Dental Cleaning
A dental cleaning is a professional cleaning you receive from the dentist. Most dental cleanings take only 25 to 30 minutes. Cleanings should be performed every six months to prevent excessive plaque buildup. Plaque left untreated can lead to unhealthy gums and tooth decay. A routine dental cleaning should include scaling,
root planning and polishing. Scaling and root planning is the process of removing plaque and tartar from all tooth surfaces with a variety of methods, depending on the amount of plaque and tartar. Dental hygienists traditionally perform scaling by hand. However, new and advanced technology has led to more modern methods such as electric scalers.
This sophisticated tool allows dental cleanings to be performed more efficiently and in less time. Both electric and manual scaling methods can be combined to achieve the best results. Polishing completes the cleaning, making the surface of the teeth smooth and minimizing future plaque build-up.
Crowns
Crowns are used to restore and enhance teeth that are damaged, or to replace missing teeth. A crown, also called a cap, is used to entirely cover a damaged tooth. A crown not only strengthens the tooth, but it can also dramatically improve the tooth's appearance, shape and alignment.
Dentures
A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. There are two types of dentures available: partial dentures and complete dentures. Partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain and complete dentures are used to replace all teeth. Dentures are made to resemble your natural teeth, so there should be no noticeable change to appearance.
In fact, dentures may even improve a smile! Complete Dentures – This restoration method is used to restore smile and mouth function if all teeth have been lost. The dentures are custom created and natural looking.
They are fit in the patient's mouth to take the place of the original teeth. Complete dentures are generally removable and may require adjustments in order to create a proper fit with the gums and mouth. Partial Dentures – A removable partial denture is used when one or more natural teeth still remain in the upper or lower jaw.
Made of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, partials help restore better functionality to the mouth. As with complete dentures, it is possible to have more permanent option cemented into place
Composite Fillings
When treating a cavity, the dentist will remove the decayed portion of your tooth and fill it with another substance. This procedure is called a filling. There are multiple options for the material to be used in the fillings, the most common of which are composite fillings and amalgam fillings. However, we only specialize in composite fillings.
A composite filling is also known as a tooth colored filling, since the material used in the filling can be closely matched to the color of your teeth. Composite fillings provide good durability for small to medium cavities, and the procedure typically involves removing less of a tooth than you would during an amalgam filling. They are also particularly well suited for treating front or visible teeth because of their natural look.
Implant
A dental implant is an ideal tooth restoration for people who are missing one or more teeth for reasons like injury or periodontal disease. To begin the implant process, a metal post is surgically positioned into the jaw.
This post will act as a permanent "root" for the implanted tooth. Once it is in place, the surrounding bone and tissue needs time to heal. After a metal post is placed, the restoration is completed with a replacement crown. While implants are typically more expensive than other methods of tooth replacement, they provide superior benefits.
Implants are stronger than natural teeth and generally last 10-20 years. They are also a more favorable approach than bridgework, because they do not depend on neighboring teeth for support. Implant placement requires special training, as it is a surgical procedure.
Our team is highly- trained in implant placement to meet your dental needs. Implants require healthy gums and adequate bone. A patient must also be committed to excellent oral hygiene and regular dental visits, as these are critical to the longterm success of dental implants.
Root Canals
Root canal treatment is used to save an infected or damaged tooth and avoid having to remove it. A root canal becomes necessary when a neglected cavity reaches all the way to the pulp at the center of the tooth, causing the pulp to become infected. Regular cleanings and checkups detect and prevent problems early on.
Trauma can also cause deep damage to the nerve of a tooth. Once this occurs, the pulp becomes infected, and it begins to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is called an abscess). By the time the pulp is infected it must be treated, and cannot heal on its own.
It can even weaken the entire immune system, making it very dangerous and painful. Symptoms of infected pulp may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, pain with biting or pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth.
Sometimes, however, there are no symptoms, and you are unaware of any problem until a checkup. A root canal is performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the canals of the tooth.
The only other treatment would be to extract the tooth. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) is filled to prevent any further infection. Crowns are usually recommended to cover and restore a tooth after root canal therapy.
