Porcelain Veneers |
Porcelain veneers are a fantastic way to improve the appearance of your smile. They can be used to whiten teeth, close spaces between teeth, and even straighten “crooked” teeth. They can also be used to correct misshaped or chipped teeth. For patients with severely discolored or tetracycline stained teeth, veneers can mask the discoloration and brighten their smile. Our practice offers traditional porcelain veneers that require minimal tooth reduction and also lumineers. A lumineer is a very thin (0.2 mm) porcelain veneer that in most cases the procedure doesn't require anesthetic or the removal of healthy tooth structure.` |
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Tooth Whitening |
Ever dreamed of having a whiter more youthful smile? Tooth whitening can easily and safely whiten a
patient's smile. Our at home whitening kits use a custom made vinyl retainer type tray that holds the whiting
gel against your teeth for maximum effectiveness. This method allows the patient to control the degree of
“whiteness” that they wish to obtain. We also offer a chair side whitening procedures that takes about 1 hour. |
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Crowns and Bridges |
This is a permanently cemented type of restoration that is usually made out of all porcelain or porcelain
with a gold substructure. Single unit crowns are used when there is not sufficient healthy tooth structure to
support or maintain a simple filling. Bridges replace one or more missing teeth, and are permanently
cemented on the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth or teeth. |
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Full or Partial Removable Dentures
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| This is a removable prosthesis that replaces missing teeth. This can be for an entire upper or lower arch,
or to replace several missing teeth when there are not any teeth to support a permanently cemented bridge.
Teeth used in dentures today are very natural looking and can be made out of porcelain or hardened acrylic. |
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Implants |
| Dental implants allow patients to replace missing teeth without affecting their remaining natural teeth. An
implant is a hollow titanium root form prosthesis with a cap on it. It is placed in the jaw bone where the
original tooth root once was. After the bone grows and adheres to the implant, the cap is uncovered and a
dental abutment or post is screwed internally into the implant. A crown or bridge is then made and cemented
onto the abutment to replace the patient's lost function and esthetics. Implants also help prevent loss of bone
structure that will naturally occur when a tooth is lost.
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Root Canal Therapy |
| Root canal therapy is required when the nerve in the tooth becomes compromised and begins to die. This usually occurs due to deep decay, tooth fracture, or pulpal (nerve) infection.
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| Cosmetic Bonding or Composite Restorations |
| Bonding and tooth colored restorations are a glass filled resin material that closely resembles natural tooth
structure in color and strength properties. Bonding can be used to repair fractured teeth, fill cavities with
matching tooth colored material, and fill gaps between teeth. Composite can be used to “veneer” over front
teeth in order to whiten the smile. Composite replaces older silver filling because the material is similar in
properties to natural tooth structure and composite “bonds” to the teeth to strengthen them.
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| Sealants
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| Sealants are a flowable composite type material that fills in the surface grooves on teeth to prevent the beginning of the decay process. They are usually applied at the age of 6 and 12 years as the 1st and 2nd
permanent molars erupt. The procedure is painless and only takes a few minutes. |
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| Orthodontics |
Braces have come along way the past few years. Gone are the days of large silver bands cemented on
each tooth. Today braces are much smaller and sometimes tooth colored for esthetics. Today's braces
move the teeth more efficiently. In addition, Invisalign braces are a fantastic alternative to traditional
bonded brackets. Invisalign braces are thin, clear, rigid trays that move the teeth using a series of
continuous trays that are laboratory fabricated. Each successive tray moves the teeth a little more until the
final tray places the teeth in their ideal position. Our practice orthodontist is Dr. Gary Gruendeman.
Dr. Gruendeman has been an orthodontist in our practice for over 10 years. |
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| Extractions |
| We perform extractions in our office. If the patient has severe impactions or would be better managed by being sedated, we have a local oral surgeon we can refer our patients to. |
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| Periodontal Scaling |
| Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. 75% of the population has some level of
periodontal disease. If treated early, loss of supporting gum and bone structure can be prevented.
Periodontal scaling is a procedure that removes the tartar or calculus buildup under the gum that forms on
the roots of the teeth from improper brushing and flossing. Tartar is full of bacteria and the toxins they
produce. These are the main contributing factor that causes gum disease. Sometimes antibiotics can be
placed in localized regions where the disease process has caused loss of gum attachment to the root
(periodontal pocket). Our practice has a periodontist that sees our patients in our office and performs
various other periodontal procedures such as gum grafts and ridge augmentation when needed. |
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| Diagnodent |
| A Diagnodent is a tooth decay diagnostic instrument that emits a harmless laser through a tooth's enamel
and allows the dentist to know if decay is present under the enamel. |
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