Click Here for great educational information for the entire family from the American Dental Association. Air Abrasion An alternative method for removing tooth decay, rather than the traditional dental drill. It uses a highly pressurized stream of air with minute powder particles that "sandblast" the tooth to remove the diseased portion of the enamel. For the majority of patients, no anesthesia is required. Air abrasion is for smaller, shallow cavities to provide conservative treatment, keeping more of the original tooth structure. Due to the conservative preparation of the tooth, the filling material is always tooth-colored, looking like your natural tooth. Crowns and Bridges Maintain and restore your smile. Crowns strengthen weak or broken teeth by covering the entire tooth. Bridges replace missing teeth to restore function and esthetics. There are many options for these two procedures. We review these options with the patient as they are appropriate for individual needs. Porcelain Metal Crowns Porcelain Metal Bridge Before After Before After Digital Radiography (x-rays) Technology and computers have allowed us to do away with traditional x-rays, film and developing. We now place a small film in your mouth and take an x-ray, much like you experienced before, but then we place it in a digital scanner that "reads" the film and places the image on the flat computer screen in the treatment room in seconds. The advantages of this system are speed, less radiation exposure to the patient, and a larger image displayed on the computer screen that is easily viewed by the patient. We can together review your needed treatment and diagnosis ability is improved. Implant Restorations A treatment option for replacement of single or multiple teeth and solid stable dentures. An oral surgeon places the implants, then we "restore" your teeth to maximum strength, durability and esthetics. You can find out if this is a viable option for you during a consultation appointment. Intra-Oral Camera A small camera "wand" is placed in the mouth and the live image is magnified and displayed on the treatment room television screen. This allows us to "tour" your mouth and show you aspects of your mouth that you don't normally see. We can freeze frames and point out various things to you. It is much easier to understand your oral condition and any treatment options that are presented when you can see it and discuss it. Due to the magnification, it also allows us to detect situations that we could not see with the "natural" eye. Laser Cavity Detection 'Kavo Diagnodent', a device used as an aid in detecting dental decay on the chewing surfaces of the teeth. Many chewing surfaces of teeth are difficult to keep clean due to deep, irregular grooves. It has been proven that the dental explorer (probe) cannot detect decay until it becomes fairly large. The Diagnodent enables us to determine dental decay at a very early stage so it can be treated more conservatively with air abrasion and placement of a sealant or tooth-colored filling. Our goal is to detect decay and treat teeth before they hurt. The laser cavity detector is another tool, along with x-rays, the intra-oral camera and clinical judgment for providing the best treatment options for our patients. Panoramic X-ray The "Panorex" is a large "wrap-around" x-ray that is taken in a standing position. This x-ray is also placed through the digital scanner (see digital radiography). The scan allows us to see the entire mouth in one film, including the TMJ (joints), sinus, all teeth, roots, bone, cysts, tumors, and associated structures. If disease can be detected early (before it hurts), it can be treated more successfully and conservatively. Tooth-Colored Fillings There are options for the type of filling material used and tooth-colored is one of them. The quality of these materials has greatly improved over the years, including durability, color matching and stability. These "composite resin" fillings are bonded into the tooth, creating a very strong seal and can be used on anterior (front) and posterior (back) teeth. There are limitations to the placement of these. If composites are not possible, we will give you alternatives. Tooth Whitening (bleaching) We do in-office/take-home whitening. This can remove most tobacco, food, beverage and aging stains. Discoloration from medicine, injury or illness may not respond as well. The treatment requires two weeks for stable results. Temporary hot/cold sensitivity may occur. Results vary from patient to patient, depending on the intensity and type of stain, as well as tooth-structure characteristics. Ask us for more information to see if you would be a candidate for a whiter-brighter smile! Veneers With minimal tooth reduction, your smile can be improved. Porcelain veneers can be bonded on the front of your teeth to close gaps and spaces, changing the color, size and shape of your teeth and correcting minor misalignment. This is a conservative treatment with rewarding results. Porcelain Veneers Porcelain Veneers Closed Space Before After Before After If you have any questions or comments regarding these or other treatments, procedures, products, or materials, please contact us. We strive to stay up-to-date and on the cutting edge to provide the best dental care possible for our patients.