What Is a Restorative Dentist? Understanding Their Role in Oral Health

When people go to the dentist, they often do not realize exactly what type of dentist they are going to, and in some cases — especially when a patient needs fillings, crowns, or root canals — they might go to a restorative dentist. This dental professional focuses on restoring and saving teeth, whereas a regular general dentist might attend to more preventive care.

In the best cases, a restorative dentist may offer both restorative work and general dentistry, such as cleanings and check-ups. This means that patients can pursue as much dental care as possible in one location, either with a single dentist or with multiple dental professionals in the same office.

Understanding what a restorative dentist does

Restorative dentistry helps ensure that patients can keep their natural teeth for as long as possible. When this is no longer viable, a restorative dentist can also assist patients with finding a tooth replacement strategy that works for them.

Repairing teeth

Restorations are among the most common procedures that a restorative dentist performs. These can include fillings to address cavities and crowns for teeth that need additional help. Most patients will experience at least one filling before getting a crown, which is intended to hold together a tooth that has been weakened from multiple fillings.

Crowns can also be used to protect a tooth with a deep or difficult-to-treat cavity that is not a good candidate for a standard filling. Dental bonding to keep the teeth in good condition is a regular part of a restorative dentist’s repertoire.

Replacing teeth

In some cases, whether through trauma or decay, patients may lose one or more teeth. Restorative dentists understand the importance of having a complete arch of teeth, so they provide multiple options based on patients’ needs.

Dentures are one possibility and are suited for those who have lost more than one tooth. Dental implants are another choice, offering jawbone stimulation that dentures do not. However, they require more invasive procedures, so not all patients may be good candidates.

Saving teeth

In certain instances, a patient’s tooth may be in severe danger due to an infection inside of it, which can occur due to deep cavities, trauma, and other causes. When possible, restorative dentists seek to preserve a natural tooth rather than remove and replace it. Therefore, they often perform a root canal to address the infection inside the tooth, so the patient can keep it for as long as possible.