Tooth Extraction Nitrous Oxide Implant Restorations Gum / Periodontal Therapy
Our priority is to provide comprehensive, preventive and restorative care that achieves proper function, optimal health and maximum tooth retention.
We'll do much more than patch your teeth and remove disease.
We will use the latest advances in dentistry together with exceptional clinical skills to give you every option and every possibility of a healthy smile for life.
The recommendations we make will have benefits that can increase the health of your teeth, reduce the need for return visits, remove discomfort and produce a healthy looking smile.
97% of the population suffer from some level of gum disease and it is this (and not tooth decay) that is the major cause of tooth loss in adult patients.
Toothaches and gum problems are common but usually can be prevented by taking good care of your teeth and gums. Keeping your teeth, gums, and the bones around your teeth healthy requires regular brushing, flossing, and good nutrition. Brush your teeth twice a day with an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste. Clean between teeth daily with floss or an inter-dental cleaner.
Our hygienists are skilled and trained in the latest periodontal treatments and they use advanced screening methods to determine the levels of bacteria and infection in your mouth. The capability they possess to keep your mouth infection-free goes far beyond scaling and polishing your teeth.
For this reason, Syringa Dental Care places the need for regular hygiene visits on equal terms with regular dental visits.
Fluoride is safe, effective and supported by every major health organization in the fight against dental disease.
Fluoride is a mineral that occurs naturally in many foods and water. Every day, minerals are added to and lost from a tooth's enamel layer through two processes, demineralization and remineralization. Minerals are lost (demineralization) from a tooth's enamel layer when acids - formed from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth — attack the enamel. Minerals such as fluoride, calcium and phosphate are redeposited (remineralization) to the enamel layer from the foods and waters consumed. Too much demineralization without enough remineralization to repair the enamel layer leads to tooth decay.
Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by making the tooth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque bacteria and sugars in the mouth. It also reverses early decay. In children under six years of age, fluoride becomes incorporated into the development of permanent teeth, making it difficult for acids to demineralize the teeth. Fluoride also helps speed remineralization as well as disrupts acid production in already erupted teeth of both children and adults.
At Syringa Dental Care, our hygienists routinely offer topical fluoride applications to improve your protection against decay.
A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and adjacent tissues. It is made of acrylic resin, sometimes in combination with various metals.
Complete Dentures
Complete dentures can be either "conventional" or "immediate." Made after the teeth have been removed and the gum tissue has begun to heal, a conventional denture is ready for placement in the mouth about 8 to 12 weeks after the teeth have been removed.
Immediate Dentures
Unlike conventional dentures, immediate dentures are made in advance and can be positioned as soon as the teeth are removed. As a result, the wearer does not have to be without teeth during the healing period. However, bones and gums shrink over time, especially during the healing period following tooth removal. Therefore a disadvantage of immediate dentures compared with conventional dentures is that they require more adjustments to fit properly during the healing process and generally should only be considered a temporary solution until conventional dentures can be made.
Partial Dentures
A removable partial denture or bridge usually consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, which is connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place in the mouth. Partial dentures are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw. A fixed (permanent) bridge replaces one or more teeth by placing crowns on the teeth on either side of the space and attaching artificial teeth to them. This "bridge" is then cemented into place. Not only does a partial denture fill in the spaces created by missing teeth, it prevents other teeth from changing position. A precision partial denture is removable and has internal attachments rather than clasps that attach to the adjacent crowns. This is a more natural-looking appliance.
Are There Alternatives to Dentures?
Yes, dental implants can be used to support permanently cemented bridges, eliminating the need for a denture. The cost is usually greater, but the implants and bridges more closely resemble the feel of real teeth. Dental implants are becoming the alternative to dentures but not everyone is a candidate for implants. We are happy to consult with you to determine what solution would be best.
High quality care and education can result in each child keeping their teeth for life.
We encourage our young patients to visit us from the earliest age in order to help develop the confidence and trust that is essential between patient and dentist.
Those children who come to Syringa Dental receive all necessary treatment as well as preventive treatments deemed appropriate for their age.
Significant tooth decay or fractures can adversely affect your appearance. But today's technology provides us with crowns that are beautiful and natural looking.
They last for years and unlike old fashioned crowns, there is no metal band to begin showing after a few years if your gums begin to recede. Beautiful, natural colored porcelain crowns are used at Syringa Dental Care to protect weak teeth from breaking or to restore teeth without anyone ever knowing it is not your natural teeth.
What Is A Crown?
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" that is covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance. The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.
Why Is a Dental Crown Needed?
A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:
1. To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
2. To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
3. To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of tooth left
4. To hold a dental bridge in place
5. To cover misshaped or severely discolored teeth
6. To cover a dental implant
What Types of Crown Materials Are Available?
Permanent crowns can be made from all metal, porcelain-fused-to-metal, all resin, or all ceramic.
Metals
Metals used in crowns include gold alloy, other alloys (for example, palladium) or a base-metal alloy (for example, nickel or chromium). Compared with other crown types, less tooth structure needs to be removed with metal crowns, and tooth wear to opposing teeth is kept to a minimum. Metal crowns withstand biting and chewing forces well and probably last the longest in terms of wear down. Also, they rarely chip or break. The metallic color is the main drawback. Metal crowns are a good choice for out-of-sight molars.
Porcelain-fused-to-metal
Porcelain-fused-to-metal dental crowns can be color matched to your adjacent teeth (unlike the metallic crowns). However, more wearing to the opposing teeth occurs with this crown type compared with metal or resin crowns. The crown's porcelain portion can also chip or break off. Next to all-ceramic crowns, porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns look most like normal teeth. However, sometimes the metal underlying the crown's porcelain can show through as a dark line, especially at the gum line and even more so if your gums recede. These crowns can be a good choice for front or back teeth.
All-resin
All-resin dental crowns are less expensive than other crown types. However, they wear down over time and are more prone to fractures than porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.
All-ceramic or all-porcelain
All-ceramic or all-porcelain dental crowns provide the best natural color match than any other crown type and may be more suitable for people with metal allergies. However, they are not as strong as porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns and they wear down opposing teeth a little more than metal or resin crowns. All-ceramic crowns are a good choice for front teeth.
Temporary versus permanent
Temporary versus permanent. Temporary crowns can be made in our dental office whereas permanent crowns are made in a dental laboratory. Temporary crowns are made of acrylic or stainless steel and can be used as a temporary restoration until a permanent crown is constructed by the dental laboratory.
New white fillings can be matched to the tooths natural color giving a beautiful and virtually invisible result.
To treat a cavity we will remove the decayed portion of the tooth and then "fill" the area on the tooth where the decayed material once lived.
Fillings are also used to repair cracked or broken teeth and teeth that have been worn down from misuse (such as from nail-biting or tooth grinding).
What Steps Are Involved in Filling a Tooth?
First, we will numb the area around the tooth to be worked on with a local anesthetic. Next, we will remove the decayed area. Then, we will probe or test the area during the decay removal process to determine if all the decay has been removed. Once removed, we will prepare the space for the filling by cleaning the cavity of bacteria and debris. After the filling is in, we will finish and polish it.
We use the highest quality instruments to meet the endodontic standard of care.
By providing root canal therapy in office we are able to reduce the amount of appointments to treat teeth that have been fractured or decayed to the point that endodontic procedures are necessary to restore the tooth. We are also able to relieve the pain and discomfort of an abscessed tooth since 90% of teeth needing root canals are treated quickly and effectively in office.
What Is A Root Canal?
A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp is removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed.
The pulp or pulp chamber is the soft area within the center of the tooth. The tooth's nerve lies within root canals, which lie within the roots or "legs" of the tooth. The root canals travel from the tip of the tooth's root into the pulp chamber, which also contains blood vessels and connective tissue that nourish the tooth.
A tooth's nerve is not vitally important to a tooth's health and function after the tooth has emerged through the gums. Its only function is sensory - to provide the sensation of hot or cold. The presence or absence of a nerve will not affect the day-to-day functioning of the tooth.
Why Does the Pulp Need to Be Removed?
When nerve tissue or pulp is damaged, it breaks down and bacteria begin to multiply within the pulp chamber. The bacteria and other decayed debris can cause an infection or abscessed tooth. An abscess is a pus-filled pocket that forms at the end of the roots of the tooth. An abscess occurs when the infection spreads all the way past the ends of the roots of the tooth. In addition to an abscess, an infection in the root canal of a tooth can cause:
* Swelling that may spread to other areas of the face, neck, or head
* Bone loss around the tip of the root
* Drainage problems extending outward from the root.
* A hole can occur through the side of the tooth with drainage into the gums or through the cheek with drainage into the skin.
What Damages a Tooth's Nerve and Pulp in the First Place?
Nerve and pulp can become irritated, inflamed and infected due to deep decay, repeated dental procedures on a tooth and/or large fillings, a crack or chip in the tooth, or trauma to the face.
What Are the Signs that a Root Canal Is Needed?
Sometimes no symptoms are present; however, signs to look for include:
* Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure
* Prolonged sensitivity/pain to heat or cold temperatures (after the hot or cold has been removed)
* Discoloration (a darkening) of the tooth
* Swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums
* A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums
How Painful Is the Procedure?
Root canal procedures have the reputation of being painful. Actually, most people report that the procedure itself is no more painful than having a filling placed.
At Syringa Dental we take every care to insure not only your comfort during the procedure but during the days after. If you have any questions or concerns regarding a root canal please feel free to call or visit our office. We will take every opportunity to answer your questions and address your concerns until you are satisfied.
Removing a tooth prevents gum disease from spreading and damaging nearby teeth and bones.
An extraction is necessary when gum disease has damaged a tooth so badly that there is no other way to prevent the infection from spreading and damaging nearby teeth and bones or when a wisdom tooth poses problems. The wisdom tooth may be extracted to correct an actual problem or to prevent problems that may come up in the future. When wisdom teeth come in, a number of problems can occur:
* Your jaw may not be large enough to accommodate them, and they may become impacted and unable to break through your gums.
* Your wisdom teeth may break partway through your gums, causing a flap of gum tissue to grow over them. Food and germs can become trapped under the flap and cause your gums to become red, swollen, and painful.
* More serious problems can develop from impacted teeth, such as infection, damage to other teeth and bone, or the development of a cyst.
* One or more of your wisdom teeth may come in at an awkward angle, with the top of the tooth facing forward, backward, or to either side.
How Well It Works
Wisdom tooth removal usually is effective in preventing:
* Crowding of the back teeth.
* A wisdom tooth becoming stuck in the jaw (impacted) and never breaking through the gums.
* Red, swollen, and painful gums caused by a flap of skin around a wisdom tooth that has only partially come in.
* Gum disease and tooth decay in the wisdom tooth, which may be harder to clean than other teeth, or in the teeth and jaw surrounding the wisdom tooth.
At Syringa Dental we take every care to insure not only your comfort during the procedure but during the days after. If you have any questions or concerns regarding a tooth extraction please feel free to call or visit our office. We will take every opportunity to answer your questions and address your concerns until you are satisfied.
We work very hard to provide a relaxing environment in which our patients feel comfortable receiving dental care.
We also offer Nitrous Oxide for those patients who need additional assistance to relax. If Nitrous Oxide is unable to help us achieve our goal of providing the necessary environment for our patients to feel comfortable we can also look at several anti-anxiety medications at our disposal.
Dental implants are one option for replacing missing or badly diseased teeth.
If you are self-conscious about missing teeth or wearing dentures, there's an alternative that may be right for you: dental implants.
A dental implant offers comfort and stability and, by virtue of the artificial tooth it supports, is a restoration that is the closest thing to a natural tooth.
What is an Implant?
Implants are small metal anchors that are surgically placed in the alveolar (jaw) bone that allow us to restore areas of either a single tooth, several teeth, or support a complete denture. Improvements in implant dentistry over the last decade has resulted in success rates in the mid 90% range. Implants allow us to replace missing teeth without disrupting the teeth on either side. We work closely with the surgical specialists who place the implants to restore the dentition to a nature state in both form and function.
The Implant Process
Treatment generally is a three-part process that takes several months.
* In the first step, the dentist surgically places the implant in the jaw, with the top of the implant slightly above the top of the bone. A screw is inserted into the implant to prevent gum tissue and other debris from entering.
The gum then is secured over the implant. The implant will remain covered for approximately three to six months while it fuses with the bone, a process called "osseointegration." There may be some swelling, tenderness or both for a few days after the surgery, so pain medication usually is prescribed to alleviate the discomfort. A diet of soft foods, cold foods and warm soup often is recommended during the healing process.
* In the second step, the implant is uncovered and the dentist attaches an extension, called a post, to the implant. The gum tissue is allowed to heal around the post. Some implants require a second surgical procedure in which a post is attached to connect the replacement teeth. With other implants, the implant and post are a single unit placed in the mouth during the initial surgery. Once healed, the implant and post can serve as the foundation for the new tooth.
* In the third and final step, the dentist makes a crown, which has a size, shape, color and fit that will blend with your other teeth. Once completed, the crown is attached to the implant post.
ARE IMPLANTS RIGHT FOR YOU?
Who's a good candidate for implant treatment?
You are, if you're in good health and have healthy gums and adequate bone to support an implant. You must be committed to thorough oral hygiene to keep your mouth healthy and to scheduling regular dental visits. We are happy to consult with you to determine if implants are an option for you.
Our priority is to provide comprehensive, preventive and restorative care that achieves proper function, optimal health and maximum tooth retention.
We'll do much more than patch your teeth and remove disease.
We will use the latest advances in dentistry together with exceptional clinical skills to give you every option and every possibility of a healthy smile for life.
The recommendations we make will have benefits that can increase the health of your teeth, reduce the need for return visits, remove discomfort and produce a healthy looking smile.
Periodontal disease can occur at any age. Over half of all people over the age of 18 have some form of the disease. Unfortunately, the disease process is usually asymptomatic and painless. The disease can be easily detected during regular dental examinations.
Periodontal Disease is a bacterial infection of the gums, bone and ligaments that support the teeth and anchor them in the jaw. The bacteria are normal inhabitants of the mouth and form a film of dental plaque and calculus (tartar) which stick to the teeth. The bacteria produce poisonous toxins which stimulate the immune response to fight the infection. If the disease process is not stopped, the supporting structures of the teeth will continue to be destroyed. This eventually leads to tooth loss.
The most common type of periodontal disease are GINGIVITIS and PERIODONTITIS
HEALTHY GUMS AND BONE
Gums appear light pink and are sharply defined. Bone completely surrounds the roots of the teeth. Teeth are firmly anchored into the bone.GINGIVITIS is infection of the gingiva (gum tissue), and is the initial stage of the disease process. Gums become red, swollen and may bleed easily. Underlying bone levels are unaffected.
PERIODONTITIS is classified as being Mild, Moderate or Severe, depending upon the amount of destruction to the gums, ligaments and bone that surround teeth. As the disease progresses, gums separate from the teeth and form gum pockets. These pockets get deeper as more underlying bone is destroyed. Gum pockets will collect increasing amounts of bacterial plaque and calculus (tartar) as the disease process worsens. Teeth will loosen as more bone is lost.
CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO PERIODONTAL DISEASE
The response of the gums and bone to dental plaque may be modified by one or more of the following factors.
Poorly fitting dental restorations
Smoking
Crowded teeth, improper bite alignment
Clenching or grinding of teeth
Hormonal changes, including pregnancy, menstruation and menopause
Diet
Systemic diseases, including blood disorders and diabetes
Medications, including calcium channel blockers and anti-convulsants
WARNING SIGNS OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE
Bleeding gums
Tenderness, swelling, red color
Abscess ( pus oozing from the gums )
Foul odor
Loose teeth
Pain
DIAGNOSIS OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE
Periodontal disease can be easily detected by a general dentist or periodontist during regular examinations. A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of gum disease. A periodontal charting should be performed for all teeth. A periodontal probe, with ruled millimeter markings, is used to measure the depth of the space between the teeth and gums. Ideally, normal measurements range between 1 and 3 millimeters. Depths greater than this may signify the presence of periodontal pockets and associated gum disease. X-rays should be taken to see if bone damage has occurred as a result of the disease process.
TREATMENT OF PERIODONTAL DISEASE
The main goal of periodontal treatment is eradication of the disease process from the gums, ligaments and bones that surround the teeth, and restoration of health that can be predictably maintained in the future.
PHASE I
Initial treatment involves educating patients in the proper methods of effective, daily plaque removal and oral hygiene. This is a critical component of successful therapy.
Scaling and root planing are performed to clean the tooth structure and remove bacterial plaque and calculus deposits (the source of the infection) from the gum pockets. This may be the only treatment necessary in cases of gingivitis and very mild periodontitis.
PHASE II
In cases which demonstrate deeper gum pockets and underlying bone loss, it becomes necessary to eliminate the diseased gum pockets and bony destruction with osseous (bone) surgery. The gum is "flapped" and retracted away from the teeth to expose the underlying roots and bone deformities. The bone is contoured to approximate a normal physiologic profile, and the gum is sutured back to place. When the gum heals, normal probing depth is re-established between the gum and tooth (ideally 1-3mm). The attainment of minimal probing depth facilitates easy removal of plaque by patients at home and by hygienists during professional cleaning.
