Restorative dentistry deals with the restoration of oral and dental tissues for patients. Restorative dentistry includes operative dentistry, which deals with filling of teeth; period ontology, which involves prevention and treatment of gum disease; endodontics, which includes root canal treatment; and prosthodontics, which means replacement of teeth.

Restorative dentistry can range from restoring a single tooth to full mouth reconstruction and rehabilitation involving most or all of the patient's teeth, opening the patient's bite and reestablishing the patient's entire chewing motion to proper function. Restorative dentistry can achieve this through simple tooth recontouring or small direct restorations (fillings) to using a variety of indirect restorations such as inlays, onlays, crowns, fixed bridges, implant crowns, implant bridges and porcelain laminate veneers. Restorative dentistry can also utilize full dentures and removable partial dentures to replace missing teeth and restore proper form, function, esthetics and bite for patients.

When problems are less severe, restorative dentistry often employs direct restoration or fillings. In the case of problems that have already reached an advanced stage, it uses indirect restorations that are fabricated in a dental laboratory. When the problem is most severe, restorative dentistry adopts a multifaceted interdisciplinary approach to accomplish full mouth restoration and rehabilitation.

If the patient