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Patient Education

There are three definitions of restorative dentistry:
Classical Dentistry | Esthetic Dentistry | Cosmetic Dentistry

Esthetic Dentistry:

This area of dentistry also involves the repair of missing, broken or decayed teeth. However, the dentist performs the needed dentistry (?Doc, my tooth broke on some white bread!?) but makes every effort to conceal the repairs of the tooth so that the procedures and the materials used match the tooth or the adjacent teeth as close to possible as the manufacturers of the materials, the skill and talent of the dentist, and the talent of the laboratory ceramicists can make them.

Most dentistry performed in the United States is really Esthetic Dentistry as the teeth have a problem and need to be repaired. Most of the time when patients refer to ?cosmetic dentistry? they are really referring to ?esthetic dentistry?. (See Cosmetic Dentistry for a better understanding between the two areas.)

Esthetic dentistry does not involve the use of silver/mercury fillings or gold for crowns when repairing a tooth or teeth. Many times the dentist will not even use porcelain with any metals when crowns are needed. This area of dentistry repairs teeth with completely metal free fillings, onlays or crowns preferring to make extensive use of direct resins for ?filling teeth?, or laboratory processed resins or porcelains when a tooth requires a more extensive repair with an onlay or a crown. The newest materials used (for the back of the mouth) for crowns are made of zirconium with porcelain on the outside. Zirconium is an extremely strong material that is almost equal in strength to metals. Almost all of the replacement of old or existing dentistry or dental treatment that involves worn or short teeth is considered Esthetic Dentistry in that there is some problem with a tooth or teeth that is expected to be fixed.

It is my belief that when dentistry performs excellent treatment in the areas of periodontics, orthodontics, endodontics, restorative dentistry, implant dentistry along with laboratory creativity and excellence, then the sum of all of the treatment is esthetic dentistry.