Cosmetic Dentistry
Dental bonding is used for the following:
- To repair decayed teeth (composite resins are used to fill cavities)
- To repair chipped or cracked teeth
- To improve the appearance of discolored teeth
- To close spaces between teeth
- To make teeth look longer
- To change the shape of teeth
- As a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings
- To protect a portion of the tooth’s root that has been exposed when gums recede
How does it work?
The tooth is prepared for the procedure by lightly etching the surface and applying a bonding liquid. Once the liquid sets, a plastic resin is applied and sculpted into the desired shape by the dentist. Once set, the resin is trimmed, smoothed and polished to a natural appearance.
Considerations
The bonding procedure can often be completed in a single office visit, and can improve the appearance of a tooth significantly. However, since the plastic resin used is not as strong as your natural tooth enamel, it is more likely to stain, chip or break than natural teeth. Bonding typically lasts three to five years before repair is needed.
What are Dental Implants?
Benefits of Dental Implants:
- Improved appearance. Dental implants look and feel like your natural teeth.
- Improved speech. Dental implants allow you to speak without the worry that teeth might slip.
- Improved comfort. Since they become part of you, implants eliminate the discomfort of removable dentures.
- Easier eating. Dental implants function like natural teeth, allowing you to eat your favorite foods with confidence and without pain.
- Improved self-esteem. Dental implants can restore your smile and help you feel great.
- Improved oral health. More of your own teeth are left intact, improving long-term oral health. Individual implants also allow easier access between teeth, improving oral hygiene.
- Durability. With good care, many implants last a lifetime.
The Surgical Procedure
For most patients, the placement of dental implants involves two surgical procedures. First, implants are placed within your jawbone. For the first three to six months following surgery, the implants are beneath the surface of the gums gradually bonding with the jawbone. You should be able to wear temporary dentures and eat a soft diet during this time. At the same time, your dentist is forming new replacement teeth.
After the implant has bonded to the jawbone, the second phase begins. Our doctors will uncover the implants and attach small posts, which will act as anchors for the artificial teeth. These posts protrude through the gums. When the artificial teeth are placed, these posts will not be seen. The entire procedure usually takes six to eight months. Most patients experience minimal disruption in their daily life.
Are you a candidate for implants?
If you are considering implants, your mouth must be examined thoroughly and your medical and dental history reviewed. If you mouth is not ideal for implants, ways of improving outcome, such as bone grafting, may be recommended.
Dental bleaching can be used to correct many tooth discolorations. These discolorations may have been caused by staining, aging, or chemical damage to teeth. Using the latest in bleaching technology, we can offer a safe method for creating a beautiful, “brilliant” smile.
Benefits of Teeth Whitening
- It’s safe, quick, and inexpensive.
- Corrects brown, yellow and mottled tooth staining.
- Works on people of all ages.
- Is a near permanent solution for a “dull” smile, restoring brightness and bringing a smile alive.
- Whitened teeth tend to look healthier, more youthful and attractive.
- Whiter, brighter teeth can increase your self-esteem and confidence.
Tooth Whitening Options
We offer in-office whitening, and two take-home whitening options. In-office whitening takes about two hours. While you sit in the dental chair, we can offer you music to listen to or your favorite TV show to watch. In addition, you can bring your own music and headphones, bring a book to read or just enjoy the quiet. Your dental technician will apply three separate 20 minute sessions of dental bleach. After those sessions, your teeth will be lighter. Some of the change will be due to dehydration of the teeth during the procedure. While this doesn’t hurt the teeth, it can add to the “whiter” appearance of the teeth. After a day or two the tooth color will change slightly due to rehydration of the teeth. Your technician will also create a set of bleach trays for you to take home to continue the bleaching process if you choose. Some bleach syringes will be given to you at this appointment, but additional syringes will need to be purchased if you need more. Most patients are happy with the whitening results after the in-office procedure, but some choose to continue to bleach at home in order to achieve the desired result.
We have two take-home whitening options. The first take-home option is the Opalescence GO. This product is a whitening option that has ten one-size fits all sets of trays with the bleach already placed inside them. This is a wonderful option for our teenage patients, patients in clear aligner treatment or during on-going dental treatment. It is a great option for traveling, sharing among family members and can be used for all patients with differing dentitions. The second take-home option is to have clear trays made that specifically fit your teeth and use whitening syringes to fill the trays. With this option the take-home trays require an appointment for the molds to be made and a follow up appointment for the trays to be delivered to you with instructions on how to apply the bleach. You would need to purchase new bleach every year as there is an expiration date on these products. Take-home options usually take about 10 days to 2 weeks to achieve the desired result.
Dental Bridge Options
A bridge — a device used to replace missing teeth — attaches artificial teeth to adjacent natural teeth, called abutment teeth. Bridges are either permanently attached (fixed bridges), or they can be removable.
Fixed bridges are applied by either placing crowns on the abutment teeth or by bonding the artificial teeth directly to the abutment teeth. Removable bridges are attached to the teeth with metal clasps or by precision attachments.
If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may be aware of their importance to your appearance and dental health. Your teeth work together for many daily functions from eating to speaking. With missing teeth, it’s difficult to do these things. Missing teeth can and should be replaced. Fixed bridges are a great way to restore your dental health and appearance.
What exactly is a bridge or fixed partial denture?
A bridge (fixed partial denture) is a device, which fills the gap where teeth are absent. Fixed bridges are bonded into place and can only be removed by a dental professional. Removable bridges, as the name implies, can be taken out and cleaned. Fixed bridges offer more stability than their removable counterparts.
The attachment procedure usually takes two or three appointments to complete. At the first appointment Our doctors will prepare the teeth on either side of the gap by removing a portion of the enamel and dentin.
Since the bridge must be fabricated very precisely to ensure correct bite and to match the opposing tooth, impressions of the teeth are taken and sent to a lab where the bridge will be constructed.
Fixed bridges are typically cemented to the natural teeth next to the space left by the missing tooth. A pontic (false tooth) replaces the lost tooth. Crowns, which are cemented onto the natural teeth, provide support for the bridge.
Benefits of Dental Bridges
- Oral functionality and appearance are important reasons for wearing a bridge. A bridge helps support your lips and cheeks. The loss of a back tooth may cause your mouth to sink and your face to look older.
- Dental health is the most important reason for a bridge. Teeth were designed to complement each other. Unusual stresses are placed on the gums and other oral tissues when teeth are missing, causing a number of potentially harmful disorders.
- Decreased risk of gum disease.
- Dental bridges improve speech.
Where damage to a person’s teeth is extreme, and apparently beyond repair, we can use porcelain or porcelain “pasted on gold” crowns to make the smile appear “as new.” This is an extremely reliable technique for repairing the most severe of dental problems, even permanently replacing missing teeth to offer a complete smile and a functional bite.
We are renowned for the quality of our work and the fantastic changes we make for people using this technology. These treatments are used for a long lasting correction of major dental problems. It is usual for these treatments to last for 20 to 30 years, which is as close to permanent as dental treatment can get.
How does it work?
Fitting a crown requires at least two visits to our office. Initially, we will remove decay, shape the tooth, and fit it with a temporary crown of either plastic or metal.
On the subsequent visit we will remove the temporary crown, and then fit and adjust the final crown. Finally, we will cement the crown into place and you have a new beautiful looking tooth.
Benefits of Dental Crowns:
- Replaces missing teeth
- Offers support to misshapen teeth or badly broken teeth
- Looks completely natural
- Fixes “smile” and functional chewing problems.
CEREC: A Beautiful Crown in Just One Visit!
In an ideal world, everyone would boast a perfect, lifelong set of healthy teeth. Unfortunately, disease, accidents, and other factors can make this an impossibility.
Often, a crown is the perfect solution.
A crown covers a tooth, restoring its shape and size, as well as strengthening and improving the appearance of a tooth. While the benefits of a crown are numerous, the downside is that they can necessitate multiple dental visits and considerable expense.
Until now!
Thanks to an amazing technique employed by Grove Avenue Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, near-perfect tooth restoration is not only possible — it can be done in just one visit! It’s called “CEREC.”
“CEREC” stands for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics.
Chairside means our dentists can provide your treatment in just one visit. While you sit comfortably, an image of your tooth is scanned into a computer, specially designed for this purpose. Using advanced digital technology, your crown is designed to your tooth’s precise specifications.
Economical means just that! CEREC crowns are your most affordable way to an amazing smile.
Restoration means making your tooth the way it was before. We’re not talking about “false” or “faux” here — crowning your tooth brings it back to nearly its original state.
Esthetic means…simply beautiful!
Ceramics refers to the material used in the CEREC system. Not only are ceramics more attractive than other materials (such as metal); they are also extremely strong, making them the material of choice for attractive, long-lasting results.
HOW DOES THE PROCEDURE WORK?
As indicated, you simply sit as comfortably as possible. Using advanced CAD-CAM technology, an image of your existing tooth is scanned into a computer created especially for this purpose.
- Using the data contained in this image, your crown is designed on the screen.
- While you relax, diamond coated instruments are used to mill a ceramic block, perfectly reproducing the computer-generated design.
- The crown is polished and placed over your existing tooth. Since the design is reproduced exactly to specifications, a perfect fit is insured.
- A unique light is used to harden the bonding material, uniting your crown with your tooth.
- Finally, your new and greatly improved tooth is expertly polished, resulting in a smooth and natural look and feel.
That’s it! No messy impressions, no temporary crowns, no multiple appointments. In fact, the whole procedure will probably take no more than a couple of hours.
Thanks to our mastery of the CEREC approach, many Grove Avenue Family & Cosmetic Dentistry patients have saved a significant amount of time and money while gaining a long-lasting, beautiful smile. Find out if you can achieve the same results. Contact our office today at 804-285-1378.
Porcelain veneers are thin shells of ceramic that bond directly to the front and top surfaces of the teeth. They are an ideal choice for improving your smile and have become increasingly popular due to their simplicity and versatility. With veneers as an alternative, there is no reason to put up with gaps between your teeth, teeth that are stained, badly shaped or crooked. A veneer placed on top of your teeth can correct these maladies, simply and quickly, to help you achieve a beautiful smile.
Do Porcelain Veneers look natural?
When bonded to the teeth, the ultra-thin porcelain veneers are virtually undetectable and highly resistant to coffee, tea, or even cigarette stains. For strength and appearance, their resemblance to healthy, white tooth enamel is unsurpassed by other restorative options. Because they are thin, light can shine through them and they take on the natural color of the underlying tooth.
How Durable are Veneers?
With proper care, porcelain veneers will brighten your smile for well over a decade. Our doctors will ensure that your veneers are crafted from the highest quality porcelains and are bonded with the most advanced and proven materials available.
The procedure for porcelain veneers requires three appointments:
1. Diagnosis and treatment planning:
You will want to take an active role in planning your smile design. Our doctors will review the corrective limitations of this procedure and help you plan your new smile.
2. Preparation:
The second appointment will take one to two hours. Although the porcelain veneer is very thin, the teeth are lightly buffed to allow for the added thickness. Approximately one half of a millimeter of tooth is removed. This may require little or no local anesthesia.
Then a mold is taken of the teeth and sent to the lab for fabrication. If the teeth are too unsightly a temporary veneer can be placed at this time. The veneer should be ready in approximately one to two weeks.
3. Bonding:
At the time of your third appointment, our doctors will first place the veneer on your teeth with water or glycerin to check their fit and color. At this point the color of the veneer can still be adjusted by the shade of the cement used to adhere it. Once the color is determined, and the veneer is ready to be applied, the tooth is cleansed with specific chemicals to achieve a bond. A special cement is placed between the tooth and the veneer and a visible light beam is used to harden the cement. This appointment takes approximately one to two hours.
Care and follow up:
Brush and floss daily. Return for a follow-up visit after one to two weeks.
Maintenance of your new Veneers:
Brush and floss as you normally would. Don’t be afraid that you will damage your veneers by brushing and flossing. Non-abrasive toothpaste is recommended. A good home care regimen will insure the best esthetic success of your veneer.
You may experience some sensitivity to hot and cold after placement of your veneer. This is due to the amount of enamel left on the tooth after preparation. Sensitivity is totally normal and should dissipate after one to two weeks. If sensitivity persists please call the office.
If you are a known clencher (bruxer), please be sure to let us know. Our doctors may recommend a soft night guard for you to wear to minimize stress placed upon your teeth while you sleep.
We hope that your new veneers fulfill your esthetic goal. With proper home care and scheduled visits, they are sure to provide you with a beautiful smile for years to come.
We believe the right dentures not only improve smiles, but more importantly they improve lives. Not only will you be more confident in your appearance, but you will eat better, and that can have a positive impact on your overall health. Our goal is to provide you with a denture, tailored to your personal needs, at an affordable price.
At Grove, we are proud to offer high quality dentures and partials at affordable prices custom-made to fit your needs. Our dentists design your denture specifically for you!
How do I know if I am a candidate for removable dentures?
If you are missing one or more teeth and thinking of getting dentures, you will first need a professional consultation with one of our dentist experienced in denture placement. During this time, we will discuss your options, and help you make the best decision for your oral health.
Invisalign® & SureSmile®
For years, orthodontists have used removable appliances for very limited treatment. Today, with the application of computer technology, the Invisalign® and SureSmile® Systems treats a broader range of cases with greater precision.
Invisalign® and SureSmile® use advanced 3-D computer imaging technology to transform your impressions into a custom-made series of clear, strong aligners. There may be as many as 48 in the series or as few as 12, depending on your individual treatment plan. You wear each set of aligners day and night for about one week, removing them so that you can eat, brush, and floss normally. Your visits to your orthodontist are no more frequent than with conventional braces.
Invisalign® and SureSmile® treat the vast majority of common problems for adults and teens.
Whether your smile needs minor improvements or something more extreme, Invisalign® and SureSmile® can help. Invisalign® and SureSmile® are successful at treating crowding or excess spacing of teeth. It can also be used to treat more complex cases such as overbites, underbites, and even cross-bites. In fact, an experienced Invisalign and SureSmile-certified doctor can use Invisalign or SureSmile for all or part of almost any treatment plan.
Look your best during and after treatment.
Is maintaining your professional appearance important to you? Are you ever asked to speak during a meeting in the public? Because Invisalign and SureSmile are nearly invisible, most people won’t know you are straightening your teeth unless you tell them. After completing your treatment you’ll also enjoy the added assurance of being able to express yourself with confidence—without being embarrassed or insecure about your teeth.