Dental Lab

 

 Our in-office laboratory expedites the process of creating restorations and allows us to serve you in a more efficient manner.

Our lab produces aesthetic restorations for a variety of dental procedures. These restorations include crowns, bridges and other prosthetics. After our dentist provides an impression or mold of the guest’s teeth, one of our laboratory technicians creates a model of the guest’s mouth using plaster molds. The technician then places the model in a device that replicates the bite and movement of the patient’s jaw. This model serves as the basis for producing the required restoration.

Our dentist and technicians then examine the model and make necessary adjustments and recommendations for each guest’s restoration. The technician uses the information from the consultation to shape, mold and cast the final restoration. Utilizing an in-office lab allows us to recreate beautiful, natural looking restorations.

 

Crowns/Bridges

 

 Crowns

 A crown is a permanent covering that fits over an original tooth that is decayed, damaged or cracked. Crowns are made of a variety of different materials such as porcelain, gold, acrylic, resin or a mix of these materials. Porcelain generally has the most natural appearance, although it is often less durable.

 

The treatment plan for a patient receiving a crown involves:

 

·             Numbing the tooth to remove the decay in or around it.

·             Re-sculpturing the tooth to provide an ideal fit for the crown.

·             Making an impression of your teeth in order to create a custom-made crown (usually takes one to two weeks).

·             Making a temporary crown out of acrylic resin and fitting it onto the tooth during the interim period when the permanent custom-made crown is being created.

·             Applying the permanent crown (when received from the lab) by removing the temporary crown and fitting the permanent one onto the tooth.

After ensuring that the crown has the proper look and fit, the dentist cements it into place. This process generally consists of a minimum of 2-3 visits over a three to four week period.

Once the procedure is completed, proper dental hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, is required to maintain healthy, bacteria-free teeth, gums and crowns. This helps in the prevention of gum disease. Given proper care, your crowns can last a lifetime. 

 

Bridges

 

 A bridge is a dental device that fills a space that a tooth previously occupied. A bridge may be necessary to prevent:

·             Shifting of the teeth that can lead to bite problems (occlusion) and/or jaw problems and resultant periodontal disease.

·             Bridges safeguard the integrity of existing teeth and help maintain a healthy, vibrant smile.

 

 There are three main types of bridges, namely:

 

·         Fixed bridge- this is the most popular and consists of a filler tooth that is attached to two crowns, which fit over the existing teeth and hold the bridge in place.

·         The “Maryland” bridge is commonly used to replace missing front teeth and consists of filler that is attached to metal bands that are bonded to the abutment teeth. The metal bands consist of white colored composite resin that matches the existing tooth color.

·         The Cantilever bridge is often used when there are teeth on only one side of the span. A typical three unit cantilever bridge consists of the two crowned teeth positions next to each other on the same side of the missing tooth space. The filler tooth is then connected to the two crowned teeth, which extend into the missing tooth space or end. 

 

Bonding

 

Bonding is a common solution for:

·         Fixing or repairing chipped or cracked teeth. 

·         Reducing unsightly gaps or spaces between teeth

·         Hiding discoloration or faded areas on the tooth’s surface

·         Often used to improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile. 

As the name indicates, composite material, either a plastic or resin, is bonded to an existing tooth.  Unlike veneers or crowns, composite bonding removes little, if any, of the original tooth.

 

 Composite bonding has many advantages:

·             It is a quick process, which typically lasts less than one hour.

·             It does not reduce the tooth’s original structure and is relatively inexpensive.

·             Composite resins come in many different shades and provide better matching of shades to the natural color of your teeth

Composite bonds, however, are not as durable and long-lasting as veneers and crowns and may need to be re-touched or replaced in the future.  Composite bonds stain more easily and therefore require proper care and regular cleaning.  In order to ensure the longest possible duration of the bonding, composites should be brushed and flossed daily.  Common staining elements include coffee, tea, tobacco, foods and candy.

 

 Veneers

 

 Veneers are thin, semi-translucent “shells” typically attached to your front teeth.  Veneers are customized from porcelain material and permanently bonded to your teeth.  Veneers are a great alternative to otherwise painful dental procedures to improve the appearance of your smile.

 

 Common problems that veneers are used for:

·         Spaces between the teeth

·         Broken or chipped teeth

·         Unsightly, stained or discolored teeth

·         Permanently stained or discolored teeth

·         Crooked or misshapen teeth

 

 Veneers are a great aesthetic solution to your smile that may even help you avoid orthodontic treatment.  Subtle changes to your smile can be achieved with veneers and in most cases; veneer application is completed in only two office visits.

Please contact our office if you have any further questions on veneers.

 

Implants

 

 Dental Implants are artificial tooth replacements that were first developed half a century ago by a Swedish scientist named Per-IngVar Branemark.  Implants arose from the patient’s need to secure loose-fitting dentures.  Since the advent of the implant, engineering and enhancements to the implant have enabled dentists to expand the implant’s usefulness, including the replacement of missing or lost teeth.  Today, implant techniques provide a wide range of tooth replacement solutions including:

 

·         Single Tooth Replacement

·         Anterior Replacement

·         Posterior Replacement

·         Full Upper Replacement 

 

Types of Implants:

 

There are three main types of implants: 

·         The root implant

·         The plate form implant

·         The subperiosteal implant 

 

·             The root implant, by far, the most popular, is the most effective because it mirrors the size and shape of the patient’s natural tooth.  This implant is often as strong as the patient’s original tooth.  The implant or artificial root is placed into the jawbone under local anesthesia and then allowed to heal and integrate with the bone.  Once the healing process is completed and the jawbone is attached to the implant, the patient returns to the dental office where the implant is fitted with the new tooth.  This process generally takes anywhere from three to eight months. 

·             The plate form implant is ideal in situations where the jawbone is not wide enough to properly support a root implant. 

·             The plate form implant is long and thin, unlike the root implant, and anchors into thin jawbones.  It is inserted the same way as a root implant.  In certain cases, the plate form implant is immediately fitted with the restoration without waiting for the healing process to run its course. 

·             The subperiosteal implant is used when the jawbone has receded to the point where it can no longer support a permanent implant. 

·              

Snoring Therapy

 

Snoring affects millions of people of all ages, both male and female.  Oral appliance therapy is the most common treatment for the most severe snoring problems.  Treatment procedures range from changing your sleep patterns to utilizing orthodontic-related appliances that help open the airways during sleep.

 

What makes the sound of snoring?

 

Snoring is caused by the vibrations of your soft and/or hard tissue palates: these vibrations occur because of increasingly narrow air passages.  When air passes through these passages, a “flapping” sound occurs because the tissue is soft in nature.  Surgery (to alleviate the snoring) is not always successful, however, because the sound may not originate from the soft palate: the snoring sometimes originates from tissues in the upper airway.

Loud snorers may have a more serious case of blocked air passages, known as apnea.

 

Common causes for snoring:

·         Smoking

·         Alcohol

·         Health Problems

·         Obesity

·         Obstructed Nasal Passages-Deviated Septum

·         Poor Muscle Tone of the Tongue

·         Daytime Fatigue

·         Sleep Apnea

·         Hypothyroidism

·         Allergies

 

Whitening 

 

Your teeth will darken over time.  Changes in the color of your teeth can be caused by such factors as the food and beverages consumed (like coffee, tea and soda).  Other known factors for discoloration may include childhood medications for illnesses, tobacco use or improper oral hygiene.  Restoring your natural white smile is a priority for our dental whitening team.  We can provide a variety of options for whitening your smile. 

Tooth whitening services are growing in popularity and its one of the most requested services offered by our practice.  Everyone sees the growing consumer market focused on whiter teeth.  The reality is that over-the-counter, “too good to be true” solutions typically don’t work.

We are trained professionals using industry-approved methods.  Our goal is to meet the needs of every patient, and every patient’s needs are different.  One of the methods used by our practice is a gently hydrogen-peroxide gel-activated solution.  Our process will whiten your entire smile in one visit.  Call us today for a whitening evaluation.

Nothing improves your appearance more than a BRIGHT WHITE SMILE!

 

Periodontics

 

 Periodontal simply means “the tissue around the teeth.”  Periodontists specialize in the treatment and surgery of this area, which is often characterized by gum disease.  Plaque is the most common element causing gum disease.

Unfortunately, periodontal-related problems are often discovered after the have persisted for an extended period of time.  Proper oral hygiene, daily dental care and regular dental checkups will minimize the risk of gum disease.  Gum disease ranges from mild (gingivitis) to moderate (periodontitis) to the severe (periodontitis).  Treatments are available for every case of gum disease.

 

 Common problems associated with gum disease:

 

·       “Long” teeth (receding gum lines expose the root portions of the teeth)

·       Discolored or deteriorating tooth structure

·       Gum depressions (holes in between the teeth in the gum tissue)

·       Infected gum line (discoloration or inflammation of the gum tissue)

·       Tooth loss or tooth movement

 

 The effects of gum disease can be damaging to your dental health.  However through proper preventive care and oral hygiene, you can avoid problems associated with gum disease.

 

Please contact our office for a periodontal evaluation.