Services

Until recently, dentists used a silver and mercury amalgam to fill and seal cavities. Because a larger amount of the original tooth must be removed, these types of fillings often weaken teeth. Recent innovations now allow us to replace old silver fillings with composite or porcelain fillings that are stronger, safer and more natural looking. Say goodbye to “metal mouth” and hello to a beautiful new smile.

Teeth are often restored using silver or porcelain fillings. However, when too much of a tooth’s structure is removed to support a filling, a crown or “cap” may be needed. A crown may be needed to:

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• Restore a tooth when it is unable to support a large filling
• Attach bridges
• Protect a weak tooth from fracturing or restore fractured teeth
• Cover badly shaped or discolored teeth
• Cover dental implants

A crown essentially covers a tooth to restore it to its natural shape and size. This permanent covering fits over your original tooth to strengthen or improve the appearance of the tooth. Fitting a crown generally requires at least two visits to the dentist’s office.

When more than a third of a tooth’s biting surface is damaged, a dentist will often use an inlay or onlay. Large fillings on back teeth often require a stronger and properly contoured restoration, such as porcelain inlays or onlays. They are created at an off-site dental lab and are bonded into place using a strong resin. Inlays and onlays protect teeth similarly as crowns, but conserve more natural tooth structure and are a better match to your tooth’s natural color.

Healthy and strong teeth support and maintain your jaw alignment. That is why when you lose one or more teeth, your remaining teeth may shift, and the ability to chew and speak may be affected. A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth, eliminating the gap where those teeth had been. The bridge is bonded onto surrounding teeth for support. Regardless of the type of bridge recommended, its success depends on keeping the surrounding teeth healthy and strong.

Missing teeth can create a host of aesthetic and functional problems including sagging facial muscles, inability to eat certain foods and speak. Dentures may be your best solution if you’ve lost all your natural teeth due to periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury.
Fitting a patient for dentures does not have to be a traumatic experience. During the preliminary visit, the remaining teeth are removed and a model is made of the patient’s jaw. An immediate denture may be fitted so the patient does not have to be without teeth while the mouth tissue heals. Once the mouth tissue is completely healed, the patient is fitted with their custom dentures .

There have been major advances in non-surgical periodontal treatment for chronic periodontal disease. Our state-of-the-art ultrasonic scalers have been designed by a periodontist for maximum effectiveness on root surfaces. Antibiotic gels, which are placed below the gum line, reduce the need for periodontal surgery. And the latest innovation, a dental endoscope (camera) which can be placed below the gum line, further reduces the need for surgical treatment of periodontal disease.
We take every opportunity to help you control your periodontal disease problem non-surgically and then reevaluate to determine the effectiveness of the treatment. If surgical treatment is required, the treatments maximize your comfort and your ability to regrow lost periodontal support.

Wisdom teeth are the last set of molars individuals develop, generally appearing between the ages of 16 and 25. If the wisdom teeth appear to be healthy and correctly aligned, there is no need for extraction. However, most often, individuals will experience inadequate wisdom teeth positioning or development and may need to have these teeth extracted to avoid future complications.