Information for Wise Dental Health Decisions
We’re committed to equipping our patients with excellent, up to date
dental health information so that they can make good decisions about their
own oral health. That’s why we’ve provided this library of patient education
topics on various procedures and issues that might affect you. Simply
click on a topic to learn more. If you have questions about a topic not
listed here, please ask and we’ll provide that information as well!
Fixed Bridges
A Stable Solution that Renews Your Smile
If you’ve lost teeth due to accident, injury, or gum disease, we can
create a permanent ’bridge’ appliance to replace the missing teeth. Not
only does a bridge fill the missing space, thereby preventing repositioning
of remaining teeth, but it also corrects an altered bite, improves chewing
ability and speech articulation, and supports facial structures to preserve
your appearance.
So what’s a fixed bridge actually like? Well, the restoration is permanently
joined onto the neighboring ’abutment’ teeth on either side of the toothless
area and consists of three basic units: the false tooth or teeth (called
a pontic) and two abutment teeth crowns. The most appropriate style depends
on the strength and health of those neighboring teeth, as well as the
location of the toothless span in relation to the rest of your dentition.
If healthy adjacent ’anchor’ teeth aren’t available, a surgically implanted
metal post or dental ’implant’ may be an alternate choice. And finally,
for a large span of missing teeth, a removable partial denture or implant-supported
prosthesis may be our recommendation. In any case, with proper care your
fixed bridge may last at least 8-10 years.
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“I Never Felt A Thing!”
Our Commitment to Your Comfort
Keeping you comfortable during your treatment is one of our top priorities.
That’s why, over the years, we’ve become experts in using the proper
anesthetics and the necessary techniques to ensure that you complete
each appointment with ease.
How can we say this? First, we’ve intentionally designed our office
environment to establish a friendly, calm atmosphere. Second, we provide
a wide range of relaxation aids to fit just about any situation: from
warm blankets and soothing music, to nitrous oxide.
For treatments requiring an injection, our time-tested expertise means
that you’ll be the one saying, “I never felt a thing!” We’re
also careful to keep a continuous, steady level of medication administered
throughout the procedure as well, ensuring your complete relaxation.
Finally, we offer warm, moist face cloths to refresh you before you leave.
If it sounds unusual, it probably is. But we’re convinced that you deserve
to enjoy the process of keeping up with your dental health, not dread
it! And we’re committed to doing our part to make that goal a reality.
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Crowns: We’ve Got You Covered
If you’re self-conscious about your smile due to cracked, broken,
decayed, or worn teeth, we can bring back your healthy, natural-looking
smile
with dental crowns. Designed to fit snugly and function as normal teeth,
crowns protect your teeth from further damage and preserve the your jaw’s
correct natural alignment. We use precious metal, porcelain pressed to
metal, and all-porcelain crowns with excellent success; however, for
maximum beauty we often recommend all-ceramic crowns because of
the precise color matching systems available.
We can typically design and fit your crowns in just a couple of short
appointments. Once they’re on, caring for your them is no different than
proper hygiene for your other teeth: conscientious twice-daily brushing
and daily flossing to protect the base from bacterial growth, and regular
visits to our office for professional cleanings.
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Dental Sealants
Long-Term Protection Without Detection
Many people have deep pits and grooves in their teeth, making them especially
susceptible to decay. Children with poor brushing habits may also develop
decay easily on their newly erupted molar surfaces. And although both
of these situations may have previously meant cavity trouble at each
dental visit, dental sealants now offer a means of successfully protecting
molar and premolar chewing surfaces from decay. Recognized by the American
Dental Association as a key means of cavity prevention, dental sealants
are simply a thin plastic film that can be applied to your at-risk tooth
surfaces.
Sealants are particularly simple to apply. First, we identify and fill
any spots of decay, then prepare your teeth with a cleaning and etching
solution. After about 15 seconds, we thoroughly rinse the solution, dry
the surface, coat your teeth with the sealant, and harden it with a curing
light. The entire procedure is not only painless, but fast: requiring
between ten and forty-five minutes, depending on the number of teeth
we’re sealing.
Properly applied, dental sealants create an impenetrable physical barrier
for small food particles and cavity-causing bacteria, making them nearly
100 percent effective in preventing tooth surface decay and the resulting
cavities. Unbroken, they last between five and ten years. And although
most insurance companies only cover sealant procedures at a minimal level,
more and more companies seem to be recognizing this technique’s value
as a preventive measure that will help reduce future dental costs and
more aggressive treatments.
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Gum Disease: Serious But Stoppable
Although gum disease is terribly pervasive, it’s also preventable. Conservative
estimates report that up to 80% of people unknowingly have some amount
of chronic gum disease. What’s worse is that this disease is responsible
for up to 70% of adult tooth loss. Part of the problem is that the early
signs of gum disease are both silent and serious, requiring a dentist’s
trained eye to detect, treat, and arrest the tell-tale gum inflammation
and infection. However, once arrested, you can prevent gum disease from
recurring…simply by developing healthy hygiene habits.
Bacteria, Bad Choices, & Bad Genes
Several factors contribute to periodontal disease: plaque build-up,
heredity, and lifestyle choices. By far the most common and controllable
factor is bacterial plaque-- the sticky, colorless film produced by normal
oral bacteria. Unhindered, they release toxins that break down the natural
fibers holding your gums to your teeth, allowing even more bacteria and
toxins to invade. Over time, this process can permanently damage or destroy
the affected tooth, tooth root, and even the jawbone! Further, plaque
deposits quickly harden into calculus or tartar-- a rough, porous, gum-irritating
substance that brushing will not remove.
Besides poor oral health habits, your poor lifestyle choices can affect
your body’s ability to fight infection or increase irritation in the
gum tissue area. Poor nutrition, poorly managed stress, leukemia, AIDS,
and diabetes all reduce your body’s natural ability to ward off periodontal
disease. Smoking and chewing tobacco greatly irritate the gum tissue,
setting it up for disease. And finally, some people are simply born with
a low resistance to gum disease. All of this explains why we carefully
check for the warning signs at every visit: red, swollen, tender, or
bleeding gums, gums pulling away from teeth, loose or separating teeth,
pus between the gum and tooth, persistent bad breath, bite changes, and/or
a change in the fit of partial dentures. These symptoms are overlooked
by most people, making regular dental exams even more important.
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Implants: Restoring a Solid Foundation
Tooth Root Substitutes
When people lose permanent teeth due to accident, injury, disease or
extraction, dental implants can be a secure, functional replacement option.
They’re superior to many other choices because they actually restore
comfort and appearance, yet remain functional for the long run. What’s
more, they do not rely on neighboring teeth for support, thus maintaining
the integrity of your overall dental structures. Since they are permanently,
surgically anchored in the jawbone, implants’ stability and permanence
restore your ability to speak and eat normally, supply support to facial
musculature, and eliminate the inconveniences and discomforts of ill-fitting
prostheses. And after nearly 35 years of use, they have a 90-95% proven
success rate in appropriately chosen cases.
So what’s an implant anyhow? It’s simply a small titanium post, inserted
surgically into the jawbone below the gum surface at the location of
the missing tooth. As the bone bonds to the post, it forms a secure foundation
onto which your restoration, or artificial teeth, are then attached and
shaped to match your existing teeth. The number of teeth you’re missing
will determine the best kind of restoration for your case: one or two
missing teeth indicates a simple crown restoration; two or more missing
teeth require permanent fixed bridgework; a complete replacement set
of upper or lower teeth requires choosing between a removable vs. a fixed
prosthesis, which in turn determines how many implants per jaw are required.
Limiting factors may include poor general health; inadequate bone structure;
diseased gums; chronic health problems such as clenching, bruxism, or
systemic diseases; and unhealthy habits such as smoking and alcohol consumption.
Implant location also impacts their success: lower front jaw implants
may be up to 95% successful, while side or rear placements only 90% successful.
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Root Canal Therapy
Painful Pulp
Your teeth contain several layers: the outer protective enamel, a secondary
layer of dentin, and an inner soft ’pulp’ tissue layer containing the
nerves, veins, arteries and lymph vessels. Each pulp chamber branches
off at the top, forming ’canals’ that lead toward the tooth root tip.
These infamous ’root canals’ serve to facilitate the ongoing activities
within the tooth. However, a deep cavity, traumatic injury, or tooth
fracture can open the canal up to bacterial infection, killing the pulp,
stimulating increased blood flow, and creating tremendous pressure build-up
within the tooth. This results in severe pain and may initiate bone degeneration,
tooth loss, and even more acute pain. All of which simply underlines
the importance of contacting us at the first sign of pain or soreness
in any of your teeth. If it’s early enough along in the disease process,
we can test the problem tooth and recommend root canal therapy.
Easy Does It
Will root canal therapy hurt? Not with today’s advanced analgesics and
technology. In fact, the entire process can be virtually free of discomfort
and often requires only one appointment. We simply clean out the diseased
area, fill the canal with a biologically inert substance, seal it from
further infection, and you’re on your way. While some patients experience
post-procedural soreness or slight tissue inflammation, these are controllable
with over the counter analgesics. Follow up care is simply to maintain
thorough home hygiene and visit our office regularly for cleanings and
check-ups.
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Tooth Decay & Gum Disease
We Fight Disease on Two Fronts
You probably don’t think of your mouth as a war zone. But we do. In
fact, whether you realize it or not, your mouth is constantly under attack
from two serious enemies: tooth decay and gum disease. The key culprits
behind these conditions are naturally occurring oral bacteria, and the
acids they produce. And unchecked tooth decay leads inevitably to gum
disease, which even conservative estimates say is present in at least
80% of the population. Gum disease, in turn, is responsible for up to
70% of adult tooth loss.
Bad Bacteria, Aggressive Acids, Aging and Aggravation
Here’s why tooth decay is so sneaky and successful. Your mouth’s constant
supply of normal bacteria produce a sticky ’plaque’ substance that they
deposit on your teeth. Foods and beverages like milk, soda pop, raisins,
cake, candy or any other sugary substances combine with the plaque to
form a strong acid…which then erodes your enamel, breaks down gum-tooth
connecting fibers, and in turn allows further bacteria and toxins to
invade unprotected tissues. Eventually, your affected tooth, tooth root,
and jawbone may all be damaged or entirely destroyed by decay! Furthermore,
unremoved plaque hardens into a rough, porous, gum-irritant called calculus
or tartar-which only professional equipment can remove. Other factors
come into play as well. Aging adults may be more at risk due to gum recession,
old fractured and leaky fillings that allow bacteria to invade, and plaque
build-up in hard-to-reach places. Poor lifestyle choices, poor nutrition,
poorly managed stress, leukemia, AIDS and diabetes can also diminish
your body’s ability to fight infection; some habits like chewing or smoking
tobacco also increase irritation in the gum tissue area.
Take the Offensive
So, if this whole situation sounds pretty dreary to you, remember that
it doesn’t have to be that way. The most successful plan of attack involves
education and prevention: brush, floss, and visit the dentist regularly
so that we can help you prevent and fight any trouble going on already.
We can identify even the earliest warning signs: red, swollen or tender
gums, bleeding while brushing or flossing, gums that pull away from teeth,
loose or separating teeth, pus between the gum and tooth, persistent
bad breath, change in your bite, and/or a change in the fit of partial
dentures. And we can treat it successfully, making your ongoing hygiene
efforts that much more successful.
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Teeth Whitening: A One-Hour, Picture Perfect Smile from Rembrandt®
Fresh & Fast, Designed to Last
Looking to have a whiter, brighter smile? In today’s world, you’ve probably
seen all kinds of methods that claim they’ll accomplish this. However,
if you’re not interested in investing several weeks of treatments, dealing
with cumbersome mouth trays, and achieving relatively limited shade improvements,
consider the revolutionary, safe, easy “One-Hour Rembrandt®” process.
With just a one-hour treatment session, this system can lighten your
teeth up to nine shades, without sensitivity problems and with long-lasting
results!
Safe & Effective, A Worthwhile Elective
If you’re interested in having your smile lightened, we recommend that
you first talk with us regarding your specific goals, so that we can
evaluate how teeth whitening might impact your particular situation.
Some people are simply better candidates than others for a successful
whitening treatment. For example, if your teeth are darkened to a yellow,
brown or orange tinge due to age, coffee, tea, or smoking, chances are
very good that teeth whitening will bring satisfactory results. However,
if your teeth are a dark gray tone from fluorosis, smoking or tetracycline
use, whitening results may be a bit less dramatic; plus, whitening does
not lighten artificial materials such as resins, silicants or porcelains.
Finally, teeth with periodontal disease or worn enamel typically do not
respond well to whitening. In any case, after whitening, your new, brighter
smile will be preserved the longest if you’re willing to forgo such habits
as smoking, drinking coffee and drinking tea.
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Veneers/Laminates
From Average to Outstanding in Just a Few Steps
Many people desire a brighter, cleaner, more attractive smile, but have
chipped, stained, discolored, unevenly spaced, or even slightly crooked
front teeth. Often, porcelain veneers or laminates can provide these
people with a completely new-looking smile in just a few simple appointments.
If this sounds like you, we will be glad to help evaluate your specific
situation, listen to the exact changes you have in mind, and help you
visualize your end results. This may involve a diagnostic ’wax up’, reviewing
photos of similar case outcomes, or using a computer enhancement program
to provide you with several options prior to performing the actual procedure.
Fortunately, most veneers can be applied in one or two simple appointments.
Afterwards, you’ll just need to clean and floss your new smile daily,
visit us regularly for professional care and maintenance, and consider
wearing a night-guard to prevent any accidental gritting or grinding
pressure while you sleep.
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