Home/Restorative Dentistry
Restorative Dentistry in
Johnson City, TN
Fillings, crowns, bridges, root canals, dentures, and extractions that fix what’s broken and last. Dr. John Nauss does same-day CEREC crowns in-house, and because he also places implants, every restoration is planned with your long-term options in mind.
★★★★★ 5.0 on Google · 479 reviews
Smile gallery
Real patients.
Rebuilt to last.
Restorative cases from Dr. Nauss’s chair. Drag the slider to compare.
Fix it once, fix it properly.
Restorative dentistry is repair work: rebuilding teeth that are decayed, cracked, infected, worn, or missing so you can chew, speak, and smile without thinking about it.
The difference between a restoration that holds up and one that fails early usually comes down to diagnosis and fit. A filling placed where a crown was needed, a crown that doesn't seal, a bridge on a tooth that couldn't hold it. Getting the plan right is most of the job.
Save what's healthy
We're all about preserving good tooth structure. Dr. Nauss removes only what's damaged and builds the restoration around the healthy tooth that's left, instead of cutting a tooth down to fit a standard shape.
Custom same-day crowns, not cookie-cutter
That's why we use CEREC. Every restoration is custom designed for your specific tooth, milled right here in our office, and seated in one visit. No generic crown shape, no impression trays, no two weeks with a temporary. You walk in with a broken tooth and out with a finished one.
3D printed restorations, coming soon
We'll soon be adding 3D printed restorations to our office, giving Dr. Nauss even more options for precise, custom, tooth-specific work made right here.
Save the tooth when it's worth saving
A root canal that saves a healthy tooth beats an extraction. But a tooth with a vertical crack or too little structure left is a bad investment. Dr. Nauss will tell you honestly which one you have, and if a tooth does need to come out, he can plan the implant at the same visit because he does both.
Restorations that fit the bigger picture
Every crown, bridge, and denture is planned with your long-term mouth in mind. That's the advantage of an office that also does implants and full arch work: the same person deciding what to do today knows what your options will be down the road.
Whatever's broken, we can rebuild it.
From a small filling to a full set of teeth.
Tooth-colored composite that bonds to the tooth and disappears. Small cavities fixed in one visit, no silver.
Learn more → 02Dental CrownsCustom same-day CEREC crowns designed for your specific tooth and milled in-office. Walk in with a broken tooth, walk out with a finished one.
Learn more → 03Dental BridgesA fixed replacement for one or more missing teeth, anchored to the teeth on either side. No removable parts.
Learn more → 04Root CanalsClears an infected tooth and saves it instead of pulling it. Done under local anesthesia, and it stops the pain, not causes it.
Learn more → 05Tooth ExtractionsWhen a tooth can't be saved, a careful removal that protects the bone so an implant is still an option later.
Learn more → 06Dentures & PartialsFull and partial dentures that fit properly, plus implant-supported options that don't slip.
Learn more →From diagnosis to done.
- 01Find the problem
X-rays, intraoral photos, and an exam. We show you the tooth on screen so you can see what we see before we recommend anything.
- 02Pick the right fix
Filling, crown, root canal, extraction, or replace. Dr. Nauss lays out the options with prices and tells you which one he'd choose for his own mouth.
- 03Numb and comfortable
Local anesthesia every time, with nitrous oxide available if you'd like help relaxing. You should never feel the work.
- 04Do it right
Custom CEREC crowns are designed for your tooth and milled while you wait. Fillings and most extractions finish in one visit. Bridges and dentures come back fitted, not close enough.
- 05Check the bite
Every restoration is adjusted until it feels like it was always there. If something's off in a week, come back and we'll fix it.
The question behind every restoration.
Most restorative decisions come down to one thing: is this tooth worth keeping? Here's how Dr. Nauss thinks about it.
- A cavity, even a deep one, with solid tooth around it: filling or crown
- A cracked or broken tooth with the root intact: crown
- An infected tooth with healthy bone around it: root canal and crown
- Worn or chipped teeth from grinding: crowns plus a night guard
- An old filling or crown that's failing: replace it
- A tooth you want to keep and the numbers support it
- A crack that runs down into the root
- Too little tooth left above the gum to hold a crown
- A root canal that's failed more than once
- Advanced bone loss around the tooth from gum disease
- A tooth that's already loose
- When saving it costs more than replacing it with an implant
Dr. John Nauss, DMD
Restorative work is where Dr. Nauss's careful, precise approach shows most. From a single filling to a full mouth reconstruction, he brings the same standard: get the diagnosis right, save as much healthy tooth as possible, and make every restoration fit the tooth it's made for. His surgical and implant training means that when a tooth truly can't be saved, the plan for what comes next starts in the same chair.
Let's get it right.
Tell us a little about what you need and we'll be in touch to find a time that works. New patients of every age are welcome, and if it's been a while, that's fine too.
Call (423) 282-5208 Accepting new patientsFriday to Sunday: Closed
Questions, answered.
What patients ask most about crowns, fillings, and root canals in Johnson City.
Can I really get a crown in one visit?
Yes. With CEREC, Dr. Nauss scans the tooth, designs a crown specifically for it on screen, and mills it from a block of ceramic while you wait. It's fitted and bonded the same day. No impression trays, no temporary, no second appointment. Plan on about two hours.
Does a root canal hurt?
The root canal is what stops the pain, not what causes it. The tooth is fully numbed and the procedure feels like a long filling. Most patients are surprised how uneventful it is compared to the toothache that brought them in.
Do you use silver fillings?
No. We use tooth-colored composite that bonds to the tooth, requires less drilling, and disappears when you smile. If you have old silver fillings that are cracking or leaking, we can replace them.
How much does a dental crown cost in Johnson City, TN?
It varies with the material and the tooth, and we'll give you an exact number before we start. We offer financing and a membership plan, and we're in network with Delta Dental Premier only, with help filing out-of-network claims.
Bridge or implant to replace a missing tooth?
A bridge is faster and usually cheaper up front, but it means grinding down the two healthy teeth beside the gap. An implant leaves those teeth alone. Dr. Nauss does both and will give you an honest comparison for your specific case, including the total cost over time.
Will my dentures fit better than my old ones?
If they're made properly, yes. Poor fit is almost always a lab or impression problem. We also offer implant-supported dentures that snap onto two to four implants, which ends slipping and adhesive entirely.
Have a different question? Call Apex at (423) 282-5208.