First off congratulations on wearing earplugs when playing!
Regarding your question: "Do ear-plugs prevent us from hearing all the sounds of the drum-kit?"
The answer clearly is yes, no and it depends.
If you are wearing a typical foam earplug that is not fully inserted into the ear canal then most likely you will hear a very muffled version of the true drum sound. The high-frequencies (stick attack on the head and the ping of the ride) will be muffled or absent. In this situation you might find yourself playing very differently than when you play without the plugs. You may find yourself overplaying with the earplugs and it may be very difficult to clearly hear what the other musicians are playing.
If you are wearing a high-fidelity earplug such as an appropriately fitted custom molded musician's earplug or a high-fidelity earplug, then the sounds reaching your eardrum will be very close to the sounds without earplugs with the exception of a reduction in level that depends on the attenuation characteristics of the earplug. See the NRR (noise reduction rating) of the earplug. A high number indicates more sound attenuation.
When wearing earplugs that provide a flat-attenuation of all of the frequencies, there is also a reduction in the distortion of high-frequency perception that occurs at very loud levels. In other words, at very loud levels, it is very difficult to hear high frequency sounds. That's why some of the metal guys are slamming wood or plastic beaters into Kevlar, fiberglass or metal bass drum patches or they are triggering kick sounds with tons of high-frequency content. In this situation, your playing may be different when using the plugs, but in a good way. In very loud situations you may find that it is actually easier to hear the drums and easier NOT to overplay with the earplugs than without the plugs. This is a big plus because overplaying can lead to poor technique, bodily injury and damage to your gear.
Run a search on our previous threads on earplugs for more information.
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