Tooth Extractions
In some cases, injury or decay damages a tooth extensively and an extraction is the proper treatment option to start you on the path toward complete dental health. We can remove your troublesome tooth and give you the treatment options for replacing that tooth and completing your beautiful smile again.
Tooth-Colored Fillings or Restorations
Are you embarrassed about your smile because of decayed, disfigured or discolored teeth? You may be a good candidate for composite resins, also known as tooth-colored fillings or restorations. When the decay has been taken out of the tooth, it is replaced with “filling” material. In the past, amalgam (silver) fillings were placed into the cleaned out portion of the tooth. With new advancements in dentistry, you can also have tooth-colored fillings, resulting in a long lasting, brighter, whiter smile. The new tooth-colored material is bonded to the teeth for an aesthetically pleasing and strong restoration.
Dental Implants
Are you missing teeth? Have you postponed getting a bridge or denture? Do you wear ill-fitting, loose dentures right now? We want to improve your quality of life with dental implants. As the prosthetic that most closely mimics nature’s design, dental implants serve as substitute tooth roots. Each implant is strategically placed in the jaw, where bone integrates with it to create a solid foundation for a crown, bridge or denture. With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime. Benefits of Dental Implants:
- Promote bone retention
- Eliminate slipping, loose, wobbly dentures
- Don’t require support from healthy teeth
- Can last a lifetime
- Look, feel, and function like natural teeth
Complete Dentures – Implant Supported or Conventional Dentures
A proper fitting denture is very important. A good fit ensures that your dentures will allow you to retain much of your function, which is important for maintaining natural muscle tone in your face and jaw. Dentures will keep you looking and feeling healthy, and will help you retain a natural lifestyle. A lifelike smile and the best possible fit - those are two of the primary goals that your doctor will achieve if you need dentures to restore your smile.
A conventional denture sits over your gums and is held in place using a combination of adhesion and retention. Conventional dentures can be removed by the patient for sleeping and easy cleaning.
Implant-retained denture snaps in and out for cleaning at night. It allows for better hold when wearing than conventional. This can be an option for patients that have poor ridge support or bone loss.
Implant-supported denture fits over your gums and is held in place by screws that tighten into dental implants. Dental implants are surgically placed into the patient’s jawbone. This denture cannot be removed by the patient. If you are considering a denture, our doctors can help you determine which option is best for you.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are used if you have several teeth missing that cannot be corrected with a bridge. A partial denture is created to replace those teeth by clasping to healthy, stable teeth. The partial denture is removable and designed to fit comfortably and blend in with any remaining teeth. This type of denture is made from a synthetic material that may be supported with a lightweight metal. It mimics your gum tissue and teeth to create a natural looking smile while still remaining functional. The partial is important once the teeth have been removed to preserve the bone and to keep existing teeth from tilting and growing in towards the gaps.
Inlays/Onlays
Sometimes removing tooth decay effectively requires the removal of a portion of your tooth. The removed portion is replaced with a porcelain inlay or onlay. You doctor customizes an inlay or onlay to fill the space left behind when the part of your tooth is removed. Traditionally, inlays and onlays were made out of metal, much like traditional filings. Now, porcelain-milled inlays and onlays are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth and provide relief from chewing pain, cavity pain and tooth degeneration.
Crowns
You can erase years of wear and tear with porcelain crowns. Our doctors use a tooth-like crown made of porcelain or gold to restore your tooth after the decay has been removed. Crowns are also used to restore chipped teeth, broken teeth, gaps in teeth and other damage. Crowns are also the finishing touches after dental implants have been installed.
Fixed Bridges
If you’ve lost a tooth, a large gap in your smile can create significant problems for your dental health if left uncorrected. Gradually, your bite pressure may shift to other parts of your mouth to compensate for an inability to chew efficiently in the area of the missing tooth. Neighboring teeth may begin to move into the gap resulting in discomfort, pain and more problems in the future. After some preparation of the two neighboring teeth, crowns are created for them. A prosthetic tooth, or pontic, is fused between the crowns. Fixed bridges literally “bridge the gap” in your smile. We create a functional, life-like bridge to correct your smile, restore your bite and alleviate your discomfort.
