Dental Services

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Some of the most common dental emergencies requiring immediate treatment include:

• A Broken Tooth Due to Large or Repeated Fillings:
  Sometimes  a tooth will break as the result of large or repeated fillings. The  reason for this is that replacing large and successive fillings requires  removing portions of a tooth to such a degree that the tooth may break,  or a filling may fall out.
• Acute Pulpitis Resulting in a Severe Toothache:
  An  acute pulpitis is an inflammation of the pulp within a tooth, a  condition brought on by tooth decay or trauma. Immediate dental care is  necessary to alleviate pain.
• Tooth Abscess:
  Infection  of the root of a tooth can cause intermittent pain. In addition to  pain, symptoms include swelling of the gum line, swelling of the face,  and in some cases, a loose tooth. Medication may temporarily reduce the  pain; however, dental treatment is necessary.

 A healthy mouth is an important part of overall wellness. Keeping your  teeth white and clean requires a regular routine of cleaning both at  home and via a professional dental care provider. During your next  dental cleaning and consultation visit, you can expect an examination of  the health of your teeth, gums and the soft tissues in your mouth, as  well as a thorough cleaning. 

The manner in which you clean your teeth determines their  preservation and protection from decay and other oral health conditions.  At home, every surface of your teeth, gums and tongue should be brushed  with fluoridated toothpaste at least twice daily. It is also important  to floss once per day to loosen plaque and debris that becomes lodged in  the crevices of the teeth.

You should make an appointment for a professional dental cleaning  once every six months. At that time, a hygienist will inspect the gums  for periodontal disease, which is the primary cause of tooth loss in  America. The hygienist will the use a tool to gently scrape away  hardened plaque on the teeth that is not removable using traditional  brushing techniques. This plaque is responsible for harboring bacteria  that can cause tooth decay. Regular professional cleanings also help  remove topical stains from beverages like coffee and tea. Furthermore,  the small cost of preventative care tends to save patients money on  future dental restoration and treatment costs.

A crown (cap) is a restoration that is placed on teeth that have lost  a lot of their structure. There are various types of crowns, ranging  from full porcelain to full metal crowns. Your dentist will explain the  advantages and disadvantages of each kind for you.

Crowns may also be used to securely attach a bridge if the structure  of the surrounding teeth is inadequate. A bridge is a dental appliance  that is used to replace one or more missing teeth. They are designed to  be cosmetically appealing and to restore proper occlusion. Like crowns,  bridges are fully customizable and made of various materials, including  porcelain and metals. Although not as permanent as a cap, bridges are  bonded to the surrounding teeth and only removable by your dentist.

Both crowns and bridges are created to match the color, height,  texture, and overall appearance of your teeth. Most crowns and bridges  will last for life, eliminating the need to replace them unless they  fall out or become loose. You may prolong the durability of your crowns  and bridges by practicing good oral hygiene and visiting your dentist  for regular check-ups and cleanings.

Teeth stains are inevitable due to our consumption of a variety of  foods and drinks (soda, spicy food, coffee, etc.). However, advanced  teeth whitening technology has enabled dentists to whiten teeth without  adversely affecting the tooth structure.

Almost all whitening methods are similar in concept, but some are  much more effective because of the way the whitening material is  delivered to the teeth. Another contributing factor is the concentration  of the material, which is why less potent over-the-counter whitening  systems usually don’t give patients the results they are hoping for.

One of the main methods of professional whitening is tray whitening.  In tray whitening, an impression is taken and a custom tray is made for  the patient. Then, a supply of whitening gel is given to the patient and  he/she wears the tray for a few hours each day (techniques differ) for a  period of time until an acceptable result is achieved. Sensitivity of  the teeth is a normal side-effect of this whitening method and is almost  always transitional.

When considering tooth fillings, one of the options available is  composite fillings which are made from durable plastics that are similar  in color to natural teeth. Because the composite fillings are  tooth-colored, they look more natural and are less noticeable compared  to other types of fillings.

Another benefit of tooth-colored fillings is that they are compatible  with sealants, allowing your dentist to perform both procedures in a  single sitting and thus preventing further decay. There are other  advantages to composite, tooth-colored fillings such as, most  importantly, its ability to bond to tooth structures. Also, in many  cases these fillings can be repaired by the addition of more composite  material.

Speak with one of our doctors to find out which kind of filling is best for you.

During the last 20 years, dental implants have become a desirable  alternative to other methods of replacing missing teeth. Excellent  success rates and a range of available options give dentists a variety  of new ways to treat and replace lost teeth.

Dental implants play an essential role in restorative dentistry.  Because they are permanent prosthetics that are both natural-looking and  cosmetically appealing, implants can be used either for cosmetic  purposes or for complete full-mouth restorations.
 

Who Qualifies for Dental Implants?
Your dentist can evaluate your case and tell you if you are a candidate  for dental implants. Structurally, a dental implant is a titanium-based  cylinder that replaces the missing tooth root. After a period of time,  other parts are placed on the implant to enable your dentist to  eventually place a crown (cap) on the implant. Implants can also be used  to support full or partial dentures, dramatically improving denture  retention and stability.

Most patients with adequate bone mass can have implants, although it  varies among individuals. Typically an x-ray and CT-scan are performed  to determine if you have enough bone to place the implant, as well as to  verify the size and kind of implant that should be placed.

Benefits of Dental Implants
 

When compared to fixed bridges and removable dentures supported by other  teeth or gum tissue, implants offer numerous advantages:
 

1. Better esthetics:
   Since implants are placed in the gum similar to the way a natural tooth  is supported, they offer a more realistic and natural look compared to  other alternatives.
2. Reduction of bone resorption
   When a tooth is lost, the supporting bone structure gradually recedes.  Placing an implant in that empty space significantly reduces the speed  of bone resorption and provides stability for this valuable tissue.
3. Retention:
   Patients who have experienced removable full or partial dentures know  that keeping their dentures in place is always a challenge. Dental  implants offer a great improvement to denture retention for all  patients. In some cases the denture can be secured to a group of  implants with special screws that stabilize the denture completely
4. Preserving natural tooth structure:
   Often the preferred method of replacing a single missing tooth is a  bridge. Bridges require extra preparation for the surrounding teeth to  ultimately connect 3 or more teeth. This negatively impacts your health  by making the task of retaining your teeth more difficult and by often  requiring the destruction of existing tooth structure to create room for  the new bridge. An implant is mostly an independent unit and does not  negatively affect the adjacent teeth.

Sealants are thin layers of resin that are placed on the pits,  fissures, and grooves of molars to prevent decay on these surfaces.

The majority of decay on back teeth starts in the grooves and pits of  chewing surfaces, especially during the first few years after their  eruption. Sealing these surfaces with composite resins prevents this  kind of decay.

Sealants are one of the most effective methods of preventing decay on  the surfaces where they are placed. Although it is still a possibility  that decay may develop on surfaces in between teeth, sealants  significantly reduce the overall chance of having cavities.

Though many advances have been made in the field of dentistry, loss of  teeth is still an ongoing problem. In the United States, 26% of adults  between the ages of sixty-five and seventy-five have lost all of their  teeth. Currently, there are a number of options available for people who  have lost their teeth. One of the most versatile and affordable is a  set of removable dentures.
 

• Standard Full Dentures
  Standard full dentures are dentures that comprise a full set of upper  and lower teeth. This type of denture uses suction to stay in place.  They are made of a pliable material which makes suction easy. However,  it is for this reason that standard full dentures require routine visits  to the dentist. Being pliable, the dentures are susceptible to  shrinkage, thus creating an ill-fitting prosthetic that can result in  the atrophy of the jawbone.
• Partial Dentures
  Partial dentures are dentures that replace only a limited number of  teeth, not an entire set. Partial dentures are a single piece fitting  that is supported by the remaining teeth and gums. They are much more  secure than standard full dentures and are more comfortable.
• Cosmetic Dentures
  Cosmetic dentures, as you can imagine, are made to look as natural as  possible. Unlike standard dentures that use a heat curing process which  leads to dentures that become ill-fitting over time, cosmetic dentures  are made from a special acrylic base that eliminates the possibility of  the denture shrinking and warping.

Furthermore, some cosmetic dentures achieve a natural appearance  through the use of implants. Implants are installed in the mouth so that  the dentures have something to hold onto. The cosmetic denture will  either rest on or snap onto the implant. What this does is allow the  denture to stay in place without the chance of it moving around, which  makes the denture more comfortable than a standard one.

Loss of teeth and expensive treatment options don’t have to prevent  you from continuing to lead a healthy and happy life. Removable dentures  are a suitable course of treatment for many people. 

Wisdom teeth extraction surgery is often performed to prevent future  dental issues or to correct an existing problem. Around the age of 18,  adults have 32 teeth, 16 on top and 16 on bottom and yet the average  mouth can only hold 28 teeth. Dental complications can arise when the  four extra teeth, known as the Third Molars, or “wisdom teeth” erupt,  forcing their way into the space.

Because your jaw may not have enough space for your wisdom teeth,  they can emerge at awkward angles resulting in crowded space. If they  erupt they may erupt partially through the gums causing a gum tissue  flap to grow over them. Food and germs are more easily prone to get  caught under this flap and become difficult to clean resulting in  infection.

Your wisdom teeth can also become impacted meaning they become stuck  in the jaw and never break through the gums. Serious complications can  arise from impacted teeth including infection or damage to the bone,  nerves or other teeth.

Wisdom teeth extraction is an out patient surgery and generally  requires only a few days recovery time. Local anesthetic is usually used  to numb the area around the tooth unless multiple or all wisdom teeth  will be removed in which case a general anesthetic is usually used.

During the extraction process the gum tissue is opened over the tooth  and any bone on the surface of the tooth is removed. The tissue  connecting the tooth to the bone is separated and the tooth is then  removed. In some cases the tooth is broken into smaller pieces for  easier extraction.

After the tooth is removed, you may need stitches. Cotton gauze is placed over the wound to help stop the bleeding.
 

Post Surgery
In most cases, the recovery period lasts only a few days. Take  painkillers as prescribe by your oral surgeon. Listed below are some  post-op surgery tips.

• Change the cotton gauzes periodically to keep the wound clean.
• Be careful to avoid biting your lip, tongue or cheeks post surgery as a result of the applied anesthesia.
• To minimize swelling, you can apply ice packs to the sides of your face where surgery was performed.
• Avoid using a straw during the healing process. The sucking movement can loosen the blood clot and increase the healing time.
• After the first day, gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water several times a day to reduce swelling and relieve pain.