Milford Dentists Explain the Difference Between 'Direct' & 'Indirect' Restoration Work

As the team at Milford Dentists explain, dental repair work to fix teeth can really be divided into two main types ‘direct’ and ‘indirect’ restoration work. Direct restoration work includes work like fillings and indirect dental work covers crowns and veneers.

The simplest way to differentiate between the two is that a ‘direct’ restoration is when the dentist repairs a tooth ‘directly’ in the patient’s mouth, by moulding material to ‘fill’ a gap or flaws in the tooth. An ‘indirect’ restoration is when the dentist takes a mould of the tooth either with a quick setting impression material or a digital scan of the tooth and then creates the replacement crown or veneer outside of the mouth before fitting it to the patients tooth.

Dental terminology can be very confusing for patients so the Milford Dentists team has broken down all the main terms so consumers have a clearer understanding, clarifying that dental restoration is the process of repairing a damaged tooth and essentially restoring its function, integrity or appearance, while a ‘filling’ or ‘direct’ restoration is when a dentist places a soft material into the damaged tooth and shapes it before it sets hard. This is a convenient process to use if patients want the tooth fixed in a single visit.

‘Filling’ a tooth is also how dentists usually refer to smaller tooth restorations which often just involve repairing a small amount of damage rather than rebuilding a tooth. The more damage there is and the more restoration work needs to be done to restore it, the more likely a crown or veneer will be needed. When a customer decides they want a damaged tooth strengthened, reshaped or the appearance improved the dentist will very often choose to create a crown or veneer for the tooth or use the ‘indirect’ restoration method.

Crowns and veneers are a longer lasting solution for dental repair, replacing more of the tooth and adding more structural integrity. Other terms for ‘indirect’ restorations include inlays, onlays and bridges (which are multiple crowns in a row including a fused false tooth).

Milford Dentists also has a same day cad/cam service that can create crowns, overlays and veneers in a single day for those wanting a fast permanent high quality solution and will talk their patients through their options and costs and whether a filling or a crown is the most appropriate treatment.

For more information on tooth whitening, dentures and wisdom tooth removal please go to http://www.milforddentists.co.nz .