Bonding
Bonding is a quick, painless in-office procedure to repair cracks, chips or 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
- Whiten stained teeth
- Stabilize loose teeth
Bridges
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.
Crowns
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.
Digital X-Rays
We use state of the art digital X-rays and digital cameras to help with an accurate diagnosis of any concerns.
Digital X-rays use less radiation to get a diagnostic picture of your teeth and they help the environment by eliminating the use of chemicals to process the film.
Fillings
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. During 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.
Hygiene
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.
Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last teeth to erupt in your mouth and are the teeth least needed for good oral health. Most people have four wisdom teeth that usually erupt through the gums in their late teens or early twenties. Sometimes wisdom teeth remain trapped in the jawbone under the gums because there is insufficient room for them to erupt.
Wisdom teeth can cause gum disease, crowding or other damage to adjacent teeth, decay (due to the inability of your toothbrush to keep the area clean), and bone destroying cysts. Pain and swelling are the most common symptoms of problem wisdom teeth. Whether you have obvious symptoms or not, it is important to diagnose existing or potential problems caused by your wisdom teeth. Removal is often the wisest decision for your health and well-being.
Sedation
Implants
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.
Inlays
Dental inlays and onlays are some of the strongest and most lifelike dental restorations available. After your mouth has been anesthetized, we prepare the tooth in much the same way we would for a standard filling. When the tooth has been prepared to our satisfaction, an impression is made and sent to a dental lab. You will usually be required to wear a temporary filling until the restoration is fabricated. With proper care, your inlay or onlay will improve your overall health and instill confidence for years to come.
Invisalign
Invisalign® straightens teeth to give you the confidence of a great smile. Using a series of clear, virtually invisible aligners, Invisalign gently and gradually moves your teeth based on the treatment plan prescribed by your orthodontist or dentist. There are no wires or brackets so you’ll have confidence in your smile during and after treatment. In fact, most people won’t even know you’re wearing Invisalign. Invisalign aligners also are removable so you can eat whatever you want and easily brush and floss as you normally would.
You’ll visit your orthodontist or dentist every 6-8 weeks and on average, Invisalign treatment takes less than a year.
How does Invisalign Work?
The virtually invisible aligners, which are made of a thermoplastic material uniquely developed for the Invisalign treatment plan, look similar to teeth-whitening trays. A series of Invisalign aligners are custom-made for you, to move your teeth in the sequence determined by your doctor. Each set of aligners is worn for about two weeks before moving onto the next set of aligners in your treatment plan.
How often do I need to wear my aligners?
It is recommended that you wear your aligners for 20-22 hours per day and only remove them for eating or drinking, brushing and flossing.
Will wearing Invisalign aligners affect my speech?
Invisalign aligners may temporarily affect the speech of some people, and you may have a slight lisp for a day or two. However, as you get used to having aligners in your mouth, any lisp caused by the aligners should disappear.
How much does Invisalign cost?
Cost is always a concern, and only your doctor can determine the exact price of treatment. In most cases, Invisalign treatment is comparable to the cost of traditional braces. In the U.S., the cost of Invisalign treatment ranges from $3,500 to $8,000, with the national average at about $5,000.
Does insurance cover Invisalign?
Because medical benefits differ from policy to policy, you should review your personal coverage plan and check with your insurance provider. In general, if a patient has orthodontic coverage, Invisalign should be covered to the same extent as conventional braces.
Does Invisalign really work?
Yes. More than 1.5 million patients with a wide variety of dental challenges have been treated with Invisalign. Invisalign was developed with orthodontists and used in dental practices worldwide.
For more information, visit Invisalign.com
Periodontics
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 cause 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.
Root Canal
Endodontic treatment, more commonly known as root canal therapy, is necessary when the pulp of your tooth becomes inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes such as deep decay, repeated dental procedures on your tooth, or a crack or chip in the tooth. With proper care, an endodontically treated tooth will function normally for years to come.
Veneers
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.
Whitening
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.
Laser Therapy
What is a Laser and how does it work?
A dental laser is an instrument that creates a precise energized beam of light. When that beam of light comes in contact with your body’s tissue, a reaction occurs. The amount of reaction is dependent on the amount of energy and time the dentist sets on the dental laser. Low energy beams destroy bacteria and viruses that cause problems in your mouth, and high energy beams can remove both soft and hard tissues such as gums and tooth structure.
What can the Dental Laser do for our patients?
This beam of light has the ability to: kill bacteria and viruses that cause mouth sores such as cold and canker sores, treat periodontal disease by destroying the bacteria that causes it and remove unhealthy gums where those germs live, and help with the removal of endodontic infections. By increasing power, dental lasers can remove unwanted tissue such as excessive gums that create "gummy smiles," or excess tissue that you bite when you eat. Dental lasers can also be used to remove tooth decay instead of the noisy drill.
A dental laser can also be used for biopsies of suspicious lesions, help with impressions for crowns and bridges, detect cavities, and harden dental filling materials just to name a few.
Most importantly, many of the above procedures can be done with little or no anesthetic (no needles!). Healing time is fast, there’s usually no swelling, and almost all laser procedures are quick and easy.
Do Dental Lasers cause pain?
This is where dentistry really touts "painless dentistry!" Most patients are thrilled with the comfort of laser dentistry. Many procedures are completed without being numb, and the healing phase is almost always free from discomfort.
Are Dental Lasers safe?
When used within the procedural guidelines set forth from the manufacturer, and used by a trained practitioner, the answer is YES. It is important that the patient wears special eye protection provided by our office for the majority of laser procedures.
