Restorative vs. Reparative

Sounds like one and the same, right? Well, to us there’s a world of difference between the two!! Reparative, to us, implies a short term quick fix before investigating the why behind what caused the problem. Let’s say at the beginning of a relationship there are a number of questionable teeth from a decay standpoint. They will need to be cleaned out and repaired to assess their suitability for long term solutions later. (Will they need root canal therapy, are they hopeless and require extraction?) We use reparative dentistry for intercepting larger problems at the outset of a relationship to prevent them from becoming bigger problems later while we work together to develop a long term plan that makes sense. Reparative is also used when circumstances, often financial, prevent using longer-lasting (restorative) materials. This is a collaborative effort, dealing with our respective realities. Reparative materials are used when there is a lot of disease activity that needs to be addressed before it progresses further, and the causative reasons can be brought under control. We call this a “Holding Program.”

Examples of reparative materials: Silver/mercury amalgam fillings, composite fillings, “bonding” materials. Since we have consciously chosen NOT to use silver/mercury filling, that leaves us with fewer choices that have strength and durability.

Sometimes, long term temporary restorations are required to help solve complex problems. We call these “provisionals”, denoting that they are fabricated to provide information for the long term solution to follow. They ultimately provide the template for the future dentistry, so that makes their use “conditional.” They are made of acrylic, sometimes reinforced with fiber or metal on the inside, and are designed to last from a few months to sometimes up to a year.

Restorative, on the other hand, implies just that: To restore to as original appearance and function as possible. This will require the services of a qualified laboratory to support our joint efforts. We work with several highly qualified labs. In addressing finances, we have chosen labs who offer a range of restorative materials with the same commitment to excellence. I’d have to say it’s like Mercedes Benz, where there is the C-Class, E-Class, and S-Class cars. The underlying quality is there, but the level of trim and materials may vary from one class to another. A good example would be our esthetically-oriented lab. Their product can be lifelike in composition, but it requires skillful layering of several different porcelains built from the inside out to achieve that result. For the more practical-minded, who don’t necessarily require “lifelike” results, perhaps fewer layers will do, yet the fit and finish is equal. Get my drift??

Time is the variable, quality is the constant.