An important part of maintaining your good oral health is regular dental exams. When you come in for your semi-annual visit, your teeth will be cleaned by our professional hygienist. The purpose of this thorough cleaning is to remove the buildup of hardened plaque, called “tartar,” which your regular home brushing can’t remove. Tartar provides a breeding ground for the bacteria which causes gum disease, so removing it helps prevent gum disease. You will also receive a detailed examination of your teeth and gums for any signs of tooth decay or gum disease so we can treat these issues before they grow into big problems. As part of your dental exam, x-rays of your teeth may be taken.
When you develop a cavity in one or more of your teeth, it’s important to get it taken care of before the cavity grows into a big problem. Once a cavity forms, it won’t go away by itself—it will just continue to get bigger. We carefully remove the damaged part of your tooth which contains the decay, then fill the hole using a tooth-colored material called “composite resin.” Composite resin is a mixture of a special plastic and glass or ceramic, which makes it very durable and ideal for repairing your tooth.
Gum disease, called “periodontal” disease (it literally means “around the tooth”), is caused by bacteria which grows on the plaque below your gum line. Because it’s below the gum line, normal brushing can’t remove it and the bacteria start causing your gums to become irritated, red and swollen. Bleeding may occur as the disease progresses. We remove the plaque and bacteria with a procedure called “scaling and root planing.” Special dental tools are used to reach below the gum line and remove the buildup of plaque which allowed the bacterial growth to occur. Once the plaque and infected material are removed, your gums can heal. Gum disease is an infection, so you want to handle it before the infection grows and causes other health problems like heart disease, diabetes or stroke.
When you have a badly damaged or weakened tooth that can’t be fixed with a filling, we use a dental crown to repair the tooth. It used to take up to two weeks to provide a new crown because impressions of your tooth had to be taken and sent to an outside lab to create the crown. Now we do it in-office with our state-of-the-art CEREC milling equipment. CEREC is an acronym for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. What this means is we can mill your new crown in our office while you wait in 20 minutes or less. You don’t have to get a temporary crown and come back again another day for a permanent one; you get your new permanent crown in one office visit.
These are the metal braces you’ve seen in the past. They’re still used and work well, but unless your teeth specifically require metal braces, you may want to consider less noticeable options for aligning your teeth. Traditional braces usually take up to two years to fully straighten teeth.
This method uses clear or tooth-colored brackets and wires to straighten your front teeth, giving you straighter teeth in about six months. However, this method doesn’t change the alignment of your back teeth or make corrections in your bite. It’s a good solution for people who just need to straighten their front teeth for a better smile.
ClearCorrect is also an invisible aligner system for straightening your teeth and is just as effective as Invisalign.
You have several options when it comes to teeth straightening. Which option is best for you depends on what you’re looking to accomplish, your budget and the state of your oral health. Are you ready for a move even, nicer smile? Call us at (209) 465-5823 to set up a consultation about your options.
Even though your children will start losing their first set of teeth around age six or seven, they can still need dental care before their permanent teeth come in. Children can get cavities and gum disease just as easily as adults and, if left untreated, these problems can become severe, just like they do for adults. In addition to taking care of dental problems your child may have, bringing them to the dentist regularly helps establish a good practice for them that will carry over into adulthood and help them keep their permanent teeth for life. If it’s been a while since your child has been to the dentist, call us for an appointment at (209) 465-5823 or go to our Contact Us page.
You can get an infection in a tooth from a bad cavity or even a fracture or crack in your tooth. Bacteria get to the inner, soft part of your tooth, called the “pulp,” and grow, causing the infection. Once a tooth is infected you have two options: extract it or do a root canal procedure. The root canal procedure removes the infected pulp of your tooth and replaces it with a neutral material that keeps your tooth firm. This procedure saves your tooth which will last for many years, or even a lifetime, if properly cared for.
It can happen that a tooth needs to be removed. You may have too much damage to a tooth from injury or decay for a crown or filling to save the tooth. Sometimes teeth crowd each other and a tooth needs to be removed because it’s pushing other teeth out of alignment or blocking the emergence of new teeth. There is usually minimal discomfort associated with a tooth extraction.
A dental bridge is used to replace one or more missing teeth. A bridge gives you back your smile and makes it possible to bite and chew normally. Your dental bridge is permanently attached to your existing teeth.
Dentures have been used for centuries to restore a person’s ability to eat properly. They are still an economical solution for the problem of no teeth. Full dentures will:
A partial denture is used when you only need a few teeth replaced. It usually attaches to your remaining teeth and is removable.
When you have a dental emergency, call us right away at (209) 465-5823 so we can get you in for immediate treatment. Emergencies such as broken or knocked-out teeth can’t wait. Fast treatment improves the chances of saving your tooth. You can place the broken or knocked out tooth in water or milk and bring it with you so we can try to save it. Do not rinse your tooth with anything but plain water and handle it as little as possible. If your emergency happens after office hours, go to an emergency room or urgent care center, then call us the next business day so we can get you in for treatment.
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