Restoration
Tooth colored Fillings
A composite filling is a tooth colored material that restores the natural appearance of a decayed on previously filled tooth.
Inlays/Onlays
An inlay is usually an indirect restoration (filling) consisting of a solid substance (as gold, porcelain or less often a cured composite resin) fitted to a cavity in a tooth and cemented into place.
An onlay is similar to an inlay. However, when a cusp is involved, it is called an onlay.
Crowns / Fixed Bridges
A crown, sometimes known as dental cap, is a type of dental restoration which completely caps or encircles a tooth or dental implant. Crowns are often needed when a large cavity threatens the ongoing health of a tooth.
A bridge is a fixed dental restoration used to replace one or more missing tooth by joining an artificial tooth definitively to adjacent teeth or dental implants. A bridge will span the area where teeth are missing.
Partials and Dentures
A denture and partial are removable appliance to replace missing teeth. They are made to resemble your natural teeth and may even enhance your smile.
Complete dentures: When ALL teeth are to be replaced
- Conventional: Made after the teeth have be removed and gum tissue/bone has healed, usually 4-8 weeks. Patient will be without teeth during these weeks.
- Immediate: Made before teeth have been removed and denture is immediately placed and prevents the patient from going without teeth during the healing process. Over time, the tissues will shrink as they heal and adjustments will have to be made.
Partial dentures: When they are still some natural teeth and only SOME teeth are to be replaced. They often help prevent the natural teeth from shifting.
Dentures are very durable appliances and will last many years, but may have to be remade, repaired, or readjusted due to normal wear.
Root Canal Treatment
A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp are removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and abscesses may form.
Oral Surgery
If a tooth has been broken or damaged by decay, your dentist will try to fix it with a filling, crown or other dental treatment. But when there's too much damage for the tooth to be repaired, the tooth may need to be extracted — or removed — from its socket in the bone.
Implants
A dental implant is a titanium post (like a tooth root) that is surgically positioned into the jawbone beneath the gum line that allows us to mount replacement teeth or a bridge into that area. An implant does not come loose like a denture can. Dental implants also benefit general oral health because they do not have to be anchored to other teeth, like bridges.
Because implants fuse to your jawbone, they provide stable support for artificial teeth. Dentures and bridges mounted to implants won't slip or shift in your mouth — an especially important benefit when eating and speaking. This secure fit helps the dentures and bridges — as well as individual crowns placed over implants — feel more natural than conventional bridges or dentures. An advantage of implants is that no adjacent teeth need to be prepared or ground down to hold your new replacement tooth/teeth in place.