Services
*Cosmetic Tooth Colored Fillings
Fillings are needed for a number of reasons. Whether a tooth has slight to moderate decay, severe wear or is slightly fractured, they can serve to replace loss of tooth structure due to these issues. Currently with dental materials always improving, cosmetic tooth colored fillings have been proven to last as long as old metal fillings if placed properly.
*Routine Hygiene and Periodontal services
Keeping your gums and teeth healthy and clean with great home care is the most important thing we can do to keep our mouth free of gum disease and tooth decay. However, regular dental care with teeth cleanings and exams is necessary to clean and examine those areas that one cannot access or see. Those areas are under your gums and between your teeth. 6 months is a general "rule of thumb" amount of time that one should have a cleaning and exam. Some people however have the propensity to develop periodontal disease, where they lose bone and soft tissue attachment around their teeth. A routine cleaning will not be sufficient to stop this process from continuing. A procedure called scaling and root planing would need to be done where it would most likely require local anesthesia to clean those deeper areas under the gums. Patients who have had this procedure done previously or patients who could have the susceptibility to periodontal disease are recommended to have more frequent cleanings or periodontal maintenance, where a 6 month regular cleaning and exam will not be enough.
*Crowns
When a tooth has a large defective filling, a root canal, broken cusps or other fractured areas, severe decay or esthetic issues, a crown can be used to hold the tooth together. After removing the affected areas the tooth is built up with filling material that is there to help support a crown. The tooth is shaved down so a crown can be custom made to fit over the tooth to restore and protect the tooth.
*Bridges
When a tooth is missing/extracted between two other teeth a restoration called a bridge can be used to “bridge” the gap. Teeth on either side of the missing tooth are shaved down as in the crown procedure to act as anchor teeth. A prosthesis to connect these anchor teeth is made. It is at least three units spanning from one anchor tooth to the other anchor tooth, with a pontic (false tooth) bridging the anchored teeth together and thus filling in the missing space.
*Implant Crowns
When a tooth is missing or extracted, an implant usually made of titanium can be placed in the bone where that missing tooth used to be. After about 4-6 months of healing while waiting for the implant to get embedded in the bone, it is strong enough to support a crown to fill the space of the missing tooth.
*Root Canals
When the nerve and blood supply in the tooth is irritated to the point where it is either causing pain or infection, a root canal procedure must be done to avoid serious complications with a person’s overall health. Access to the nerve (pulp chamber) is through the biting surface of the tooth. Getting to the pulp chamber exposes the root canals of the tooth. All of the nerves and blood vessels(organic tissues) in the tooth are cleaned out and sterile solutions are used to clean the canals of any harmful bacteria. Once cleaned, a special rubber filling material called gutta percha is used to fill the canals. Once the root canal procedure is complete, there is a higher chance for fracture to occur as the procedure does make the tooth more brittle. Therefore a crown procedure is recommended after most root canal procedures.
*Extractions
When teeth are not restorable because of decay, root fractures or lack of bone support caused by periodontal disease or some other process, a tooth needs to be extracted. Without extraction, infections can develop which can become life threatening. In the procedure, getting enough anesthesia in the affected area is vital to make sure the procedure is painless as possible. 3rd molar, also known as wisdom teeth are also teeth that are commonly extracted. Usually in a person’s teenage years, wisdom teeth are easiest to remove because the roots of these teeth have not fully developed. In many cases, due to the possibility of the wisdom teeth not having enough room in your jaw to erupt which can cause gum infections and difficulties with adjacent teeth, it is good to have 3rd molars evaluated for possible extraction.
*Complete and Partial Dentures
When a patient has multiple areas where teeth have been extracted, a complete or
partial denture is an option to replace those missing teeth. A complete denture replaces all of the teeth in an arch in the mouth using suction to soft tissues and anatomical features of the arch to retain a denture. A partial denture uses existing teeth and anatomical features of the arches to retain the denture. To gain better stability for both complete and partial dentures, implants can be placed at strategic points under a denture to help retain the denture. Dentures are removable, so cleaning and maintaining the dentures are a must.
*Custom Night Guards/Bite Guards
Many people grind or clench their teeth, which can both cause increased wear on teeth, as well as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain. In many cases a custom made bite guard can be made to relieve the stress put on teeth to reduce wear as well as in some cases to relieve the strain on the muscles associated with the TMJ.
*Pediatric Dentistry
When children start to develop their baby/primary teeth, it is a good time to bring them into the dentist for an exam. It is a good opportunity for parents to make sure their children’s teeth are properly cared for, as well as making sure there are not any intraoral soft tissue problems to address. All through childhood it is important for children to come in for regular exams as teeth may come in to the mouth in a way that is not ideal and problems can be solved earlier in an easier way than if they wait until their teenage years or adulthood.
*Nitrous Oxide and Oral Sedation
We will do everything we can to make you comfortable and at ease at our office. We offer nitrous oxide and oral sedation if needed to make you visit a pleasant experience.