Services
Implants
Dental implants are artificial tooth replacements that were first developed half a century ago by a Swedish scientist named Per-Ingvar Branemark. Implants arose from the patient’s need to secure loose-fitting dentures. Since the advent of the implant, engineering and enhancements to the implant have enabled dentists to expand the implant’s usefulness, including the replacement of missing or lost teeth. Today, implant techniques provide a wide range of tooth replacement solutions including:
- Single Tooth Replacement
- Anterior Replacement
- Posterior Replacement
- Full Upper/Lower Replacement
If the missing tooth space has no surrounding teeth, the dentist may decide an implant is the most appropriate treatment choice or option.
Post Implant Care
Although proper oral hygiene is always recommended for maintaining good dental health, it is especially important when a patient has received a dental implant. Bacteria can attack sensitive areas in the mouth when teeth and gums are not properly cleaned, thus causing gums to swell and jaw bones to gradually recede. Recession of the jawbone will weaken implants and eventually make it necessary for the implant to be removed. Patients are advised to visit their dentists at least twice a year to ensure the health of their teeth and implants. Dental implants can last for decades when given proper care.
Porcelain Crowns
A crown is a custom-made covering that fits over an original tooth that is either decayed, damaged or cracked. Though crowns can be made from a variety of materials, our office uses porcelain crowns to provide our patients with the most natural appearance.
The treatment plan for a patient receiving a crown involves:
- 1. Numbing the tooth to remove the decay in or around it.
- 2. Re-sculpting the tooth to provide an ideal fit for the crown.
- 3. Scanning your teeth in order to create cerec same day porcelain crowns.
- 4. Applying the crown onto the tooth.
- 5. After ensuring that the crown has the proper look and fit, the dentist cements it into place.
Once the procedure is completed, proper dental hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, is required to maintain healthy, bacteria-free teeth, gums and crowns. This helps in the prevention of gum disease. Given proper care, your crowns can last a lifetime.
General Extractions
An extraction is the complete removal of a tooth. Extractions are sometimes necessary if a primary tooth is preventing the normal eruption of a permanent tooth, if the tooth has suffered extensive tooth decay or trauma that cannot be repaired, if the patient has gum disease, or if the tooth is impacted (usually the wisdom teeth). Depending on the complexity of the case, an extraction can be performed surgically or non-surgically. A mild anesthesia is used to ensure your child is as comfortable as possible throughout the procedure.
Wisdom Teeth
Your third molars are more commonly called “wisdom teeth.” Usually appearing in the late teens or early twenties, third molars often lack the proper space in the jaw to erupt fully or even at all. This common condition is called impaction.When any tooth lacks the space to come through or simply develops in the wrong place of your jaw and becomes impacted, problems can arise. Primarily, damage to adjacent teeth and crowding occur.
In certain cases, the wisdom tooth that cannot come through becomes inflamed under the gums and in the jawbone, causing a sac to develop around the root of the tooth that then fills with liquid. This can cause a cyst or an abscess if it becomes infected. If either of these situations goes untreated, serious damage to the underlying bone and surrounding teeth and tissues can result.
To potentially stave off this result, an extraction of one, several or all of the wisdom teeth may be advised. Ask our staff for more information regarding tooth extractions if you feel you may need one.
Bonding
Bonding is a common solution for:
- Fixing or repairing chipped or cracked teeth
- Reducing unsightly gaps or spaces between teeth
- Hiding discoloration or faded areas on the tooth’s surface
Often, composite bonding is used to improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile. As the name indicates, composite material, either a plastic or resin, is bonded to an existing tooth. Unlike veneers or crowns, composite bonding removes little, if any, of the original tooth.
Composite bonding has many advantages:
- It is a quick process, which typically lasts less than one hour.
- It does not reduce the tooth’s original structure and is relatively inexpensive.
- Composite resins come in many different shades and provide better matching of shades to the natural color of your teeth.
- Composite bonds, however, are not as durable and long-lasting as veneers and crowns and may need to be re-touched or replaced in the future.
Composite bonds stain more easily and therefore require proper care and regular cleaning. In order to ensure the longest possible duration of the bonding, composites should be brushed and flossed daily. Common staining elements include coffee, tea, tobacco, foods and candy.
Bridges
A bridge is a dental device that fills a space that a tooth previously occupied. A bridge may be necessary to prevent:
- Shifting of the teeth that can lead to bite problems (occlusion) and/or jaw problems and resultant periodontal disease.
- Bridges safeguard the integrity of existing teeth and help maintain a healthy, vibrant smile.
There are three main types of bridges, namely:
- A fixed bridge is the most popular and consists of a filler tooth that is attached to two crowns, which fit over the existing teeth and hold the bridge in place.
- The “Maryland” bridge is commonly used to replace missing front teeth and consists of a filler that is attached to metal bands that are bonded to the abutment teeth. The metal bands consist of a white-colored composite resin that matches existing tooth color.
- The cantilever bridge is often used when there are teeth on only one side of the span. A typical three-unit cantilever bridge consists of two crowned teeth positioned next to each other on the same side of the missing tooth space. The filler tooth is then connected to the two crowned teeth, which extend into the missing tooth space or end.
Orthodontics (Braces)
Traditional braces straighten your teeth using a combination of brackets and wires affixed to your teeth. Elastic bands may be added to assist in moving teeth and correcting your bite. Tooth-colored ceramic brackets and advanced self-ligating brackets provide alternative options with unique benefits.
Signs to see if you need braces?
- Visibly crooked or crowded teeth
- Irregular loss of baby teeth in childhood
- Problems chewing food efficiently
- Difficulty in flossing and brushing effectively
- The presence of an under bite or overbite
- Missing or extra teeth
Braces are an investment in your oral health; proper care will ensure you get the most out of your treatment.
Maintenance tips for braces:
- Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. A water flosser and many other products can help clean hard-to-reach areas.
- Hard and sticky foods can cause damage to your braces. We recommend eating softer food and cutting fruits and vegetables into smaller pieces.
- Maintain schedule appointments for adjustments and cleaning.
SureSmile Clear Aligners
SureSmile Clear Aligners are designed to make sure they fit comfortably and promote better oral hygiene. These aligners are a technological advancement that has made orthodontic treatment less obvious, while moving teeth and aligning jaws to create a healthy, beautiful smile.
Benefits of SureSmile Clear Aligners:
- Nearly invisible, allowing you to smile confidently without the constant awareness of metal braces.
- No wiring, brackets or traditional braces.
- On average, the aligner treatment typically ranges from 6-18 months, which is half the time of traditional metal braces.
- Suited for individuals with crowding, spacing, and bite problems.
- This solution enables you to attain a beautiful smile without disturbing your daily routine.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are thin, semi-translucent “shells” typically attached to your front teeth. They are customized from porcelain material that is bonded to your teeth. Porcelain veneers are a great alternative to otherwise painful dental procedures to improve the appearance of your smile.
Common problems that porcelain veneers are used for:
- Spaces between the teeth
- Broken or chipped teeth
- Unsightly, stained or discolored teeth
- Permanently stained or discolored teeth
- Crooked or mishapen teeth
Porcelain veneers are a great aesthetic solution to your smile that may even help you avoid orthodontic treatment. Subtle changes to your smile can be achieved with veneers, and in most cases, veneer application is completed in only two office visits.
Digital Imaging
We are proud to utilize the latest technology available to ensure our patients enjoy the best results! We use high-resolution digital imaging to capture detailed images of your mouth, thus enabling us to maintain accurate records and keep you thoroughly informed of your treatment progress.
The digital radiography machine we use to take X-rays of your mouth releases up to 90% less radiation than traditional X-ray machines while providing crisp, clear images for more efficient diagnoses and treatment.
Panoramic
Panoramic x-rays are x-rays that show the whole jaw and are sometimes able to include the sinuses. Usually, panoramic x-ray machines require you to bite down on a plastic wedge which holds your teeth in the proper position to produce a good image. The machine will then rotate around your head creating multiple images to create a composite image showing your full dentition.
Panoramic x-rays are also very useful for evaluating the extent of bone loss due to periodontal disease. If you are planning on getting a dental implant or extraction, a panoramic x-ray is necessary for the oral surgeon to be able to evaluate and plan for the surgery. A panoramic x-ray is also useful in diagnosing TMJ disorders, evaluating for orthodontic treatment and diagnosing cavities in anterior (front) teeth that are not seen in bitewing x-rays.
Periodontics
The term “periodontal” means “around the tooth.” Therefore, periodontal disease affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Gum, or periodontal, disease can cause inflammation, tooth loss and bone damage. The infection starts when the gums become inflamed due to bacteria in plaque, a sticky, colorless film that forms on your teeth. While this is often the main cause of periodontal disease, other factors can also be attributed to affecting the health of the gums and bone, including:
- Smoking or Tobacco Use
- Stress
- Genetics
- Pregnany
- Medications
- Diabetes
- Poor Nutrition
Periodontal disease comes in many forms. Gingivitis is perhaps the mildest form of gum disease. While the gums become red, swollen and bleed easily, there is very little to no discomfort associated at this stage of the disease. Through a good oral hygiene regimen and treatment from your dentist, the results of gingivitis can be reversed.
Periodontitis is another form of periodontal disease and can be aggressive or chronic. Aggressive periodontitis displays rapid bone destruction and attachment loss in clinically healthy patients. Chronic periodontitis is one of the most common forms of periodontal disease and is frequently seen in adults. The stages progress slowly and can be recognized by gum recession and pocket formation.
Treatment and Prevention
In certain cases, periodontal surgery may be recommended to treat periodontal disease when non-surgical treatment is ineffective. We may advise procedures such as pocket reduction, soft tissue grafts or bone regeneration to treat periodontal disease. If a tooth has been lost due to periodontal disease, dental implants are always an option for permanent tooth replacement.
Good oral hygiene and regular visits with your dentist and periodontist can prevent periodontal disease. Daily brushing and flossing can keep plaque to a minimum and, in conjunction with professional cleanings 2-4 times a year, can keep your teeth healthy for life.