Beautiful, Healthy Teeth with Restorative Treatments

At some point, nearly all patients may need to have some sort of restorative dental treatment.

Restorative treatments restore tooth structure after it's been damaged by:

Dental decay
Trauma
Pressure from a misaligned bite (how the jaw bones and teeth relate to one another)
Pressure from misaligned or missing teeth

If you experience any of these scenarios, your Santa Barbara dentist, Dr. Omid Barkhordar, can provide you with high-quality restorative treatments that will not only promote the health of your teeth but make them look great too!

Restorative Treatments Provided by See Me Smile Dental

Here are some of the restorative treatments that our experienced dentist may recommend after completing a dental examination of your mouth.

Air Abrasion

In some cases, you may have stains that are difficult to remove or that can't be removed with a bleaching system. When this happens, your Santa Barbara dentist will use an air abrasion system that sprays tiny particles of aluminum oxide, silica, or baking soda onto the tooth.

Another way we use air abrasion is to remove shallow decay (decay that's only in the enamel). In these cases, you won't need to be numb. Dr. Omid will simply spray the surface of the tooth to remove the decay and fill it in with composite.

Composite Fillings

Composite fillings are one of the most common restorative treatments. Instead of using unappealing amalgam (silver) filling material, Dr. Omid will fill your tooth with composite resin after removing all the decay. The material is tooth-colored, so no one will be able to tell you've had a filling.

Dental Crowns

Dental crowns are like caps or hats that sit on top of your tooth. They're recommended if you're experiencing cracked tooth syndrome, have had a root canal, or have deep decay that's compromised the structure of the tooth.

Your Santa Barbara dentist will make your tooth shorter and reduce its circumference, then take an impression, which will be sent to a dental lab tech who will fabricate a permanent porcelain crown.

Full and Partial Dentures

To restore missing teeth, we provide full and partial denture restorative treatments.

A full or complete denture is for patients with no remaining teeth, while a partial is for patients who still have some or most of their teeth present.

Full dentures can be utilized in conjunction with implants, which promote bone health and help secure the dentures.

Fixed Bridges

If you're missing a tooth, it's important to restore it. One of the ways to do this is with a fixed bridge.

A bridge is made up of three parts:

A pontic (to replace the missing tooth)
Two abutments

The abutments are crowns that fit over the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth. They're fused to the pontic to create a three-unit restoration.

Inlay and Onlay Restorations

Inlay and onlay restorations are like fillings (inlays) or partial crowns (onlays). They are made of higher quality materials than the composite resin used in fillings. Instead, porcelain or gold is typically used.

After preparing the tooth just as they would do for a normal filling, your dentist will take an impression and send it to a dental laboratory where your permanent inlay or onlay will be fabricated.

Root Canal Therapy (RCT)

Root canal therapy is needed if you have:

Deep decay into the nerve chamber of the tooth
Trauma that causes a severe fracture or inflames the nerves
A tooth infection

Root canal therapy helps preserve the tooth even after the nerve has been removed, instead of having to extract the tooth. After the tissue has been removed, the root canals will be filled with a thermoplastic substance made of coagulated latex called gutta-percha, and a temporary filling will be placed.

You'll need either a permanent filling or a dental crown once the tooth has healed.

Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is an alternative to veneers. It's a more affordable option but can look just as good.

Using composite resin material - the same used in our composite fillings - we can:

Eliminate the appearance of stains, particularly those around old fillings and intrinsic stains (stains inside the tooth that show up on the outside)
Fill in small gaps between the teeth
Repair chips and small fractures

The latest composite material comes in a variety of shades, which can be mixed and matched, creating a custom shade that will match your natural tooth color. After bonding the material to your teeth and polishing it, no one will even know you've had restorative work done.

Creating a Treatment Plan That Puts Your Needs First

Dr. Omid doesn't believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to dental care. Your restorative treatment plan will reflect what you need. Your Santa Barbara dentist will also take into consideration your aesthetic needs. Instead of simply recommending a certain course of action, he'll review all of your options. You'll end up with restorative treatments that protect your teeth from further damage, promote good oral health, and that look fantastic, too.

Are you interested in restoring your smile? Call our Santa Barbara dental team to schedule a comprehensive examination. We'll help ease your mind and create a treatment plan that addresses your unique needs.

Meet Dr. Omid

Dr. Omid Barkhordar, DDS has earned his reputation as a leading family and cosmetic dentist in Santa Barbara, the Central Coast, and Southern California. He is committed to providing patients of all ages with compassionate care.

From general dentistry to advanced procedures, Dr. Omid uses innovative technology and gentle techniques to deliver safe and stress-free dental care so patients can enjoy a painless, healthy, and gorgeous smile.

Dr. Omid earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) degree from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Dentistry in one of the best dental programs in the United States. His dedication to helping patients achieve their perfect smile has earned Dr. Omid the continued trust and recommendation of many clients.

No matter the age or needs of the patient, Dr. Omid is committed to helping you discover the benefits of a healthy, beautiful smile.

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