Rebuilding teeth that need rebuilding.

How do I know whether I need a filling or a crown?

The deciding factor is remaining structure, not the size of the hole. A filling replaces missing tooth material and relies on the surrounding tooth to carry the biting load. Once too little sound tooth remains to carry that load — typically when a cavity or an old filling undermines the cusps, or a crack runs through them — a filling will flex the tooth until it splits. A crown covers the tooth and takes the load itself.

A rough guide: if more than roughly half the biting surface is involved, if a cusp is already fractured, or if the tooth has had a root canal, a crown is usually the right answer. You will be shown the radiograph and the intraoral photograph and told which of those applies.

What we use, and when

• Composite fillings — tooth-colored resin, bonded, for small to moderate cavities
• Porcelain crowns — full coverage for a tooth that can no longer carry its own load
• Bridges — a replacement tooth anchored to the teeth on either side of a gap
• Implant restorations — the crown or bridge placed onto an implant, restoring a gap without altering the neighboring teeth
• Partial dentures — removable replacement for several missing teeth in an arch
• Full dentures — replacement for a complete arch, conventional or implant-retained

What are my options for a missing tooth?

That fourth row is a genuine option and will be presented as one where it applies. Not every gap must be filled, and a dentist who tells you otherwise without reference to which tooth it is has not looked.

How long does a crown take?

Conventionally, two visits. At the first, the tooth is prepared, an impression or digital scan is taken, and a temporary crown is placed. The laboratory makes the final crown, and at the second visit it is fitted, adjusted against your bite, and cemented. Between two and three weeks is typical. The temporary is functional — you can eat on it, with sensible caution about anything very sticky.

A crown placed after a root canal is sequenced differently, because the root canal has to be completed and confirmed first. See root canal therapy.

Are dentures still worth considering?

Yes, and the modern versions are not what people picture. A well-made full or partial denture restores chewing function and appearance at a fraction of the cost and treatment time of full-arch implant work, and for many patients that trade is the right one. The honest limitations are real too: a conventional lower denture relies on suction and ridge shape for stability, and some patients never find it comfortable.

Implant-retained dentures sit between the two — two or more implants hold the denture firmly while keeping it removable for cleaning, which solves most of the stability complaint at a cost well below a full arch of individual implants. Dr. Walker will go through which of these your ridge, bone, and budget actually support.

What does restorative work cost, and will insurance help?

Dental benefit plans usually cover a meaningful share of restorative treatment — fillings commonly at a higher percentage, crowns, bridges, and dentures at a lower one, and most plans carry an annual maximum that a larger plan will exceed. We verify your coverage before treatment, give you a written estimate of your share, and where a plan can reasonably be staged across two benefit years to reduce your out-of-pocket cost, we will lay that out rather than let you find out afterward.

Sunbit and CareCredit financing are available for the balance — details on the financing page.