Restorative Dentistry – Belle Plaine, MN
Precisely-Fitted, High-Quality Restorations
Anyone can experience oral damage and decay, along with the reduced oral health and self-confidence that comes along with it. Here at STAR Dental, the last thing on our minds is making you feel judged or uncomfortable about these problems. Instead, Dr. Whitney Davidson and her team simply want to help you feel great about your smile again with the help of our quality restorative care. Whether you’re struggling with a minor crack or empty gaps, we have the skill, the technology, and the compassion to create truly exceptional results.
Why Choose STAR Dental for Restorative Dentistry?
- Durable, Biocompatible Cavity Fillings
- Aesthetically-Pleasing & High-Quality Materials
- Clear Digital X-Ray Imaging System
Tooth-Colored Fillings
Thankfully, noticeable amalgam fillings are no longer the only option when patients have a cavity that needs treatment. Our office is happy to primarily offer tooth-colored composite resin instead! The treatment process is simple and quick – Dr. Davidson will remove the decayed portions and then precisely sculpt the quality material into place, taking care to match the rest of your smile. In addition to its natural look, tooth-colored fillings offer several other valuable benefits as well, especially when compared to their traditional alternatives. Composite resin is a much more flexible material, allowing us to preserve more of the healthy tooth structure overall. The lack of metal also means that patients won’t experience discomfort because of changes in temperature.
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are an important cornerstone of restorative care, and it’s not hard to understand why. They’re designed to “cap” individual teeth, replenishing their natural structure and providing necessary strength, function, and aesthetic quality as needed. There are several reasons why Dr. Davidson may recommend having a dental crown placed, such as:
- The patient has a large cavity that can’t be successfully treated with a filling.
- The patient has a cracked or fractured tooth.
- The patient has a weakened tooth that needs additional support.
- The patient needs a restoration for a dental implant.
- The patient has a tooth that’s uneven, misshapen, or otherwise affected by a cosmetic flaw.
In most cases, having a custom dental crown designed and placed at our practice will require two to three appointments. First, our team will prepare the tooth in question and take detailed impressions to send off to a trusted dental laboratory. Dr. Davidson will provide patients with a temporary crown in the meantime, so the vulnerable area is well-protected. Once we receive the finished product, you’ll be invited back so that we can make any needed adjustments and cement the permanent restoration in place.
One-Visit Restorations
Thanks to our in-house technology, Dr. Davidson can now design, fabricate, and place a completely custom-made crown in just one well-planned visit. With this machine, we can create strong, natural-looking crowns made from either dental ceramic or 100% zirconium while you sit and relax in our office!
A patient simply has their tooth prepared to fit the crown, it’s digitally scanned, and the CAD/CAM technology takes care of the rest! When the crown is ready (in about an hour), Dr. Davidson will place it into a patient’s mouth, restoring their smile in just a fraction of the time compared to the traditional process.
Dental Bridges
When a patient loses one or more natural teeth in a row, many patients prefer having a bridge placed instead of a partial denture because of the increased sturdiness and lifelike nature. Dental bridges are composed of multiple crowns fused together, with additional ones placed at each end to serve as “anchors” that fit over neighboring healthy teeth. Bridges are not removable, and like dental crowns, they require two to three appointments to successfully place at our practice.
Dentures
Today, many patients who’ve lost most or all of their teeth still turn to the enduring power of dentures for the support their smiles need. Full appliances are designed to replenish the teeth on an entire arch, while partials are personalized to fit the patient’s unique arrangement of missing teeth on a single arch. Both styles of dentures are easily removable, which allows patients to clean and store them overnight with ease. Dr. Davidson also offers implant-retained prosthetics for patients in need of a more permanent solution for extensive tooth loss.
Dental Implants
Dental implants can be a great option for tooth loss because of their aesthetic quality and uniquely successful structure. Unlike traditional restorations, they’re designed to replace both the crown and the root of the tooth in a virtually seamless fashion; this keeps the jawbone healthy while also providing plenty of lifelike strength, appearance, and function to your lacking smile. Many patients even forget they’re not natural after some time has passed!
Here at STAR Dental, Dr. Davidson can recommend a trusted oral surgeon for your implant placement and then personally handle the restoration process herself. We typically recommend all-ceramic crowns for individual implants and implant-retained prosthetics for more extensive coverage. These custom restorations look very similar to traditional bridges or dentures, but they’re designed to directly attach to your placed implants, creating a much more durable fit overall that feels great. Both fixed and removable options are available, depending on the patient’s personal preference.