Fillings
Fillings are used to treat dental cavities. After the decayed portion of the tooth is removed, a filling material of either traditional amalgam (silver color) or composite (tooth color) is used to replace the removed tooth structure.
Dental Crowns
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth to restore its shape, size and strength and to improve its appearance. A crown may be needed to:
Restore your smile and aesthetic appearance
Restore a broken or severely worn-down tooth
Protect a weak tooth from further decay and breakage
Cover a misshaped or discolored tooth
Cover a dental implant
Hold a dental bridge in place
Dental Bridges
A bridge is a dental restoration that is used to replace one or more missing teeth for either cosmetic or functional reasons. A bridge is made up of two or more crowns with a false tooth in the middle that fills in the space. These bridges are supported by anchoring them to your natural teeth or implants. They can be made from different materials like gold or ceramic depending on the functional purposes. Bridges are used to:
Restore your smile and aesthetic appearance
Restore chewing functions
Prevent teeth from drifting or shifting
Dental Implants
Implants are another great option to replace missing teeth. An implant is a titanium screw that is surgically placed into the jawbone beneath the gumline. A replacement tooth, called an implant crown, is mounted onto the screw a few months later once the bone and tissue surrounding the implant has fully healed. Implants are used to:
Restore your smile and aesthetic appearance
Restore chewing functions
Prevent teeth from drifting or shifting
Here at our office, we do not place implants, but we do complete the restoration process by delivering the crowns once the implant has been placed.
Root Canals
A root canal is a dental procedure that is needed when an infection occurs within the inside of your tooth and it can no longer heal on its own. This is the best option to relieve your pain, swelling and sensitivity and make your tooth healthy again without removing it. During this procedure the dentist will remove the infected pulp (nerve), clean and disinfect the interior of your tooth and fill and seal it with material called gutta-percha. Afterwards, a crown is advised to protect the longevity of your tooth, so it will function normally.
Night guards
A nightguard is an appliance that is made by your dentist to help prevent issues from bruxism (grinding). It protects the teeth by offering a protective layer of hard material between the upper and lower arches of your mouth. They do not prevent you from grinding, but they serve as a cushion so your nightguard wears down instead of your teeth. There are options available over the counter but typically these choices do not fit as well and can increase the grinding problem. A nightguard made from your dentist is custom fit and a hard material to appropriately protect the teeth. Reasons a nightguard may be beneficial:
Clenching and grinding of your teeth
Protection of restorative dental work
Alleviation of temporal mandibular dysfunction (TMD) including but not limited to headaches, limited jaw opening and pain with chewing function
