Treatment.

Bridges
Cosmetic Dentistry
Crowns
Fillings
Implants

Bridges

Bridges help maintain the shape of your face, as well reduce the stress in your bite by replacing missing teeth.

Sometimes called a fixed partial denture, a bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth. In most cases, bridges are very natural and unnoticeable. They literally bridge the gap where one or more teeth may have been.

Bridges can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials and is bonded onto surrounding teeth for support. Unlike a removable bridge, which you can take out and clean, a fixed bridge can only be removed by a dentist.

An implant bridge attaches artificial teeth directly to the jaw or under the gum tissue. Depending on which type of bridge your dentist recommends, its success depends on its foundation. So it's very important to keep your remaining teeth healthy and strong.

Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry is an important part of overall dentistry. In some cases, people elect to have cosmetic dentistry performed in order to improve their smile and overall appearance. In others, cosmetic dentistry is chosen in order to reverse or repair a defect that, while not harmful to overall health, has a negative impact on appearance. Moreover, some procedures can improve oral problems, such as a bite.

Many treatments are used to treat teeth that are discolored, chipped, misshaped, or missing. Cosmetic surgery can reshape teeth, close gaps, restore worn or short teeth, and even change the length of teeth.

Common procedures include:
Whitening and Bleaching - procedures used to whiten teeth.
Bonding - tooth-colored material used to fill in gaps or change the color of teeth.
Veneers - placed over the front teeth to change color or shape of your teeth. Veneers are used on teeth with uneven surfaces or are chipped, discolored, oddly shaped, unevenly spaced or crooked.
Contouring and reshaping - a procedure to correct crooked teeth, chipped teeth, cracked teeth or even overlapping teeth in a single session.

Crowns

Crowns are synthetic teeth-like coverings that are designed to make your tooth stronger and improve its appearance. Crowns are necessary when a tooth is generally broken down and fillings won't solve the problem. A crown is a restoration that covers, or "caps," a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size, strengthening and improving the appearance of a tooth.

If a tooth is cracked, a crown holds the tooth together to seal the cracks so the damage doesn't get worse. Crowns are also used to support a large filling when there isn't enough of the tooth remaining, attach a bridge, protect weak teeth from fracturing, restore fractured teeth, or cover badly shaped or discolored teeth.

A crown can cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't enough tooth left. In many cases, crowns are used after a root canal therapy, and are used to restore portions of the tooth (typically the top surface) removed during root canal treatment.

Crowns also can be used to attach a bridge, protect a weak tooth from breaking or restore one that's already broken. A crown is a good way to cover teeth that are discolored or badly shaped. It's also used to cover a dental implant.

Crowns normally last between five and eight years. Many last much longer if you practice good daily oral hygiene. Teeth grinding, chewing ice, or fingernail biting may lower the life expectancy of your crown significantly.

Fillings

The most frequently used type of restoration in dentistry is commonly known as the filling. There are two basic categories of filings - silver fillings or amalgams and tooth-colored fillings or composites.

The location and the extent of the decay determine the type of filling to be used. Decay commonly occurs on the smooth surfaces of teeth as well as on the chewing surfaces.

I will administer a local anesthetic before beginning treatment. The cavity will be cleaned of bacteria and debris and the resulting preparation will then be filled with the appropriate restorative filling. I will recommend which type he or she feels will best address your needs.

Implants

Dentures are no longer the only way to restore a mouth that has little or no non-restorable teeth. Strategically placed support such as implants can now be used to support permanently cemented bridges, eliminating the need for a denture. The initial cost tends to be greater, but the implants and bridges more closely resemble the "feel" of real teeth. Dental implants are becoming the alternative of choice to dentures, but not everyone is a candidate for implants. Call your dentist for advice.

Dental implants are tooth root substitutes that are surgically placed in the jawbone and act as anchors to stabilize artificial teeth. They can replace one, some, or all missing teeth and help eliminate the instability associated with surface adhesives and removable bridges. Individuals with adequate bone level and density who are not prone to infection and can maintain stringent oral hygiene are good candidates for dental implants, according to the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

The benefit of using implants is that they don't rely on neighboring teeth for support, and are permanent and stable. Dental implants can also be used to attach full or partial dentures.

Care of implants - Poor oral hygiene is a big reason why some implants fail. It is important to floss and brush around the fixtures at least twice a day, without metal objects. Your dentist will give you specific instructions on how to care for your new implants. Additional cleanings of up to four times per year may be necessary to ensure that you retain healthy gums.