Bridges
Dental bridges act as a bridge to connect gaps usually caused by one or more missing teeth. Bridges are used to restore your smile and your ability to speak and chew properly by replacing the empty gap with an artificial tooth. They are also used to prevent teeth from moving out of position.
With good dental hygiene bridges can last up to 15 years.
Cleanings
Brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing daily are important ways to keep your smile healthy, however visiting a dentist twice a year is just as important. Scheduled cleanings twice a year help keep your teeth in their best condition and provide an early defense against tooth decay and diseases.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Veneers are a great way of making your smile even brighter. Veneers are custom-made for your teeth and can instantly whiten a stained smile, fix gaps and straighten a crooked smile.
Crowns
Crowns are a type of dental restoration that restores a tooth to its original shape, strengthens a tooth and/or improves the appearance of your smile. It can be made out of porcelain, metal or a combination of both.
Crowns help keep your teeth and smile healthy.
Before and After Photos
Dental Implants
Much like bridges, dental implants are artificial teeth replacements used to counter tooth loss. A dental implant is commonly made of a titanium material screw and a crown. The titanium material screw is placed into the jawbone and then the artificial tooth attaches to the screw.
Although you have a number of restorative options for the treatment of missing teeth, dental implants are stronger and more durable than bridges or dentures.
Dentures
Dentures replace missing teeth and benefit your appearance and health. Dentures help support facial muscles preventing sagging which makes a person look older. You will also be able to eat and speak normally verses a person without natural teeth. Dentures are typically a more cost-friendly alternative over bridges or dental implants.
There are different types of dentures so talk with your dentist if you’re considering dentures to find which type is right for you.
Extractions
A simple extraction is one in which the dentist can remove the tooth simply by loosening the gums around it, grasping the crown above the gum line, then moving it side to side until it loosens from the bone. Teeth are normally held into the bone by a thin sheathe of soft tissue that separates it from the bone like a sock separates a foot from a shoe. This sheathe is called the periodontal ligament, and it is this structure which ultimately enables the dentist to rmove the tooth. The key to simple extractions is to rock the tooth side to side slowly enlarging the socket in the bone while at the same time breaking the ligament which binds the tooth in the socket.
Unfortunately, not all extractions can be done by simply grasping the tooth with forceps and rocking it out. What if there is nothing left above the gum line to grasp or if the crown breaks off leaving the roots still in the bone? These things can and do happen, and any dentist that extracts teeth will have to deal with them routinely. In these cases, it becomes necessary to surgically remove the tooth. On single rooted teeth a small flap will be raised for better visualization. A small amount of bone will be gently removed to access more solid tooth structure. The tooth will then be removed like a simple extraction. In the case of mulitple rooted teeth, the roots are separated so they can be removed individually. If a flap is needed, the dentist will place sutures so healing can proceed normally.
FAQ
- + At what age should my child have their first dental exam?
- Age 1-3 for clinical exam and fluoride treatment
- + What can I take for pain until my appointment?
- Over the counter Ibuprofen every 4-6 hours. If you are a patient of record, you can call your dentist.
- + How long do I have to wait to eat or drink anything after:
- Fillings: Amalgams – at least one hour; nothing hard or sticky for 24 hours. Both composite and amalgams – no eating or drinking anything hot until the numbness wears off.
RCT: Until numbness wears off and then only soft foods until crown is seated.
Crown: Until numbness wears off and then only soft foods until permanent crown is seated. - + What are sealants and why are they needed?
- Sealant material flows over the grooves of your teeth, then hardens and protects the tops of your teeth from decay.
- + What is a fluoride treatment and why is it needed?
- Fluoride helps to strengthen the outermost layer of the teeth, the enamel, and helps to keep the teeth strong and helps to protect against decay.
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Fillings
A dental filling is a dental restorative material used to restore oral health. Your dentist uses the filling to strengthen teeth or to simply restore general function. Fillings are commonly used to fix cavities and keep your smile healthy.
The two most common types are amalgam and composite fillings. Your dentist can even make your fillings look like your natural teeth.
Fluoride Treatments
Fluoride treatments are applied by your dentist to strengthen the enamel making it harder for acids to destroy your teeth. Your dentist can apply the fluoride treatment in the form of a gel, foam or varnish in minutes.
Talk to your dentist during your next scheduled visit to discuss how fluoride treatments can benefit you and your family.
Oral Cancer Screenings
According to the American Dental Association, Oral Cancer strikes over 34,360 Americans each year. Although the use of tobacco and alcohol are risk factors in developing oral cancer, approximately 25% of oral cancer patients have no known risk factors.
Making an appointment with your Neighborhood Dental Clinic for regularly scheduled visits can help decrease your chances of oral cancer.
Products
Coming soon.
Root Canals
A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or infected. Without treatment, the tissue surrounding the tooth will become infected and possibly spread the infection to the bone around the teeth.
Root canal treatments are a safe way of maintaining your oral health and smile. Contact your Neighborhood Dental Center today for more in-depth information about how root canals are done safely and as painless as possible.
Root Planing and Scaling
Bacteria in your mouth form a sticky film (plaque) on teeth and gums. If not removed, this film hardens into a crust (tartar, also called calculus). A buildup of plaque and tartar can cause periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can lead to pain, gum damage, bone loss, and even tooth loss. Scaling and root planing is a special type of cleaning done by a dentist or hygienist. This cleaning comfortably removes plaque and tartar and will restore the health of your teath and gums.
Scaling and root planing removes plaque and tartar from below your gum line. This controls the growth of harmful bacteria. It also helps gums re-attach firmly to the teeth. Because this procedure goes deeper than a regular cleaning, your mouth will be numbed. The cleaning normally takes two visits to complete. Three weeks later your mouth is re-evaluated and polished. Periodontal patients are placed on a maintenance schedule where they are seen 3 or 4 times a year.
Sealants
Sealants provide an extra layer of protection against tooth decay for both kids and adults. Sealants act as a barrier protecting enamel against plaque and acids and are applied to the chewing surfaces of premolars and molars. Although sealants offer extra protection against tooth decay, they do not replace brushing and flossing.
Your dentist can easily apply sealants in minutes and they usually last several years before needing to be reapplied.
Space Maintainer
Space maintainers are a band or a temporary crown used when your child loses a baby tooth early through decay or injury. Maintainers are used to prevent the child's other teeth from shifting into the vacant space. When the permanent tooth starts to come in, the space maintainer is removed.
Talk to your dentist during your next scheduled visit for more information about space maintainers.
