General Treatment
Professional Cleaning
Dental cleaning is the removal of dental plaque and tartar from the teeth. Dental cleanings are necessary to prevent cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease. If left untreated, severe gum disease can result in tooth loss. Cleaning and polishing of the teeth leaves the surfaces of the teeth clean and smooth so that bacteria are unable to stick to them. The dental hygienist or dentist will use specialized instruments to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth. Hand tools called scalers and curettes are used to manually remove smaller deposits and smooth the tooth surfaces. These tools are curved and shaped to match the curves of the teeth. Once all the tooth surfaces have been cleaned of tartar and plaque, the teeth are polished using a slow speed hand piece with a soft rubber cup that spins on the end. Prophylaxis paste which is a special gritty toothpaste-like material - is applied to the teeth to make them shiny and smooth.
Fillings
Cavity is treated by removing the infected part of the tooth (decay) and replacing it with a restorative material called filling. Fillings can also be used to repair broken teeth and teeth that have been worn down from improper function (ie grinding).
Crowns
Crowns are required for a variety of reasons. Most frequently, when a tooth has been filled several times the size of the filling compared to the remaining tooth is quite large. This increases the chance of fracture and possible tooth loss. Also, crowns can also be used to restore proper shape, size and esthetics to a tooth. Improper tooth shape can lead to food impaction and subsequent gum issues. The treatment for a crown involves two appointments. Crowns we do in our office are all processed by highly trained laboratory technicians. Crowns can be made from a variety of materials depending on the patient needs/desires. In esthetic regions crowns can be made entirely from porcelain or porcelain fused on top of metal. In posterior regions, for patients with a heavy bite or who grind, we often recommend gold crowns. This material tends to withstand the forces of chewing better/longer than porcelain, however porcelain crowns are also a valid option in the posterior region when esthetics are a concern.
Bridge
A bridge is a way to replace one or several adjacently missing teeth. Unlike a denture a bridge is not removable and is cemented into place permanently. Essentially, one tooth on either side of the gap is covered with a crown. Both crowns are attached to the “bridge” that spans the gap where the teeth are missing. The result is a very esthetic restoration of missing teeth.
Gum Surgery
Grafting
Gum grafts are done when a patient is experiencing recession in the gumline. This recession can be a result of excessive brushing forces, gum disease, orthodontics, or simply genetics. To prevent further recession, and in some cases regain some of the loss that has occurred, we can replant tissue onto the site of interest thus increasing the amount of healthy tissue in the area.
Pocket Reduction Surgery
When the gums are inflamed two things happen: the tissue becomes boggy and swollen and the underlying bone slowly erodes. As this process progresses we eventually end up with a large “pocket” between the gum tissue and the tooth where bacteria accumulate, which of course worsens the overall effect. In these cases it is sometimes necessary to recountour the shape of the gums to eliminate this pocket of bacteria.
Root Canal
Primary cause for needing a root canal is excessive decay of a tooth that invades the nerve and blood supply. Often causing discomfort for the patient. Another frequent cause for the need of a root canal is a ‘deep filling’. Sometimes the decay goes very deep but does not infect the nerve of the tooth quite yet. In these cases when the decay is removed the nerve is irritated simply because we are working so close to it. Sometimes the nerve can recover but other times it becomes irreversibly irritated and the only way to eliminate the cause of discomfort is to remove the nerve of the tooth (a root canal). Despite common belief, most patients do not experience any discomfort during or after root canal procedures. In fact, in most cases the root canal relieves discomfort rather than causes it.
Extractions / Wisdom Teeth
Teeth may require extraction for a variety of reasons. Often, when wisdom teeth are developing there is not enough space in the jaws to allow for proper eruption. This can cause the teeth to become impacted and create a source for repeated infections and discomfort. In these situations we generally recommend that the wisdom teeth be extracted. In our office we are proud to offer expertise in these types of extractions and are able to complete almost all cases in office. We also provide treatment for all other types of extractions.
Whitening
With age teeth naturally darken (internal staining). Also, long-term exposure to staining agents such as red wine and coffee can cause tooth discolouration (external staining). We provide individualized regiments of whitening including bleaching trays that are customized to each patient to provide an optimal tooth surface to bleach ratio while also protecting the gum tissues. Products purchased over-the-counter, though effective at whitening the teeth, do little to protect the gum tissues from the whitening agents (carbamide peroxide) which can be harmful to soft tissues. For this reason, we design our bleaching trays to keep the fluid away from any tissues that may be affected. The trays are specific for each patient and are re-usable. We also provide “Zoom Bleaching” which is another form of in office bleaching.