We offer "one visit" Cerec crowns.
CEREC CROWNS
Step 1 – The doctor examines your teeth and determines the appropriate dental treatment to be performed. The dentist will need to see if you need a full dental crown or simply a dental filling. If a crown is necessary, the doctor prepares the affected tooth for the procedure. Decay is removed from the tooth and any infected tissue. This is a typical restorative technique that dentists often do during a dental restoration.
Step 2 – The dentist takes a digital impression of your prepared tooth. This digital image of your tooth is then sent to the CEREC® system to be analyzed. This step takes no more than a minute or two to complete.
Step 3 – The CEREC® software converts your dental impression into a 3-dimensional virtual model. The doctor uses this information to design your dental crown. Since the software aids the doctor during the design process, the restoration design is more accurate and precise than when the traditional method of designing a crown was done. In a matter of minutes, the design is finalized and sent to a milling unit to be fabricated.
Step 4 – The CEREC® milling machine creates the dental crown based on the design supplied by the software. The crown is crafted out of a ceramic block that matches the shade of the patient’s teeth. Crown fabrication is done inside the dental office and before you know it, your crown is done and ready to be fitted and bonded over your tooth.
Step 5 – The doctor tries the dental crown on your tooth, to check the fit. He makes final revisions should they be necessary. Once the right fit is achieved, the doctor proceeds with the bonding process. The crown is bonded over the tooth, and then polished to perfection. The dentist removes any excess bonding cement and makes sure that the crown looks great in your mouth. Your tooth is restored all in a day’s work. There’s no need to wear temporaries or schedule another office visit for additional dental work. You basically come out of the dental practice with your dental crown in place.
DENTURES
There are different types of dentures, but they share their common function. They replace teeth that have become loose or been lost due to bone loss. When bone loss around the roots of teeth is great enough to loosen them or let them fall out, it's time for dentures. Relax. No one enjoys losing their natural teeth, but you can still eat and talk regularly.
The entire mouth is examined and a determination is made as to which teeth will have to be removed, and which will remain. The loose teeth are then extracted. Dentures are fitted to go over or around whatever teeth remain in the mouth, depending on the type. There is an adjustment period after dentures are placed in the mouth, and it can take some getting used to. But once accustomed to the dentures, all the normal functionality and appearance return and one just carries on as usual. Often implants can used to further stabilize the dentures.
IMPLANTS
A dental implant is an option to replace a missing tooth. In this procedure, a small titanium shaft is surgically implanted into the bone and allowed to set. The bone grows around it forming a tight connection, which additionally slows or stops the bone loss that occurs when the root of a natural tooth is missing. Once the implant is firmly set in the mouth, the dentist then works to attach the replacement tooth onto the top of the shaft. This permanent solution has the advantages over bridge work that it does not stress the surrounding teeth for support, and, should the tooth wear out, another can simply be replaced on the shaft.
Implants can also be used as support as part of an implant bridge. This is an alternative to partial dentures, and has several advantages. First, there is no adjustment period to acclimatize the patient who, once the work is done, only feels teeth, not metal supports intruding into the mouth. Second, this slows the bone loss occasioned by missing teeth. Third, there is no discomfort or difficulty in eating. And, best of all, of course, they don't have to be taken out all the time.
We also offer mini dental implants. These implants are about half the diameter of traditional implants are used mainly to stabilize lower dentures. These implants can be placed in one appointment and be immediately used. The cost is 50-70% of standard dental implants. Call for a free consult.
ROOT CANAL TREATMENT
Root canal treatment (also referred to as root canal therapy or endodontic therapy) is made necessary when a cavity is allowed, through neglect, to reach all the way to this pulp. (Regular cleanings and checkups prevent and detect problems early) Sometimes deep restorations or trauma to a tooth may cause the nerve to be damaged to the point it needs root canal therapy, also. Once this occurs the pulp becomes infected, and can even extend through the root tip and begin to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is 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. This is dangerous, not to mention very painful. Symptoms that the pulp has become infected may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, pain to biting or pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth. Sometimes, however, no symptoms are apparent and the person is unaware of any problem until a checkup.
A root canal is then 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) are filled in to prevent any further infection. Usually a core build-up and crown is recommended for restoring a tooth that has had root canal therapy.
BRIDGES
This is an option for filling the space created by a missing tooth. It is formed to look like the missing tooth, and it takes its place in the mouth. The sides of a bridge use the two surrounding teeth for support, hence the name. A bridge replaces the missing tooth, both functionally and cosmetically. Bridge work is as much an art as it is an exact science. The materials used may be gold alloys, porcelain bonded to metal alloy, or all ceramic material. The choice of material depends on requirements for strength, wear, and/or esthetics.
It is important that a missing tooth be replaced as soon as possible for several reasons. If not treated the teeth surrounding the gap begin to shift inward, creating a whole chain reaction of bad things. Teeth use their neighbors for support, and, with one missing, they start to "fall." As this worsens the bite changes in response to the pressure. This can eventually result in problems with the entire jaw, e.g. TMJ. The surrounding teeth deteriorate and it is just a matter of time before they, too, are lost. Gum disease becomes a serious problem, with the difficulty of treatment increasing as the neglect continues.