What is Tooth Bonding?

Bonding is a composite resin filling placed on the front teeth. Bonding can be the solution for  making cosmetic improvements and even changing the color of your teeth or the reshaping of teeth. Bonding will lighten any stains you may have, close up minor gaps and can be used to correct crooked teeth. We apply a bonding material and sculpt, color and shape it to provide a pleasing result. A high-intensity light then hardens the plastic, and the surface is finely polished.

What Can Bonding Do?

1. Close spaces between your teeth.
2. Lengthen small or misshapen teeth.
3. Whiten stained or darkened teeth A single tooth can be shaped and colored, or your entire smile can be changed!  When teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, bonding can protect them from damage and restore their original look.

The Procedure

First, teeth are roughened and a conditioning gel is applied. Then a tooth-colored material called resin is placed on the teeth, and is sculpted to the desired shape. A harmless high-intensity light hardens the resin, bonding it to the teeth. Bonding your teeth with resin is a one-appointment procedure. Once in place, bonded restorations are very strong. Bonding can greatly improve the appearance of your teeth, resulting in a more beautiful, natural-looking smile!

How long does tooth bonding last?

These composites should last about three to seven years.

Porcelain Veneers

Veneers are thin,strong, custom made porcelain "jackets" that are bonded to front teeth.

What Can They Do For Me?

Veneers can beautify your smile by improving the color and shape of one or more of your teeth. Veneers can be used to close spaces between your teeth, lengthen small or misshapen teeth, or whiten stained teeth. And if your teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, veneers can protect them from damage and restore their original look.

Teeth Veneers are just one of the solutions for the instances below:

     * Spaces Between the Teeth (Diastemas)

     * Broken or Chipped Teeth

     * Unsightly, Stained or Washed out Fillings

     * Permanently Stained or Discolored Teeth  

     * Mis-shapen or Crooked Teeth

     * Whiten Dark Yellow or Stained Teeth

Procedure

It takes two or more appointments to restore your teeth with veneers. On the first appointment, your teeth are shaped and roughened. From impressions, precise working models are made of your teeth. It's on these models that the veneers are crafted to exactly fit your teeth.

On the second appointment, your prepared teeth are polished and cleaned. Then an adhesive is used to bond the veneers to your teeth. A harmless high-intensity light hardens the adhesive. Once in place, veneers virtually become part of your teeth. You can use them like you would your own teeth, because the bond is extremely strong. The final result is more beautiful and natural looking smile!

What are No Preparation Veneers?

Many people are reluctant to have traditional veneers done because they do not want their own teeth "shaved down". This always involved shots of anaesthetic and drilling. This new technique allows us to make extremely thin and strong veneers that give the patient white straight teeth with no drilling or shots. The contact lens-like veneers are bonded directly to the tooth in cases where larger teeth are desired . This technique is not always possible , but we can let you know if it is , with a consultation. 

This is an actual case of Dr. Mueller's showing  "no preparation" veneers

How long do Veneers last?

Generally, porcelain veneers can be expected to function for 5-10 years.

What is tooth contouring and reshaping?

Tooth reshaping, or contouring, is one of few instant treatments now available in cosmetic dentistry. Dental reshaping and contouring is a procedure to correct crooked teeth, chipped teeth, cracked teeth or even overlapping teeth in just one session.

The dental contouring procedure can even be a substitute for braces under certain circumstances. It is also a procedure of subtle changes. A few millimeters of reduction and a few millimeters of tooth-colored laminate can create a beautiful smile when performed by a cosmetic dentist, with no discomfort to you. Tooth reshaping, or dental contouring, is commonly used to alter the length, shape or position of your teeth.

Missing Teeth

The Problem:

• A missing tooth or teeth

• Potential bite and jaw joint problems from teeth shifting to fill the space

• The "sunken face" look associated with missing teeth

• Desire to improve chewing ability

• Desire for a more permanent solution than dentures

The Solution:  Implants or Fixed Bridges.


Fixed Bridges

A bridge is a single appliance that is generally attached to two teeth on each side of the space where a tooth is missing. An artificial tooth attached in the middle of the bridge fills in the gap where the missing tooth was. The teeth on either side of the gap are prepared for crowns (see crowns) and a highly accurate impression or mold is made of the prepared area. This mold is used to create a gold or porcelain (tooth colored) bridge in a special laboratory. The bridge is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the teeth, effectively creating the appearance of a "new" tooth.

In some instances, a resin-bonded bridge may be used. In this case, the two teeth on each side of the gap are not prepared for crowns. Instead, the bridge consists of a false tooth with metal brackets on the back of each side of the gap. The brackets are attached to the backs of the real teeth on each side.

Advantages:

Unlike dentures, a fixed bridge is never removed. It is stable in the mouth and works very similar to natural teeth. By filling the gap and stopping the movement of other teeth, a fixed bridge is an excellent investment, providing better chewing ability, heading off jaw joint problems and saving money that would otherwise might be spent on future dental treatment.
Bridges can reduce your risk of gum disease, help correct some bite issues and even improve your speech. 

Disadvantages:

Fixed bridges are excellent restorations and have few disadvantages. They are highly durable, but they will eventually need to be re-cemented or replaced due to normal wear. Bridges require your commitment to serious oral hygiene, but will last as long as ten years or more

Implants
What are dental implants?


Dental implants are fixtures of titanium which are surgically inserted into your jaw bone. The implant is an anchor for a naturally-appearing false tooth or a set of false teeth.  A dental implant is fabricated from a very strong material that is compatible with your body and is placed in a simple office procedure which generally is no more inconvenient than a tooth extraction.

Implants are not only used to replace one tooth, but can replace many teeth or even be used to replace a denture or help retain a denture. Implants are increasingly being used to replace certain types of bridges and removable partial dentures.

Advantages:

Placing a dental implant after a tooth has been lost can prevent a chain reaction of problems that could affect the entire mouth. Teeth need each other for support. When a tooth is lost, it changes the biting forces on the teeth next to the space, causing them to shift. When a tooth no longer has anything to chew against, it begins to extrude out of the socket, and it is more vulnerable to gum disease, cavities and eventual loss.

When the neighboring teeth do not need crowns, the implant provides a safer alternative to bridges, as the neighboring teeth are not altered and instead are helped by the placing of another "tooth" beside them!

Implants feel like your own teeth, can not get cavities, and are easy to keep clean, just like a regular tooth.(Bridges are a bit more work to keep clean).

Implants also help maintain your bone. When teeth are removed anywhere in the mouth, the bone that supported the tooth is eventually resorbed by the body. Placing of an implant actually stops this process and therefore helps keep the bone in place.

Disadvantages:

Implants require healthy bone to be successful, so in some cases where bone has been lost (the tooth or teeth have been missing for a long time), bone may be needed to prepare the area for an implant. This does add to the cost. The procedure also does depend on healthy bone, so smokers, and people on long term osteoporosis treatment, may not be good candidates for this procedure.

What are dentures?

Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth typically made out of an acrylic resin which at times incorporate porcelain or metal for additional structural support. There are two main types of dentures. Both Complete Dentures and Partial Dentures are finely crafted, custom-fitted tooth replacements. If you properly maintain your dentures they will appear natural and provide a perfect smile. Additionally, dentures help strengthen muscles controlling your expressions that require the support of your teeth, help rid you of pronunciation problems caused by missing teeth and aid with chewing.


What are composite resin (white) fillings?

Most of us have had amalgam fillings (silver) or gold filling restorations. Some amalgam fillings were what we have called mercury fillings, as  amalgam fillings contained mercury. Metal fillings were effective, but very conspicuous and tended to blacken in color over time.They also were durable, but because they expanded and contracted with hot and cold differently than your teeth , and were not bonded to the tooth, often caused teeth to crack and break down.

Composite resin dental fillings were created as an alternative to traditional metal dental fillings. Composite resin dental fillings, are made of a plastic resin. Composite resin dental fillings are strong (if not too large), durable, and make for a very natural looking smile. Studies have shown that teeth restored with composite plastic resin are twice as strong as teeth restored with amalgam fillings! Many dental insurance plans cover their use.

If fillings are too large to be restored with plastic resin, our office offers Cerec restorations, a new high tech way to restore a tooth with a material that is the closest material to human tooth enamel that dentistry offers. Studies show that a tooth restored with a Cerec restoration is even stronger than one restored with plastic resin, and is almost as strong as the original tooth.

What are crowns or caps?

Grinding your teeth, an improper bite, age, fillings and tooth decay can all be contributing factors in the wearing down, cracking, or breakage of your teeth. Dental crowns cover most or all of the visible surface of your affected tooth and add strength, durability and tooth stability. Our office offers one visit crowns  in most cases!


What is cosmetic gum surgery?

Your gum tissue is like a frame that provides form and shape to the top of your tooth. A less than attractive smile results when the integrity of the gum is compromised or the actual gum between your teeth becomes weak. Usually due to poor hygiene (gum disease), you actually begin to lose gum tissue. 

Cosmetic dentistry provides many cosmetic solutions such as composite resin bonding, crowns, and veneers to create a great smile. These solutions are usually part of an overall strategy which may involve cosmetic gum surgery. Used to correct a 'gummy smile' (a significant portion of your gum is exposed when you smile), cosmetic gum surgery is the procedure of lengthening your teeth from the neck of the tooth upwards. Your teeth then appear to be longer and much less gum is seen when you smile.

The "Long in the Tooth" Smile - Cosmetic gum surgery, or periodontal plastic surgery, can correct almost any deformity or gingival problems preventing you from a beautiful smile. As we age, our gums may shrink and recede which makes our teeth look longer. While this is often age-related, it can also occur due to a bad bite. A cosmetic dentist or a periodontist can correct this to such an extent, that you'll have a very youthful appearing smile.

The "Gummy Smile" - This is a problem where your teeth appear to be too short. Gum sculpting is often the solution. To solve this, a dentist uses a laser to remove the excess tissue of your "gummy" smile, which then exposes more of your tooth.

Adult Braces

Braces aren't just for teenagers. No matter your age, it's never too late to improve your dental health and beautify your smile. About 1 million Americans and Canadians over the age of 18 are getting braces. As a result, general practitioners today are more familiar with potential concerns and special needs of their adult patients. Some general dentists have the training to diagnose and treat orthodontic problems.

Why do adults need braces?

Some adults never received orthodontic treatment as children to correct problems such as crooked or crowded teeth, overbites, underbites, incorrect jaw position, or jaw joint disorders. If left untreated, these problems can result in tooth decay, gum disease, headaches, earaches, as well as speaking, biting or chewing problems.

Is orthodontic treatment different for adults?

Like children, adults can receive the same benefit of an improved smile and oral health from wearing braces. However, since adults are no longer growing, treatment may take longer than it does for teenagers. The average adult wears braces for 18 months to three years. After braces are removed, you may need to wear a retainer to maintain the results of your treatment.

How can I find out if I need braces?

Consult with your dentist and ask for an evaluation. We are general dentists,not specialists, but have received additional training in orthodontics and have chosen to incorporate it into our practice.

Most initial consultations provide an opportunity to ask questions about orthodontic treatment such as:

What are the costs involved?
How will the braces correct my problem?
How long will I need to wear braces?
What is the dentist's experience with my particular problem?
Will I be able to schedule appointments at convenient times?
What types of braces are available?

Braces are custom-made appliances that use gentle pressure to straighten your teeth and correct your bite. While some practitioners still favor metal braces as the most reliable, new materials and other advances offer smaller, less noticeable braces than were available a generation ago, and these materials are equally effective. Instead of metal, you can opt for clear or neutral-colored ceramic braces, or removable invisible aligners. Ask your dentist for a recommendation on which type of braces would provide the best results for you.

Options available:

Metal braces, made of high-grade stainless steel and attached to the front of teeth, are the most common. 

Clear ceramic braces are worn on the front of the teeth just like traditional steel braces. Unlike metal braces, they blend with the color of the teeth for a much less noticeable appearance. They may look better but also may break more easily than metal braces.

Invisible braces are a series of clear, customized, removable appliances called aligners. Not only are these braces invisible, but they also are removable so they won't trap food and plaque between your teeth like metal braces. You'll wear each aligner for about two weeks and only remove it for eating, brushing and flossing. This may be an option for individuals with mild spacing problems.

How much do braces cost?

Cost depends on the type of braces recommended by your dentist and can range anywhere from $4,000 to $9,000. Check with your major medical or dental insurance provider to determine if your plan covers orthodontic work.