Veneers

Porcelain veneers are very conservative esthetic dental restorations. They offer vitality and beauty that is so life-like that people will believe they are your natural teeth.  At the same time, porcelain veneers are incredibly strong.  When bonded with today's adhesive technology and procedures, they can increase and restore a tooth's strength. Generally, a veneer can correct or enhance any cosmetic situation. A thin layer of the tooth is removed to allow a custom porcelain tooth facing to be bonded to the tooth. 

This allows us to lighten dark or discolored teeth, fix fractured or chipped teeth, and straighten crooked or misaligned teeth without the need for braces.  It can also close gaps and increase the length and size of teeth that have worn down with time.  Amazingly, all of this can usually be accomplished in only two visits.

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Crowns

A crown ("cap") is a tooth-like covering placed over a carefully prepared pre-existing tooth. Crowns serve many functions, such as to strengthen, restore or improve the appearance of your natural tooth. A crown can support the tooth when there is no longer sufficient tooth structure left to place a filling. Crowns may also be used to protect the structure of a tooth that is fractured or broken, and can be attached to bridges or dentures.

CROWN BEFORE		CROWN AFTER

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Implants

Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. The person who has lost teeth regains the ability to eat virtually anything and can smile with confidence, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved.

The implants themselves are tiny titanium posts that are placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. In addition, implants can help preserve facial structure, preventing the bone deterioration which occurs when teeth are missing.

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Bridges

A bridge is a custom device anchored to neighboring teeth that replaces one or more missing teeth. When a lost tooth is replaced with bridgework, the teeth on either side of the missing one are prepared as crowns to serve as abutments to hold the prosthetic (replacement) tooth in place.

BRIDGE BEFORE		BRIDGE MIDDLE		BRIDGE AFTER

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Dentures

If you've lost all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, complete dentures can replace your missing teeth and your smile. Replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag, making a person look older. You'll be able to eat and speak—things that people often take for granted until their natural teeth are lost.

There are various types of complete dentures. A conventional full denture is made and placed in the patient's mouth after the remaining teeth are removed and tissues have healed which may take several months. An immediate complete denture is inserted as soon as the remaining teeth are removed. The dentist takes measurements and makes models of the patient's jaws during a preliminary visit. With immediate dentures, the denture wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period.

Even if you wear full dentures, you still must take good care of your mouth. 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 help remove plaque.

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Root Canals

Inside each tooth lies a slender strand of "pulp," which contains nerves and provides nutrients to the tooth. This pulp reaches all the way down to the tooth's root. When a tooth's pulp becomes infected or irreversibly inflamed, endodontic treatment is urgently needed—otherwise the tooth itself may be at risk of dying. Root canals are used to save teeth in such situations.

After administering anesthesia, an opening is made through the biting surface of the tooth.  The pulp is then removed and the pulp chamber is sealed. The tooth is then sealed with a crown made of porcelain or gold.  Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple procedure with little or no discomfort involving one visit.

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Composite Restorations

Composite resins are tooth-colored, plastic materials (made of glass and resin) that are used both as fillings and to repair defects in the teeth. Because they are tooth-colored, it is difficult to distinguish them from natural teeth. Composites are often used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important. They can be used on the back teeth as well depending on the location and extent of the tooth decay.

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Filling Replacement

Constant pressure from chewing, grinding or clenching can cause dental fillings, or restorations, to wear away, chip or crack. Although you may not be able to tell that your filling is wearing down, your dentist can identify weaknesses in your restorations during a regular check-up.

If the seal between the tooth enamel and the restoration breaks down, food particles and decay-causing bacteria can work their way under the restoration. You then run the risk of developing additional decay in that tooth. Decay that is left untreated can progress to infect the dental pulp and may cause an abscess.

If the restoration is large or the recurrent decay is extensive, there may not be enough tooth structure remaining to support a replacement filling. In these cases, your dentist may need to replace the filling with a crown.

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Sealants

Dental sealants act as a barrier, protecting the teeth against decay-causing bacteria. The sealants are usually applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth (premolars and molars) where decay occurs most often.

SEALANT BEFORE		SEALANT AFTER

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Whitening

Having a beautiful smile may be even easier than you think. Many people achieve the look they've been dreaming of with our simple "whitening" procedure.

It's safe, quick, and inexpensive. Just let us know at any appointment if you would like to begin whitening your teeth. You can lighten only your upper teeth or both the upper and lower, depending on how much of each shows when you talk and smile.

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BriteSmile

Whiter teeth, in about one hour. It's that simple. Years of yellowing as well as staining from virtually everything you eat, drink, and inhale are almost magically erased in the time it takes to get a haircut, a manicure or lunch. In fact, BriteSmile has a new and improved professional teeth whitening treatment that gets teeth an average of 9+ shades! And it's still just one hour.

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Preventive Cleanings

With regular cleanings remove soft (plaque) and hard (tartar, calculus, or stains) deposits from your teeth. The primary purpose of having your teeth cleaned is to prevent or delay the progression of periodontal diseases.

As with routine dental examinations, the frequency of professional teeth cleaning will depend on the health of your teeth and gums. Healthy children and adults should have their teeth cleaned at least once every 12-24 months. If you are at risk of periodontal diseases because of age, tobacco use, rate of accumulation of deposits, personal oral hygiene practices, or medical conditions such as diabetes or HIV infection, your teeth may need to be cleaned more often.

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Laser Treatment

Lasers, like other light sources, can be used to speed the effect of in-office peroxide bleaching agents.

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Root Planning

Root planning involves smoothing the root surfaces of your teeth with thin curettes so gum tissue can more firmly reattach to roots that are clean and smooth to prevent tooth loss and sensitivity problems.

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