Our Procedures

Bridges

What is a dental bridge?

A dental bridge is an appliance used to replace one or more missing teeth. These appliances are cemented into place and cannot be removed by the patient.

Dentures

What are dentures?

Dentures replace missing teeth and their adjacent tissues with a removable dental appliance made of acrylic resin and, in some cases, a combination of metals.

What are the different types of dentures?

There are four primary types of dentures:

• complete
  This type of denture replaces all of the teeth and their adjacent tissues.

• partial
  Partial dentures act as dental bridges as they "bridge" the gap between a missing tooth or teeth.

• conventional
  Conventional dentures allow a recovery time (usually 4 to 8 weeks) after all of the teeth are extracted before the dentures are placed in the mouth.

• immediate
  This type of denture does not allow a healing period after all of the teeth are removed. The denture is immediately fit into the mouth after all teeth are removed. Additional adjustments in the fitting of this type of denture procedure may be necessary as healing occurs.

Fillings

What are fillings?

Teeth that have been affected by tooth decay (caries or cavities) require a filling. There are many different types of fillings, including:

• composite resins
  Also know as white fillings, a composite resin is a tooth-colored plastic mixture filled with glass (silicon dioxide) that is used primarily for cosmetic improvements of the smile by changing the color of the teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth.

Dental Implants

What are dental implants?

An alternative to dentures, dental implants (small dental appliances that are inserted into the upper and lower jaws) help to restore the mouth that has little or no non-restorable teeth. Dental implants are slowly replacing dentures used by some people, as they provide many advantages of traditional dentures.

Sealants

What are dental sealants?

Dental sealants are thin, plastic films painted on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth -- molars and premolars -- and are highly effective in the prevention of tooth decay (caries and cavities). Dental sealants are particularly effective on the back teeth, as the back teeth contain more hard-to-reach pits and grooves that serve as a host to food debris and plaque build-up.

Root Canal Therapy

What is root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy is designed to correct disorders of the dental pulp -- the soft tissue inside the tooth that contains nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. Teeth with abscessed, or infected, nerves were once removed with corrective therapy. But now, in 95 percent of these cases of pulpal infection, the natural tooth can be saved through modern endodontic procedures. (Also called pulp specialists, endodontists have undergone specialized training in performing root canal therapy.)