Replacing missing teeth can be accomplished in several ways: Implants, Fixed Bridgework, Removable Bridgework (Partials), and Full Dentures. Please see the Implant section for more information on this terrific alternative.

Fixed bridgework attaches to the teeth in front of and behind the missing tooth/teeth. Those teeth are prepared for crowns, a bridge is made and then it is cemented into place.

Partial dentures and complete dentures are removable; you can take them out of your mouth. They are not as stable as fixed (Cemented) bridges or implants, but they do replace the missing teeth and give you something to chew, smile, and talk with. Artificial teeth are like artificial limbs. After much practice, you can be pretty good with them, but they’re not like the originals.

We take great pride in the dentistry we provide, from the implants, to bridges, to partials and dentures. We have to be sure you have the right expectations with the right procedures. We’ll be sure to explain each option and what you can expect.

We hear of the use of lasers in the medical field daily. Eye specialists rely on lasers. Many other surgeons use lasers in the operating room. In Dentistry, we use these same lasers to help you in a faster and more comfortable way. Aphthous ulcers (Canker Sores) and Herpes Blisters (Cold Sores on the lips) are rendered less painful and heal quicker. The laser sterilizes the area treated, so healing time is faster. A “gummy smile” can be improved, infected gum tissue removed, and gum disease treated with the aid of a laser. Technology can make our lives much better, but only for those who use it.

Research has shown many links between gum (periodontal) disease and our overall health. Common sense should tell us that infections, whether in our arms, legs, or mouth, are not healthy for our body. When you have gum infection (which many times has no symptoms) you have bacteria under your gumline depositing their toxins into your gum tissue. These toxins ooze into your blood stream and are distributed throughout your entire body. The same would be true with infections elsewhere in your body. Your body will react to these toxins in different ways.

The researchers have found very strong links to:

• Heart Disease
• Strokes
• Adult Onset Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Alzheimers
• Respiratory Complications

Researchers have also found that it takes 90 days for the toxins to accumulate under your gums before they begin bone loss around your teeth. That is why we recommend a 3 month cleaning frequency for so many of our patients. We would much rather help you prevent problems than wait for them to happen. Prevention is more comfortable, more convenient, and more cost effective.

These are very serious discoveries. When we examine you and tell you what we find, if gum disease is present, we need to work diligently together to help get you back into dental health, so we can help your general health.

Dental Implants have forever changed the options you have for replacing missing teeth. Whether you’re missing just a few teeth, or all of your teeth, implants can help restore the natural appearance and function you used to enjoy.

You may find that there are other things you miss like your natural smile or your ability to chew apples, crackers and other food you desire. Perhaps you’ve experienced muscle strains, an inability to speak clearly, headaches as your remaining teeth shift. Maybe you feel self-conscious about your teeth and mouth or feel uncomfortable in familiar situations at work with friends or at home.

What are the Benefits of Dental Implants?

• Improved Appearance
• Improved Speech
• Convenience
• Improved Self-esteem
• Improved Comfort
• Eat Better
• Great Value

Improved Appearance

There are two parts to every tooth. The crown and the root. The crown is the visible part and the root is the unseen part which anchors the tooth in your jawbone, providing stable support for your crown. When an entire tooth is lost – crown and root – shrinkage of the jawbone may occur making the face look older. Dental implants can stop this process.

Improved Speech

With ill fitting dentures, the teeth slip and slide around the mouth. The facial muscles become tense in an attempt to hold the teeth in place. This often results in mumbling, slurred speech or clicking noises. Implant supported replacement teeth allow you to speak with confidence in a relaxed and natural tone.

Convenience

Dental implants can eliminate the numerous, embarrassing inconveniences of removable partial and full dentures. Implants eliminate the use of gooey denture adhesives that must be re-applied throughout the day. You will no longer need to cover your mouth when you laugh or smile, for fear that your teeth will pop out or fall down.

Improved Self-esteem

Considering all other benefits, chances are that dental implants will improve your overall self-esteem and you will feel better about yourself. You can regain nearly all of the capabilities you had with your natural teeth, giving you renewed confidence, and allowing you to enjoy life, do all the things everyone else is doing and not think twice about it.

Improved Comfort

Dental implants eliminate the pain and discomfort of removable full or partial dentures. Since dentures sit on top of the jawbone and gums, continuous shrinkage of the jaw bone alters the fit of dentures resulting in slipping or rocking. This leads to sore, irritated gum tissue. Implant supported replacement teeth are like natural teeth because they are anchored securely to your jawbone. Gum irritation and the pain of exposed nerves associated with conventional full or partial dentures are eliminated.

Eat Better

The average denture patient with an excellent fitting denture eats at 15-20% efficiency when compared to a person with natural teeth. As the jawbone shrinks, your chewing efficiency is reduced even more, making it difficult to eat certain foods. Dental implants, on the other hand, can restore chewing efficiency comparable to that of natural teeth. This allows you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain. You can enjoy what everyone is eating and you don’t have to think twice about it. A full upper denture covers the palate of the mouth and reduces the ability to taste foods. With dental implants, you can have the palate removed from your upper denture so you can taste and enjoy your food.

Great Value

Although dental implant treatment may initially be more expensive than other treatment methods, it often turns out to be the best investment from a long term perspective since most patients can expect them to last a lifetime. Other treatment methods like bridges and dentures often require regular alterations and adjustments over time.

Perhaps the single piece of technology that has changed dentistry in the last 25 years has been the development of CEREC Restorations. CEREC is the world’s only system for the fabrication of all ceramic dental restorations in one office visit. In the time it takes you to run errands or drive across town, you can have an all ceramic crown, onlay, or veneer made and placed in your mouth. This means fewer injections, less drilling, and less time out of our hectic schedule for dental care.

Single Appointment Dental Care

A traditional crown or veneer requires more than one visit to your dentist. This means that on the first visit, you get an injection of anesthesia, your tooth prepared, an impression taken, and a temporary restoration put on your tooth. You have to make another trip into the office a couple of weeks later, get another injection, have your temporary removed, and have the crownor veneer cemented or bonded. With CEREC, the procedure takes one appointment, start tofinish.

Smile Enhancement

Your smile makes a lasting first impression. With CEREC, chipped or discolored front teeth can be repaired with beautiful porcelain crowns or veneers revitalizing one of you most vital assets, your SMILE.

Finest Dental Materials

A CEREC restoration is healthier for you. Years ago, dentists had few options to repair decayed and damaged teeth other than amalgam, gold, and other metals. With CEREC, strong, tooth colored ceramic materials are used to restore your teeth to their natural strength, beauty, and function. These materials closely match the composition of natural tooth structure. This means when you eat hot food and then, drink something cold, the restoration and tooth expand and contract at almost equal rates.So, reducing you chances of cracking your tooth. The superior bonding of the material to your tooth, allows us to save as much healthy tooth tissue as possible while providing you with a dental restoration that strengthens your tooth.

Worldwide, a CEREC restoration is placed every 20 seconds. With a history of nearly 20 years, this equipment has helped dentists place over 6 million restorations. Using metal free materials that are the closest to your natural enamel, CEREC gives you the highest quality restorative care.

All Porcelain Crowns have made all the difference in cosmetic dentistry. Traditionally, you had to have a metal “coping” placed directly against your tooth, with a layer of opaque and then a layer of porcelain placed on top of the metal to make it look toothlike. With the improvement in the strength of porcelain, we no longer need the metal in the vast majority of cases. The elimination of the metal allows light to pass through the porcelain just as it does a natural tooth. The result is a very lifelike appearance. You would be hardpressed to see any difference between a natural tooth and an all porcelain crown.

The junction of tooth and crown also become invisible. It was not that way with Porcelain Fused to Metal (PFM) crowns. You could always see where the crown stopped and the tooth began. That’s why dentists tried to hide this junction under your gumline. That’s okay, unless your gums receed, and now you have a dark line. All Porcelain Crowns eliminate the need to always prepare your tooth below the gumline. We’re saving more of your tooth, without compromising on cosmetics.

We believe in conserving as much of your natural tooth as possible, while still giving you the smile you want. With the technology available today, you can have the smile you’ve always dreamed of in as little as two visits. This transformation can be achieved with veneers.

Veneers are thin pieces of porcelain that are sculpted to bond to the front of your teeth. They can change the color, shape, and alignment of your teeth. Many times, we can place veneers with very minimal shaping of your natural teeth. This means no anesthetic. When possible, we use Lumineers®. These veneers can be sculpted to less than 0.3mm thickness, which is similar to the thickness of a contact lens.

To find out more about this exciting new way to transform your smile click here for a
FREE REPORT

“Are You Tired of Hiding Your Teeth?” Here’s Some Straight Talk About Cosmetic Dentistry and Your Smile

What makes a smile so important? Our family and friends ask us for one every time we pose for a photograph. We tell those we care about to do it whenever we see them looking sad. Smiles are magical, motivating and extremely persuasive. A smile is a key to practically any door.

How beautiful is your smile? A great smile can make a person’s confidence level and self-esteem soar. A great smile is universally believed to convey the message of more intelligence, productive, likeable, trustworthy, cleaner, and braver. Statistically, people with a great smile make between a 12-27% higher incomes. First impressions are lasting impressions. Why not leave the very best impression you can?

• 99.7% of Americans believe a smile is an important social asset.
• 96% of adults believe an attractive smile makes a person more engaging to members of the opposite sex.
• 74% of adults believe an unattractive smile can less a person’s chances for career success.
• 88% say they remember someone with an attractive smile.
• Only half of Americans are satisfied with their smile.

Advances in cosmetic dentistry have made a Beautiful Smile available to virtually anyone who wants one. Give us a call now and set up your free, no obligation consultation. Find out how you can “Smile With Confidence!”

Our Promise to You

You deserve tender care. We promise to CARE for each patient as an individual who deserves our undivided attention and the best dentistry we can offer.

You deserve to be heard. We promise to LISTEN as you share your desires and concerns. We see ourselves as dental travel agents. You tell us the destination and we will help you find a way to get there.

You deserve to be healthy. We promise to ENCOURAGE you to achieve and maintain optimum dental health. We strive to develop a long-term relationship with you.

You deserve a comprehensive plan. We promise to provide you with a COMPREHENSIVE approach to your care. Complete diagnosis and treatment will help you avoid unnecessary discomfort, inconvenience and expenses. We are on your side.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have all your dental needs taken care of and the only thing you needed were your regular cleanings (hygiene visits)? This is the reality many of our patients enjoy. They have had their teeth properly restored, and now have the benefit of years and years of enjoyment without worry. Complete care involves a thorough examination, a sound plan, follow-through, and regular maintenance. When these four steps are followed, your stress level decreases and worry becomes a thing of the past. Comfort, enjoyment, and confidence can be yours to enjoy.

We are fortunate to have over 250 patients over 90 years old. Most have all their own teeth. People are living longer. It’s not enjoyable to have large, old fillings breaking at an alarming rate when we get into our 70’s, 80’s, or 90’s. Complete and comprehensive care helps you avoid many of the unnecessary dental emergencies. If you simply follow through with complete care in your “younger years,” you may only need maintenance care as you approach your “golden years.”