Dental Restorations in Bakersfield, CA
Promoting Healthy Bakersfield Smiles
The state of your smile has a huge impact on your health, confidence, and lifestyle. At Gateway Family Dentistry, we provide high quality dental restorations to help you address health concerns with your teeth so that you can smile with confidence once more. Dr. Padmaja Mutyala combines skill with years of experience to provide a positive experience and dynamic results for you in every treatment.
If you have pain or regret about the state of your smile, don’t put off the treatment you need! Contact our office to receive quality dental care today.
Do I Need A Dental Restoration?
A restoration could be your best option if your smile is facing damage, decay, or disease. Dentists use restorations to help repair or replace teeth that are no longer healthy. There are various treatments available depending on the level of damage. This can range from something simple, like using a filling to protect against decay, to complex treatments like using dentures to replace an entire arch.
If you’ve experienced pain, physical trauma, or notice damage to your teeth, restorative dentistry is likely your best treatment. Dr. Mutyala may also recommend restorations to treat emerging problems, such as a hidden cavity seen through an x-ray.
If you’re unsure whether you need a restoration, the best approach is to schedule a dental exam so that our dentist can make sure every area of your smile is healthy.
RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY TO REPAIR YOUR SMILE
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Our services include:
- Fillings
- Crowns
- Bridges
- Full and Partial Dentures
- Root Canal Therapy
Fillings Rebuild Your Smile After Tooth Decay
Tooth decay can happen to anyone, even if you practice good hygiene and live a healthy lifestyle. Fortunately, if a cavity does happen, we have the treatment you need to help you stop decay and protect your teeth with fillings.
A filling replaces the decayed enamel and can be shaped to fit your natural tooth, restoring function and sealing it against future decay. Since they’re made in house by our dentist, a filling treatment can be done in a single visit, making it convenient as well.
WHY YOU MIGHT NEED A FILLING
Fillings are typically used in situations where the enamel has decayed. Bacteria in your mouth feed on sugars you ingest and leave behind a sticky, acidic substance called plaque. Plaque wears away at your enamel, and if not properly cleaned, can also harden into tartar, which can only be removed by a dentist.
The best ways to prevent tooth decay are regular brushing and flossing, along with a healthy diet that limits sugar. However, there can be other contributing factors that are important to know about as well.
You may be at risk for cavities from:
- Smoking and tobacco use
- Crowded, crooked, and misaligned teeth
- Dry mouth
- Chronic acid reflux disease
- Side effects of certain medications
- Genetics
Amalgam Fillings Vs. Composite Fillings – Which Should You Pick?
Our dental office provides both amalgam and composite fillings for the benefit of our patients. When the time comes that you need a filling, you may be unsure which type is the best option for you. There can be benefits to either choice, so carefully considering the traits of each and consulting with Dr. Mutyala is the important next step.
Amalgam (Metal) Fillings
- Strong and durable
- Used for decades
- Can last 15 years or more
- Typically covered by insurance
Downsides:
- Noticeable in the smile
- Traces of mercury may cause allergy
Composite (White) Fillings
- Blends in with the natural tooth
- Bonds well to enamel
- Preserves more of the natural tooth
- Heavy metal free
Downsides:
- Generally less durable than amalgam
- Coverage depends on insurance type
You may be at risk for cavities from:
- Smoking and tobacco use
- Crowded, crooked, and misaligned teeth
- Dry mouth
- Chronic acid reflux disease
- Side effects of certain medications
- Genetics
Dental Crowns Save Vulnerable Teeth
7 Ways Crowns Can Fix Your Tooth
Crowns are one of the most versatile restorations, capable of fixing a wide variety of dental issues. Here are seven ways crowns can benefit your teeth.
- Restoring teeth with advanced decay.
- Preventing further damage to cracked or broken teeth.
- Strengthening teeth with a large filling.
- Protecting a tooth after root canal therapy.
- Rebuilding teeth that are worn or misshapen.
- Improving bite alignment and chewing function.
- Enhancing teeth with cosmetic issues.
The Crown Process
Whatever the reason you need a dental crown, the process is simple and effective. First, Dr. Mutyala examines your teeth to determine the nature of your health concern and whether a crown is the best choice.
Once decided, she shapes the enamel to prepare it and takes a digital impression to send to the lab where your custom crown is made. You may be given a temporary crown to protect your tooth in the meantime.
When your crown is complete, you’re invited back to our office, where Dr. Mutyala expertly places and makes final adjustments to ensure the best fit for your crown.
How Long Do Crowns Last?
Crowns are designed to be strong and can withstand years of daily biting and chewing forces. A well made crown can last fifteen years or more with proper at home care and regular dental visits. The material used to make your crown and, your regular habits may impact its lifespan, but you can generally expect it to last at least a decade.
Dentures & Partials
Dentures have been the most common form of tooth replacement for centuries, and thanks to advances in the materials and techniques used to make them, today’s dentures are more effective and more comfortable than ever. Whether you’re missing a few teeth or need an entire new arch, dentures are a tried and true option for you to enjoy a full set of functioning teeth once more.
Types Of Dentures
Dentures come in two main types: complete dentures and partial dentures. Which type you need will depend on the number of healthy remaining teeth you have.
Complete (Full) Dentures
Most people are familiar with full dentures, which replace all teeth in an arch on the upper or lower jaw. These dentures are made of a pink acrylic base supporting prosthetic teeth typically made of ceramic. They are held in place by suction, dental adhesive, or a combination of the two.
Partial Dentures
A partial denture is custom designed for those who’ve lost several teeth, but also have viable teeth remaining. These dentures fit around the healthy teeth, using metal or plastic clasps to hold them in place. Various materials can be used to make these dentures, and the support from neighboring teeth helps keep them stable. They can also keep remaining teeth from drifting out of alignment.
Denture Care And Maintenance
Taking proper care of your dentures will help to keep them in good shape, and also protect your oral health. Dentures need to be brushed at least once a day to remove food debris. Be sure to use a soft bristled brush, as hard brushing can leave scratches in the dentures where bacteria and odor can gather.
Dentures should be soaked overnight in a special denture solution. While it’s possible to wear dentures overnight, taking them out while you sleep allows your gums a healthy resting period.
Dentures can be fragile, susceptible to warping or damage. When you remove your dentures, be sure to place a cloth on the counter or sink to cushion them if dropped. Never use hot water to clean your dentures as this can warp them and alter their fit.
Dentures will need maintenance to ensure they fit well and work as designed. Make sure you keep your regular dental visits and let Dr. Mutyala know if they don’t fit as well as they used to. She can examine your dentures and determine whether they need adjustments, relining, or if it’s time for a new set.
Dental Bridges To Complete Your Smile
If you’re missing just one or two teeth, your best option may be a dental bridge. These ceramic dental prosthetics use neighboring teeth to support them as they bridge the gap between your teeth, restoring your smile’s function and aesthetics. The replacement tooth, called a pontic, is attached to dental crowns at each end, which are placed over your nearby healthy teeth.
Dental bridges offer numerous benefits, including:
- Restoring your speaking and chewing ability
- Enhancing appearance
- Keeping teeth from drifting out of alignment
Root Canal Therapy: Saving Teeth And Ending Pain
A root canal treatment may sound intimidating, but if you suffer from a painful infection of your inner tooth, root canal therapy is your best option to save your tooth from extraction. Dr. Mutyala has years of experience performing this treatment and has helped countless patients preserve their teeth. Her gentle touch, conservative approach, and use of advanced tools and techniques help to provide you with a safe and effective treatment experience.
5 Signs You Might Need Root Canal Therapy
Root canal therapy (RCT) is used to treat infections of the inner tooth. This occurs when tooth decay is left unaddressed and eventually reaches the inner chamber of the tooth, where the nerves and soft tissues reside. Bacteria infect the soft tissues, often causing severe pain and putting you at risk of losing the tooth.
To have any chance of saving your tooth, it’s important to act quickly when signs of an infection appear. Here are five signs you should be on alert for:
- Severe toothache, especially when chewing or biting.
- Lingering sensitivity to heat and cold.
- Darkening of the tooth enamel.
- Swelling and tenderness in the gums, cheek, or face.
- An abscess in the gums.
All of these symptoms point to an inner tooth infection however, it’s possible to have an infection and not experience any symptoms. This is why it’s important to see our dentist regularly, so she can examine your teeth and make sure there aren’t any hidden health problems.
Are Root Canals Safe?
Many people have heard negative stories about root canal therapy and may wonder if the procedure is safe. While it’s often assumed that RCT is a painful treatment, it’s actually the opposite. Most patients come into the office with severe pain, and RCT helps them to find relief. The site is numbed during treatment to make it more comfortable, and while it may be sore afterward, this typically goes away after a few days.
Root canal therapy has been used for decades, and thanks to advances in dentistry, it now has quite a high success rate. Dr. Mutyala relies on innovative tools and techniques to provide successful results.
If you are experiencing tooth pain, don’t hesitate to call our office. We’ll do all we can to help ease your pain, restore your tooth, and preserve your smile.
Helping Patients Smile Across Bakersfield
Dr. Mutyala and her team are committed to helping patients enjoy full, healthy smiles, no matter what their current health situation is. If your smile is causing you pain or impacting the way you live your life, we’ll find the best treatment to help you turn things around! Contact our office and schedule your visit today!