teeth are still susceptible to decay, infection, and breakage and sometimes need to be restored back to health.  Through improved techniques and modern technology, we are now able to offer more options for restoring a tooth back to its normal shape, appearance and function.

Should your teeth ever require a restorative treatment, you can rest assured knowing we will always discuss with you the available options, and recommend what we believe to be the most comfortable and least invasive treatment.  Providing you with excellent care is our number one priority when creating your beautiful smile.

Reasons for and Benefits of Restorative Dentistry:

  • Enhance your smile
  • Fill in unattractive spaces between teeth
  • Improve or correct an improper bite
  • Prevent the loss of a tooth
  • Relieve dental pain
  • Repair damaged and decayed teeth
  • Replace missing teeth
  • Replace old, unattractive dental treatments
  • Restore normal eating and chewing

Remember to give your teeth the attention they need today!

Bone grafting is often closely associated with dental restorations such as bridgework and dental implants.

Sinus Lift is a surgical method by which we can increase the amount of bone tissue of the upper jaw, above the molars and premolars.

Need A Dental Implant but Not Enough Bone?

  • Bone grafting is often closely associated with dental restorations such as bridgework and dental implants.
  • In the majority of cases, the success of a restoration procedure can hinge on the height, depth, and width of the jawbone at the implant site.
  • When the jawbone associated with missing teeth shrinks, or has sustained significant damage, the implant(s) cannot be supported on this unstable foundation and bone grafting is usually recommended.

Volume Shrinkage

  • Periodontal Disease
    Periodontal disease can affect and permanently damage the jaw bone that supports the teeth. Affected areas progressively worsen until the teeth become unstable.
  • Tooth Extraction
    Studies have shown that patients who have experienced a tooth extraction subsequently lose 40-60% of the bone surrounding the extraction site during the following three years. Loss of bone results in what is called a “bone defect”.
  • Injuries and Infections
    Dental injuries and other physical injuries resulting from a blow to the jaw can cause the bone to recede. Infections can also cause the jaw bone to recede in a similar way.

Bone grafting can repair implant sites with inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or injuries. The bone is either obtained from a tissue bank or your own bone is taken from the jaw, hip or tibia (below the knee.)

Sinus bone grafts are also performed to replace bone in the posterior upper jaw.

Sinus Lift (Graft)

Sinus Lift is a surgical method by which we can increase the amount of bone tissue of the upper jaw, above the molars and premolars.

The maxillary sinuses are behind your cheeks and on top of the upper teeth and are like empty rooms that have nothing in them. Some of the roots of the natural upper teeth extend up into the maxillary sinuses. When these upper teeth are removed, there is often just a thin wall of bone separating the maxillary sinus and the mouth. Dental implants need bone to hold them in place. When the sinus wall is very thin, it is impossible to place dental implants in this bone.

To address this problem our dentist enters the sinus from where the upper teeth used to be. The sinus membrane is then lifted upward and donor’s bone is inserted into the floor of the sinus. After healing, the bone becomes part of the patient’s jaw and dental implants can be inserted and stabilized in this new sinus bone.

If enough bone between the upper jaw ridge and the bottom of the sinus is available to stabilize the implant well, sinus augmentations and implant placement can sometimes be performed as a single procedure. If not enough bone is available, the Sinus Augmentation will have to be performed first, then the graft will have to mature for several months, depending upon the type of graft material used. Once the graft has matured, the implants can be placed.

Left untreated, missing teeth can lead to bone recession, misalignment, a prematurely aged appearance, and confidence issues.

To fill in gaps from tooth loss, we can provide a traditional or implant-supported dental bridge.

Bridges are a series of artificial crowns that are connected. Even though bridges consist of crowns, their purpose is different from that of a standard restoration. Instead of restoring a tooth after injury or decay, a bridge will replace missing or failing teeth by closing in the gaps of a smile. A bridge can replace up to four teeth in a row and is connected to biological teeth on each side. This custom series of prosthetics restores a patient’s ability to chew and speak comfortably and improve one’s appearance.

Like crowns, patients can choose which materials are used to fabricate a bridge.

A quality bridge can restore full dental function and also help you feel more confident about your appearance.

Regain Full Dental Function

Controlling Pain and Other Side Effects

Patients struggling with a limited diet or other issues associated with tooth loss can improve their quality of life and restore their smile with a custom-made dental bridge crafted by our dental team. We offer traditional dental appliances as well as partial and full bridges supported by dental implants. You can have implants placed and restored in our office and can often leave you appointment with same-day teeth.

About Dental Bridges

There are several types of dental bridges, and all are designed to replace one or more missing teeth, filling in gaps with natural-looking prosthetics. A quality bridge can restore full dental function and also help you feel more confident about your appearance.

A well-made dental bridge provides stability, making it easier to chew food and speak with confidence without concern that your prosthetic will slip out of place. A custom bridge can also provide cosmetic benefits by filling out contours to prevent a sunken appearance around the lips and chin.

Traditional fixed dental bridges are attached to dental crowns placed over healthy, adjacent teeth.

It will be necessary to have a bridge appliance periodically adjusted, because tooth loss causes bone disintegration in the jaw. You can prevent bone resorption with the placement of dental implants which provide regenerative signals to your jaw bone, preventing any further tissue loss.

With decades of experience in prosthodontics, we can design a bridge with a custom, snug fit. It will be necessary to have a bridge appliance periodically adjusted, because tooth loss causes bone disintegration in the jaw. You can prevent bone resorption with the placement of dental implants which provide regenerative signals to your jaw bone, preventing any further tissue loss.

Implant-Supported Bridges

If you have a cavity, you’re not the only one. According to one survey, over 85% of Americans have had at least one tooth affected by decay by the age of 40. We give you the option of choosing a durable composite resin filling that more closely matches the color of your teeth or a silver amalgam filling to seal a cavity.

Learn more about Tooth-Colored Fillings

While a dental bridge is sometimes called a partial denture, a full-arch implant bridge can replace an entire row of missing teeth. An implant-supported bridge provides ideal stability and requires no fit adjustments. The bridge is entirely supported by dental implants, which are titanium posts surgically placed in the jaw bone.

Implants are designed to provide a sturdy anchor for prosthetic teeth, and they work extremely well. Many patients who choose an implant-supported bridge report that their prosthetic feels very similar to having their own natural teeth.

After you receive your implants, you will use a temporary bridge until your jaw has fully healed, a process that typically takes anywhere from four to six months. When you are fully healed, you can return to receive your permanent dental bridge. Our implant bridges are available in porcelain or zirconia, a premium material that provides optimal durability and aesthetics.

Are you suffering discomfort due to a damaged, severely decayed, or missing tooth?

We can create a custom-made dental crown to fully restore a tooth in a single appointment.

While our team does everything we can to prevent disease and damage to teeth, the need for restorations is sometimes inevitable. When restoring teeth, Dr. Dovgan strives to protect as much natural tooth structure as possible while improving oral function, comfort, and the aesthetics of a smile. Crowns and bridges are common restorations that are custom made to the unique needs of a patient. These restorations are more extensive than fillings or inlays, which are used to treat small areas of decay. Crowns restore all surfaces of a tooth and bridges replace a lost or failing tooth.

Crowns are essentially caps that are permanently cemented over a damaged or diseased tooth. These tooth-shaped restorations bring a tooth back to its rightful size and shape after it has been injured or damaged. A crown may be placed over a tooth that is cracked, chipped, or severely worn down by bruxism or decay. Dental crowns are also used as a final restoration after root canal treatment.

Since a crown fits over a tooth and in between other teeth, it must be made to very precise measurements. To determine these specifications and create the custom crown, our dentist will need to take impressions of the teeth and use computer imaging technology to configure this restoration’s specifications so that dental technicians can fabricate a crown that perfectly suits a patient’s needs.

When it comes to the materials used to make a custom restoration, patients have a few options from which to choose. Popular materials include porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, and metal alloys.

If you are missing teeth, it is crucial to replace them. Without all your teeth, chewing and eating can destabilize your bite and cause you discomfort. When teeth are missing, your mouth can shift and even cause your face to look older. Implants are a great way to replace your missing teeth, and if properly maintained, can last a lifetime!

An implant is a new tooth made of metal and porcelain that looks just like your natural tooth. It’s composed of two main parts: one part is the titanium implant body that takes the place of the missing root, and the second part is the tooth-colored crown that is cemented on top of the implant. With implant treatment, you can smile confidently knowing no one will ever suspect you have a replacement tooth.

In addition to tooth replacement, implants may be used to anchor dentures, especially lower dentures that tend to shift when you talk or chew. For patients with removable partial dentures, implants can replace missing teeth so you have a more natural-looking smile.

A denture is a removable dental appliance replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissue.  They are made to closely resemble your natural teeth and may even enhance your smile.

There are two types of dentures – complete and partial dentures.  Complete dentures are used when all of the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain.  A Partial denture not only fills in the spaces created by missing teeth, it prevents other teeth from shifting.

A Complete denture may be either “conventional” or “immediate.”  A conventional type is made after the teeth have been removed and the gum tissue has healed, usually taking 4 to 6 weeks.  During this time the patient will go without teeth.  Immediate dentures are made in advance and immediately placed after the teeth are removed, thus preventing the patient from having to be without teeth during the healing process.  Once the tissues shrink and heal, adjustments will have to be made.

Dentures are very durable appliances and will last many years, but may have to be remade, repaired, or readjusted due to normal wear.

Reasons for dentures

  • Complete Denture – Loss of all teeth in an arch
  • Partial Denture – Loss of several teeth in an arch
  • Enhancing smile and facial tissues
  • Improving chewing, speech, and digestion

What does getting dentures involve?

The process of getting dentures requires several appointments, usually over several weeks. Highly accurate impressions (molds) and measurements are taken and used to create your custom denture. Several “try-in” appointments may be necessary to ensure proper shape, color, and fit. At the final appointment, your dentist will precisely adjust and place the completed denture, ensuring a natural and comfortable fit.

It is normal to experience increased saliva flow, some soreness, and possible speech and chewing difficulty, however this will subside as your muscles and tissues get used to the new dentures.

An inlay or onlay restoration is a custom made filling made of composite material, gold, or tooth-colored porcelain. Porcelain inlays are popular because they resemble your natural tooth. A porcelain inlay is made by a professional dental laboratory and is permanently cemented into the tooth by your dentist. An onlay is sometimes also referred to as a partial crown. Porcelain onlays are made by a professional dental laboratory and is permanently cemented onto the tooth by your dentist.

Porcelain Inlays

An inlay restoration is a custom made filling made of composite material, gold, or tooth-colored porcelain.  Porcelain inlays are popular because they resemble your natural tooth.  A porcelain inlay is made by a professional dental laboratory and is permanently cemented into the tooth by your dentist.

Inlays can be utilized to conservatively repair teeth that have large defective fillings or have been damaged by decay or trauma.  Inlays are an ideal alternative to conventional silver and composite fillings.  Also, they are more conservative than crowns because less tooth structure is removed in the preparation of inlays.

As with most dental restorations, inlays are not always permanent and may someday require replacement.  They are highly durable and will last many years, giving you a beautiful long lasting smile.

Reasons for inlay restorations

  • Broken or fractured teeth
  • Cosmetic enhancement
  • Decayed teeth
  • Fractured fillings
  • Large fillings

What does getting an inlay involve?

An inlay procedure usually requires two appointments.  Your first appointment will include taking several highly accurate impressions (molds) that will be used to create your custom inlay and a temporary restoration.

While the tooth is numb, the dentist will remove any decay and/or old filling materials.  The space will then be thoroughly cleaned and carefully prepared, shaping the surface to properly fit an inlay restoration.  A temporary filling will be applied to protect the tooth while your inlay is made by a dental laboratory.

At your second appointment your new inlay will be carefully and precisely cemented into place.  A few adjustments may be necessary to ensure a proper fit and that your bite is comfortable.

You will receive care instruction at the conclusion of your treatment.  Good oral hygiene practices, a proper diet, and regular dental visits will aid in the life of your new inlay.

Porcelain Onlays

An onlay restoration is a custom made filling made of composite material, gold, or tooth-colored porcelain. Porcelain onlays are popular because they resemble your natural tooth. An onlay is sometimes also referred to as a partial crown. Porcelain onlays are made by a professional dental laboratory and is permanently cemented onto the tooth by your dentist.

Onlays can be utilized to conservatively repair teeth that have large defective fillings or have been damaged by decay or trauma. Onlays are an ideal alternative to crowns (caps) because less tooth structure is removed in the preparation of onlays. Onlays are essentially identical to inlays with the exception that one or more of the chewing cusps have also been affected and need to be included in the restoration.

As with most dental restorations, onlays are not always permanent and may someday require replacement. They are highly durable and will last many years, giving you a beautiful long lasting smile.

Reasons for onlay restorations

  • Broken or fractured teeth
  • Cosmetic enhancement
  • Decayed teeth
  • Fractured fillings
  • Large fillings

What does getting an onlay involve?

An onlay procedure usually requires two appointments. Your first appointment will include taking several highly accurate impressions (molds) that will be used to create your custom onlay and a temporary restoration.

While the tooth is numb, the dentist will remove any decay and/or old filling materials. The space will then be thoroughly cleaned and carefully prepared, shaping the surface to properly fit an onlay restoration. A temporary filling will be applied to protect the tooth while your onlay is made by a dental laboratory.

At your second appointment, your new onlay will be carefully and precisely cemented into place. A few adjustments may be necessary to ensure a proper fit and that your bite is comfortable.

If you have a cavity, you’re not the only one. According to one survey, over 85% of Americans have had at least one tooth affected by decay by the age of 40. We give you the option of choosing a durable composite resin filling that more closely matches the color of your teeth or a silver amalgam filling to seal a cavity.

What is a Filling?

A filling is a way to restore a tooth damaged by decay back to its normal function and shape. When we give you a filling, we first remove the decayed tooth material, clean the affected area, and then fill the cleaned out cavity with a filling material.

By closing off spaces where bacteria can enter, a filling also helps prevent further decay. Materials used for fillings include porcelain, a composite resin (tooth-colored fillings), and an amalgam (a metal alloy such as silver).

Filling Procedure

Before filling the cavity, we will first remove the decay and clean the affected area. The cleaned-out cavity will then be filled with one of the below mentioned materials.

Which Type of Filling is Best?

No one type of filling is best for everyone. What’s right for you will be determined by the extent of the repair, whether you have allergies to certain materials, where in your mouth the filling is needed, and the cost. Considerations for different materials include:

  • Amalgam (silver) fillings are resistant to wear and relatively inexpensive. However, due to their dark color, they are more noticeable than porcelain or composite restorations and are not usually used in very visible areas, such as front teeth.
  • Composite (plastic) resins are matched to be the same color as your teeth and therefore used where a natural appearance is desired. The ingredients are mixed and placed directly into the cavity, where they harden. Composites may not be the ideal material for large fillings as they may chip or wear over time. They can also become stained from coffee, tea or tobacco, and do not last as long as other types of fillings generally from three to 10 years.
  • Porcelain fillings are called inlays or onlays and are produced to order in a lab and then bonded to the tooth. They can be matched to the color of the tooth and resist staining. A porcelain restoration generally covers most of the tooth.

If decay or a fracture has damaged a large portion of the tooth, a crown, or cap, may be recommended. If you determine that you need a crown, check out this article that explains the benefits of same day crowns. Decay that has reached the nerve may be treated in two ways: through root canal therapy (in which nerve damaged nerve is removed) or through a procedure called pulp capping (which attempts to keep the nerve alive).

Don’t hesitate to contact us to discuss any aspect of your dental health – we don’t charge for giving advice!

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