What is an implant?

Dental implants are artificial roots that are surgically placed into the jaw to replace one or more missing teeth. Porcelain crowns, bridges, and dentures can be made specifically to fit and attach to implants, giving a patient a strong, stable, and durable solution to removable dental appliances.

Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.

While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth-saving than traditional bridgework, since implants do not rely on neighboring teeth for support.

Dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling, you may forget you ever lost a tooth. You know that your confidence about your teeth affects how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally. Some people hide their smile because of spaces from missing teeth. Others have difficulty because their dentures don't feel secure or maybe they have difficulty chewing. The good news is that dental implants are teeth that can look and feel just like your own!

What can dental implants do?

Replace one or more teeth without affecting bordering teeth.
Support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable partial denture.
Provide support for a denture, making it more secure and comfortable.

What are dental crowns?

Crowns are a type of dental restoration which, when cemented into place, fully cup over the portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line. In comparison, fillings are dental restorations that fill in or cover over just a portion of a tooth. Since dental crowns encase the entire visible aspect of a tooth, a dental crown in effect becomes the tooth's new outer surface.

Crowns can be made out of porcelain (meaning some sort of dental ceramic), metal (a gold or other metal alloy), or a combination of both. Other terms that are used to refer to dental crowns are "dental caps" and "tooth caps."

Why do teeth need dental crowns?

A dentist might recommend placing a dental crown for a variety of reasons but, in general, most of these reasons will usually fall within one of the following basic categories:

To restore a tooth to its original shape.
To strengthen a tooth.
To improve the cosmetic appearance of a tooth.

In other words, dental crowns are routinely made for teeth that have broken, are excessively worn, or have had large portions destroyed by tooth decay.

What are porcelain veneers and how can they improve my smile?

Porcelain veneers are very thin shells of tooth-shaped porcelain that are individually crafted to cover the fronts of teeth. They are very durable and will not stain. This makes them a very popular solution for those who wish to restore or enhance the beauty of their smile.

Getting veneers usually requires two visits. Veneers are created from an impression (mould) of your teeth that is then sent to a professional dental laboratory where each veneer is custom-made (for shape and color) for your individual smile.

With little or no anesthesia, teeth are prepared by lightly re-shaping the front surfaces of the teeth to allow for the small thickness of the veneers. The veneers are carefully fitted and bonded onto the tooth surface with special bonding cements and occasionally a specialized light may be used to harden and set the bond.

Veneers are an excellent dental treatment that can dramatically improve the looks of your teeth and give you a natural, beautiful smile.

What is an overdenture?

Overdentures are a type of conventional denture similar to Complete Dentures. The difference is that not all teeth are extracted and they use one or more natural teeth for their support or implants. This type provides greater stabilization during chewing.

What is a partial denture?

A partial is designed to correct the gaps in your smile when only some of your teeth are missing. Metal attachments anchor the dentures to your natural teeth. Partial Dentures maintain tooth alignment by preventing your remaining teeth from shifting. Partial Dentures can also help prevent loss of more teeth due to decay or gum disease.

A partial denture is useful for a person missing some teeth, but still having a number of natural teeth.

This device is also called a removable prosthesis, and is a means by which artificial replacement teeth are held in the mouth. The prosthesis is commonly kept in place by means of clasps. These are thin finger-like structures, usually made of a special resilient metal alloy or sometimes plastic, that rest upon and wrap around some remaining natural teeth. Clasps keep the prosthesis securely in place but still allow a person to easily take it out for regular cleaning and proper brushing of remaining natural teeth.

How often should I have my denture/partial checked?

It is recommended that if you wear a denture or partial that you see your dentist at least once a year for an exam and oral cancer screening.

How can I change the appearance of my teeth?

Cosmetic dentistry has become very popular in the last several years, not only due the many advances in cosmetic dental procedures and materials available today, but also because patients are becoming more and more focused on improving their overall health. This includes dental prevention and having a healthier, whiter, more radiant smile.

There are many cosmetic dental procedures available to improve your teeth and enhance your smile. Depending on your particular needs, cosmetic dental treatments can change your smile dramatically, from restoring a single tooth to having a full mouth make-over. Ask your dentist how you can improve the health and beauty of your smile with cosmetic dentistry.

Teeth Whitening: Whitening lightens teeth that have been stained or discolored by age, food, drink, and smoking. Teeth darkened as a result of injury or taking certain medications can also be whitened, but the effectiveness depends on the degree of staining present.

Composite (tooth-colored) Fillings: Also known as “bonding”, composite fillings are now widely used instead of amalgam (silver) fillings to repair teeth with cavities, and also to replace old defective fillings. Tooth-colored fillings are also used to repair chipped, broken, or discolored teeth. This type of filling is also very useful to fill in gaps and to protect sensitive, exposed root surfaces caused by gum recession. Many times your dentist may recommend a composite because the material bonds to the tooth and may help to strengthen a tooth.

Porcelain Veneers: Veneers are thin custom-made, tooth-colored shells that are bonded onto the fronts of teeth to create a beautiful individual smile. They can help restore or camouflage damaged, discolored, poorly shaped, or misaligned teeth. Unlike crowns, veneers require minimal tooth structure to be removed from the surface of the tooth.

Porcelain Crowns (caps): A crown is a tooth-colored, custom-made covering that encases the entire tooth surface restoring it to its original shape and size. Crowns protect and strengthen teeth that cannot be restored with fillings or other types of restorations. They are ideal for teeth that have large, fractured or broken fillings and also for those that are badly decayed.