Treatments
Restorative
Crowns are prescribed when a tooth or teeth are too badly decayed, broken or cracked to be easily restored with a filling. Crowns are normally needed for teeth that have had root canals. Crowns are also placed on dental implants to replace missing teeth. Crowns can be made entirely of gold or porcelain fused to a gold substrate for strength and beauty. However, with new technology, crowns can be made entirely from high-strength ceramic and porcelain for beautiful cosmetic results.
With proper care, your new crown will increase your overall health and instill confidence for years to come.
We use these products for this type of treatment:
We will prescribe a bridge when one or more teeth are missing and there are healthy teeth on both sides of the open space. Bridges can be made from three types of material, solid gold for reliable long wear, porcelain fused to a gold base for strength and beauty, and high-strength metal-free porcelain for optimum cosmetic results. With proper care, your new bridge will increase your overall health and instill confidence for years to come.
We use these products for this type of treatment:
When it comes to replacing one or more teeth in your mouth, a dental implant is often the treatment of choice and is also one of the most conservative treatments for tooth replacement. Implants are biocompatible posts that replace the roots of your missing teeth. They are physically and biologically designed to attach to your jaw bone and become the foundation for a natural looking restoration.
Your new tooth or teeth will have excellent stability and strength, and will look and feel like your natural teeth.
We use these products for this type of treatment:
If you have lost some or all of your natural teeth, dentures can be used to replace your missing teeth – improving your health as well as your appearance. Dentures prevent the sagging of facial muscles, which makes a person with no teeth look much older. Dentures also enable you to eat and speak normally, little things often taken for granted until natural teeth are lost.
Brush your gums, tongue, and palate every morning with a soft-bristled brush before you insert your dentures to stimulate circulation in your tissues and to help remove plaque. Regular dental checkups are needed so we can examine your mouth and dentures to ensure a healthy and comfortable fit.
For hundreds of years, dental fillings have been used to restore teeth. Dental fillings are placed in teeth where a dentist has had to remove tooth structure due to decay or fracture. In recent years filling materials have been substantially improved by many technological advancements. Although silver amalgam was the dominant choice years ago, today we have several other preferred options for tooth restoration including tooth colored composite filling materials and cementable resins and porcelains.
Cosmetic
Bonding is a quick, painless in-office procedure to repair cracks, chips, gaps between teeth or cover stained teeth to enhance your smile. Bonding can often be done without anesthesia if there is no decay or pulp exposure. The bonding material is developed in many shades allowing the dentist to accurately match the shade of your natural teeth. The composite resin forms a durable, stain resistant surface that is later smoothed and polished to give it a natural appearance and feel.
Bonding can be used to:
- Protect exposed roots of teeth
- Repair cracks, unevenness, chips
- Close spaces between your front teeth
- Reshape crooked or misshapen teeth
- Replace old or unattractive silver fillings
- Whiten stained teeth
- Replace missing teeth
- Stabilize loose teeth
Unlike a crown, which covers the entire tooth, a veneer is a thin shell that is placed over the front or visible parts of the tooth. There are two types of veneers, ceramic veneers that are produced by a dental laboratory and resin-based composite veneers. With proper care, your new veneers will greatly improve your appearance and increase your confidence for years to come.
Everyone loves a bright, white smile. Today there are a variety of products and procedures available to help you improve the color of your teeth. Some whitening procedures are done in our office with one visit. Other whitening agents can even be purchased over-the-counter. However, over-the-counter whitening agents will not whiten your teeth as quickly or as effectively as those delivered by a dentist.
We use these products for this type of treatment:
Gum Health
The basis of sound dental care is routine cleaning and maintenance. We customize cleanings on the basis of your periodontal, (gums and bone), health. We utilize medicated gels along with prescription mouth rinses in problem areas if necessary. Ultrasonic scalers are sometimes used to make the procedure more comfortable and effective as well.
Sealants should be used as part of a child’s total preventive dental care. Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings which are applied to the chewing surfaces of the molars (back teeth). Most tooth decay in children and teens occurs in these surfaces. Sealants cover the chewing surfaces to prevent decay. Applying sealants does not require drilling or removing tooth structure. It is an easy three-step process: We clean the tooth with a special toothpaste. A special cleansing liquid, on a tiny piece of cotton, is rubbed gently on the tooth and is washed off. Finally, the sealant is painted on the tooth. It takes about a minute for the sealant to form a protective shield. One sealant application can last for as long as 5 to 10 years. Sealants should be checked regularly, and reapplied if they are no longer in place.
Children and adults at high risk of dental decay may benefit from using additional fluoride products, including dietary supplements (for children who do not have adequate levels of fluoride in their drinking water), mouth rinses, and professionally applied gels and varnishes.
We use these products for this type of treatment:
Gum disease is usually caused by plaque, a sticky film of bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. If plaque is not removed with thorough daily brushing and cleaning between teeth, gums become irritated and inflamed. The irritated gum tissue can separate from the teeth and form spaces called pockets. Bacteria move into the pockets where they continue to promote irritation. Left untreated, the process can continue until the bone and other tooth-supporting tissues are destroyed. The early stage of periodontal disease is called gingivitis. It often results in gums that are red and swollen and may bleed easily.
We use these products for this type of treatment:
Orthodontics
Orthodontic treatment is prescribed to correct a number of common problems. Many people may need orthodontic treatment to correct an “unsatisfactory bite” that has been caused by crowding teeth or extra teeth. Other people may need treatment to realign a jaw that is out of place due to genetics or due to an accident. Many people want to correct one or more crooked teeth caused by thumb-sucking, premature or late loss of baby teeth, or a wide variety of other causes.
We use these products for this type of treatment:
Sleep Apnea
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a disorder characterized by breathing that is repeatedly interrupted during sleep. It is considered a serious medical condition that affects more than 18 million Americans, and many of them do not even know they have it. While asleep, people with OSA may stop breathing— sometimes for more than a minute and as often as 60 times a night. Since you are not getting the sleep you need, OSA can increase your risk of car crashes and on-the-job accidents. Not getting enough sleep has also been linked to memory loss or depression.
We routinely screen all our patients for signs of OSA and refer appropriately to physicians for definitive diagnosis after a sleep study is conducted. Several treatments exist for obstructive sleep apnea, the most common of which is Positive Airway Pressure or PAP therapy (CPAP or BiPAP) which utilizes a PAP device to keep the airway open.
Alternative treatments include surgery and oral appliance therapy. If the CPAP machine or surgery is not right for you, we can help by custom fabricating an oral device for you that is designed to keep your throat open while you sleep.
Sedation Dentistry
If you’d rather endure the agony of a toothache than go to the dentist, you’re not alone and sedation dentistry may be right for you. IV moderate sedation is most appropriate for people with a real fear or anxiety that is preventing them from going to the dentist. You receive the sedative drug through a vein, so it goes to work more quickly. This method allows the dentist to have the level of sedation continually adjusted.
We have partnered with Blue Sky Anesthesia Associates, a third party provider, to provide IV sedation at our office and who would bill you directly. Request a consultation visit to find out more.
