| Q: What
different procedures does cosmetic dentistry entail? |
| A: To enhance your
smile, we have several options. Bleaching, such as our in-office ZOOM!
process, can whiten your teeth up to 10 shades. For front teeth that
are misshapen, misaligned or badly chipped, porcelain veneers can
be bonded to the teeth to achieve an attractive, youthful appearance.
Teeth that are broken-down and need crowns may often be restored with
metal-free highly esthetic porcelain crowns. |
| Q:
What is a root canal, and why would I need one? |
| A:
If a tooth has deep decay that reaches the dental pulp, often the
pulp (which is comprised of the nerve and blood vessels inside the
tooth) must be removed or eventually the bacteria from the decay will
cause infection or painful inflammation. Sometimes a patient comes
to the office with an emergency where this has already occurred. Teeth
may also need root canal therapy because of fracture or trauma. |
| Q:
What is periodontal disease? |
| A:
Periodontal disease involves infection and inflammation of the gums,
and destruction of the bone that surrounds the teeth. There are many
factors that contribute to the disease process, including poor oral
hygiene, heredity and misalignment of teeth. The goal of treatment
is to bring the gums to health and to effectuate your ability to maintain
health through proactive home care. Recent studies have linked cardiovascular
disease to periodontal disease. |
| Q:
I wear false teeth and my bottom denture won’t stay in when
I eat, even with paste. What can I do? |
| A:
Again, implants are a wonderful option, where two or more can be placed,
and the denture made to clip onto the implants, keeping it stable. |
|
| Q:
My uncle wears false teeth where he has metal hooks that show. Is
there another way? |
| A:
When a patient needs a partial denture, when they are missing some,
but not all of their teeth, the appliance stays in by clasping onto
the remaining teeth. We offer Valplast partials where the clasps are
made of a flexible, gum-colored material that is virtually unnoticeable.
If some of the remaining teeth need to be crowned, internal attachments
can also be made inside the crowns to hide any clasping. |
| Q:
If I lose a tooth, how can it be replaced? |
| A:
One option is a fixed bridge, where the teeth on either side of the
space are prepared for crowns. A restoration is fabricated, where
the crowns are connected with a false tooth in between, and then it
is cemented in place. A more conservative treatment is one that is
growing in popularity, the implant (which is fabricated from biocompatible
material) which in effect replaces the tooth’s root and is placed
into the bone where the missing tooth was removed. After healing,
an attachment is placed into the implant and then a crown is placed
over that. The implant’s greatest advantage is that the adjacent
teeth are not involved in the restoration. |
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