Scott and Derry Dental Care in Milton, Ontario, support happy smiles. A tooth may be preserved without altering the natural tooth structure through ongoing dental cleanings and recall appointments at our office. When we cannot preserve teeth with preventive services and products, or guidance on oral hygiene, our team may need to restore your happy smile.

Restorative Dentistry

An entire category of professional dental services exists to rebuild parts of a broken or lost tooth or to replace a missing or extracted tooth. The composite tooth filling presents the most conservative type of dental restoration. It is appropriate for patients with smaller cavities.

A cavity forms when harmful bacteria “take over” your mouth. When you don’t brush or floss consistently and adequately, bacteria tend to overpopulate and form an invisible, sticky film called plaque. Bacterial plaque furthermore consumes sugars and starches in lingering food particles. They produce acids that attack the teeth.

Good home care must be coupled with regular professional cleanings and exams for at least two critical reasons:

• One, our dental hygienists can remove plaque build-up from your teeth. When plaque hardens into tartar, it cannot be removed with standard toothbrushes alone.
• Two, we can detect early problems and intervene before dental damage arises. Proactive professional services, such as dental sealants, help to protect decay-prone teeth from cavities and decay, too.

Without treatment and this all-important blend of professional and home care, the acids mentioned above erode the teeth from the outside–starting with the protective enamel. As the decay process works its way through the tooth, it can penetrate the dentin and the deeper layers or innermost tissues of the tooth. Depending on the extent of decay, a cavity may not be sufficient to restore the affected tooth’s structure, health, and function. More extensive trauma to the tooth may require dental inlays, onlays, crowns, and root canal therapy. A tooth must be extracted and replaced if it cannot be preserved with root canal treatment or surgical endodontic procedures.