Our Services
Three are three main types of cleanings you may receive at our office.
The service you receive is based on the health of your gums. The differences
have been explained below.
Prophylaxis in Greek this means to prevent or guard beforehand. This is
a cleaning you may receive if you do not have periodontal disease. The
dental hygienist will remove plaque and calculus (tartar) from the teeth
which helps to prevent gum disease and promote healthy gums. This procedure
is usually performed every 4-6 months.
Scaling and Root Planning (Initial Deep Cleaning) this cleaning is a cleaning
you may receive if you are diagnosed with gum disease (periodontal disease).
Periodontal disease causes your gums to have deep pockets (greater than 4mm)
around your teeth. These deep pockets will collect food and debris, which helps
harbor harmful bacteria. The bacteria will cause the pockets to become even
deeper and a vicious cycle begins. With this cleaning the hygienist will remove
the plaque and calculus (tartar) from the teeth. Given that the hygienist will
have to clean deep into these pockets, more time and skill is needed. The roots
of the teeth which can become rough are smoothed to prevent bacteria from
accumulating, thus preventing further disease. An ultrasonic instrument is
usually needed to aid in the removal of calculus (tartar). This procedure is
usually performed in quadrants (1/4 of the mouth) at a time.
This is a cleaning you may receive if you currently have or have a history of
periodontal disease and you have already had Scaling and Root Planning
performed. This is done in place of a prophylaxis cleaning because the goal is
to maintain healthy gums after gum disease and extra skill and effort is needed
to clean around teeth with deeper pockets. This is cleaning usually performed
every 4-6 months.
*Note: these procedures have a difference in cost with Scaling and Root
Planning being more expensive than a Prophylaxis
These are placed when decay is present or a tooth has chipped off. This is
the only material used on front teeth. The material used is a composite resin
which comes in multiple shades to match any tooth. The placement of these
fillings is very demanding, with more steps and different layers. A bright blue
light is used to “cure” or harden the material. Composite fillings have become
more popular in the last few years because of the demand for cosmetic dentistry
but this filling does have some drawbacks. Composites tend to wear down faster
and they have a higher rate of recurrent decay (decay around the edge of a
filling) than silver fillings.
These are placed when a tooth has decay or chipped off. This filling is made
up of silver, copper and tin with mercury being added in the mixing stage.
[NOTE: Mercury is used in the mixing of amalgam. As of July 2008 in a statement
by the ADA, “amalgam is effective and safe for patients and dental personnel”].
Amalgam fillings have been around for many years and have proved their longevity
and effectiveness at treating dental decay. Silver fillings are limited to the
back teeth and hold up against wear better than composites.
Sealants - are a preventative procedure performed to help reduce the risk of
“pit and fissure” cavities. On the chewing surfaces of teeth there are cusps
and grooves. Decay usually starts in the grooves of teeth because it is hard to
clean deep into the grooves. (A toothbrush bristle will not reach the bottom of
the groove) So, we place a thin flowable layer of resin into these grooves
blocking decay and making the tooth more cleansable.
A crown is prescribed for a tooth for multiple reasons, but most commonly
for a tooth when the decay is too large for a conventional filling. Other
reasons include: cusp fracture, root canals, covering an implant, Cracked
tooth syndrome, or for cosmetic reasons. Having a crown placed on a tooth
will help restore this tooth to its natural state and prevent further
breakdown if cared for correctly. In our office we offer three types of
crowns:
- Complete Gold Crowns (Yellow or White Gold) ·
- Porcelain Fused to Metal Crowns(PFM)- metal is white gold ·
- All Porcelain/Ceramic Crowns
Each of these has its benefits and drawback. Complete gold crowns
usually hold up the best in the long term but are considered unattractive by
some. PFM Crowns have the strength and fit of metal with a tooth colored
appearance but have the risk of porcelain fracture. All porcelain crowns
have the best appearance but lack strength and are also prone to fracture.
Each of these has their place in dentistry and patients are given the option
of which crown they would like.
- For a single crown there are usually 2 appointments. The first
appointment is one hour to prep the tooth and an impression will be
taken and sent to a dental lab, your tooth will then be covered with a
temporary crown. The second appointment is a half hour to adjust and
cement the new permanent crown.
A bridge is indicated when a tooth is missing and the
teeth on either side are used as pillars to support the bridge and eliminate
the missing tooth. The teeth on both
sides of the “space” are prepped to hold the bridge and impression is taken
and then sent a dental lab. The
lab technician will then make the bridge.
You will return to the office to have the new bridge cemented
permanently. Bridges may replace
one, two or more teeth but the longer the “span” the higher the chance of
failure. Depending on your situation a bridge may or may not be the best
option for you. Partial Denture
and Dental Implants are other options.
A buildup is a procedure similar to a filling but with the end result of a
crown or bridge in mind. If a tooth is broken down or heavily decayed your
tooth may need a buildup before a crown can be placed on top. You can think of
this as a solid foundation for a house. House = Crown and Foundation = Buildup.
If a house doesn’t have a solid foundation it is ultimately set up for failure
in the years to come. Some teeth needing a crown or bridge may have enough
tooth structure to support a crown and may not need a buildup.
Teeth in need of a root canal can present in many ways. Most often someone
is in severe pain, usually due to a tooth infection. Some teeth do not hurt at
all and are found on an x-ray and others fall somewhere in between. This
usually has to do with the stage of nerve health. The most common cause of
tooth pain is a cavity that has gone deep into the tooth and the bacteria that
cause tooth decay enter the nerve and create an infection. This infection
spreads to the surrounding bone causing pressure at the root tip creating a
sensitive and painful tooth.
At this point the nerve needs to be removed, the root canals need to be
cleaned and the bacteria need to be removed. Once this is done the canals
are filled to prevent further movement of bacteria and a filling and crown
are usually needed to restore the tooth.
A Root Canal in our office consists of two 1 hour visits to complete
treatment. A crown will need to be placed on all back teeth that have had
root canals. A crown prevents your tooth from further breakdown after a
Root Canal. A crown will need additional appointments.
Dentures are made to replace areas of missing teeth.
There are two main types of dentures. Complete (Full) Dentures and
Partial Dentures. The type you
may need will depend on your situation. Dentures
are removable and not permanent.
They need to be cleaned daily and may need to be relined and adjusted
occasionally.
-
Immediate Denture- can be
made so that your teeth can be extracted and the
denture placed the same day so you don’t have to
go with out teeth.
The advantage of this
will allow you to always
have teeth but the fit of
the denture will become very
loose as the bone heals from
the extractions.
Relines will need to
be done as needed until the
healing is complete. (6-12
months) An additional fee
will apply after 6 months
from the insert date.
-
Partial
Denture- Cast metal frame
with acrylic base and resin
teeth supported by the teeth
in your mouth.
There
are many variations of each of
these dentures and each is used
on a case by case basis.
In our
office a denture can take 2-5
appointments and usually takes
around a month from start to
finish.
If you have
a denture and it is not fitting
well you may be able to reline
your denture.
If the structural
integrity is compromised it may
be best to make a new denture.
Due to reliable success rates implants are becoming a standard of care in
today’s dental treatment. Implants can be used in many situations: replacing a
single tooth, multiple teeth or even as supports for a denture. If the
prognosis for a root canal is questionable an extraction and an implant may be a
better and more reliable option. Implants can be a conservative option when
considering a bridge. With a bridge the teeth on either side of the space need
to be shaved down thus removing tooth structure. An implant does not require
any tooth structure to be removed if the tooth is already missing.
What is an implant? An implant
is a titanium screw that is placed
into the bone to replace a tooth.
Once a dentist places the implant
3-6 months need to be allowed for
the surrounding bone to grow into
the implant. Once the bone around
the implant is stable an abutment
can be placed on top of the implant.
This abutment will serve to hold a
crown. The new crown will feel and
act like a normal tooth.
Veneers are
becoming more and more popular as
patients can have a “smile makeover”
without having extensive treatment.
Veneers can help to
straighten, whiten, and reshape
teeth. These are a thin layer of
porcelain that is shaped by a lab
technician and bonded to your
existing teeth. The end result is an
attractive smile. Veneers are more
conservative than crowns because
only small amounts of tooth
structure need to be removed to
place a veneer.
~In our office veneers can take anywhere from 3-6
appointments.
Careful planning needs to
take place in order to have a good
result.
Our lab will be involved with
models and photographs to make sure
your smile turns out perfect.
Night guards may be recommended for multiple reasons. The most common reason
is grinding your teeth at night. This can lead to jaw and tooth pain as well as
loss of tooth structure. A night guard is a plastic tray custom made for your
teeth that is to be worn at night or whenever you feel you are clinching your
jaw.
In our Night Guards can be made
in two appointments. One appointment
to make the tray and one appointment
to fit and adjust the tray.
Bleach Trays are custom made resin trays that hold bleaching gel to whiten
your teeth. By wearing bleach trays to whiten your teeth you can be sure you
have plenty of gel where it’s supposed to be- next to your teeth. The bleaching
gel included with your trays is higher strength than can be purchased at drug
stores.
In our office bleach trays can be made in two appointments. One
appointment to make the tray and one appointment to fit and adjust the tray.
