|
At Aledo Dental Associates, we understand that a trip to the dentist's office may often be accompanied by a fear of the unknown. Educating yourself on the various forms of dental treatment offered in our practice can work wonders in helping to alleviate your anxiety. We want you to be a partner in your treatment; after all, it is your mouth! Effective communication between doctor and patient is an essential tool by which we can put forth our best effort toward achieving goals. With this philosophy in mind, please take the time to peruse our selection of high quality animations that will explain in detail the necessity and procedure of various dental treatments. Should you have additional questions, please feel free to contact us via telephone or email, or schedule a face to face visit with Dr. Chad Drennan or Dr. Mike Drennan.
Brushing your teeth is the cornerstone of preventative dentistry. For a small investment of time in the morning and in the evening, you can eliminate almost all of the cavity causing bacteria that accumulates on our teeth daily. The partnership for a great smile begins at home, with you!
With the numerous advancements in home dental care through the past half century, the problems associated with tooth decay have been greatly reduced. Even so, flossing remains to be a critical practice in maintaining the health of our gums as well as cleaning those surfaces of the teeth that the tooth brush just can't go.
Sealants can be an extremely effective defense against cavity forming bacteria accumulating in the deep grooves in our teeth. In particular, younger patients with newly erupted molars often have surfaces that are prone to dental decay.
The general recommendation for a recare schedule is to have your mouth examined every six months. In certain situations, if you have a history of oral health problems, we may recommend an accelerated schedule to help you maintain a healthy smile.
Many patients fail to understand that tooth decay is a disease process, much like those that can afflict other parts of the body. Early diagnosis and treatment of this disease process is the cornerstone of preventing more significant health problems associated with the decay forming bacteria.
Crowns are an effective way of protecting teeth that have been structurally compromised by large fillings or tooth decay. When a simple filling would not be sufficient to withstand the powerful forces of chewing, a crown may be the indicated treatment.
Fillings are indicated when the affected tooth structure is conservative enough that removing the decay would not put the tooth at increased risk for fracture. A composite resin material is chemically bonded to the tooth to restore that portion that has been lost to decay.
Inlays are an option when a tooth does not require a crown, but may benefit from a restoration that would typically have more durability and wear resistance than a filling, such as a a patient with a heavy bite. Inlays can be made of porcelain or precious metal.
Onlays may be the treatment of choice when a tooth is fractured or has a large cavity that requires removal of the undermined cusps; it typically requires less preparation than a full crown.
Porcelain veneers can be a beautifully effective means of brightening your smile when whitening procedures fall short. The color of the porcelain is permanent; it will stain or discolor over time the way that composite filling materials will.
Although spaces between the teeth can sometimes be corrected with composite resin, by far the most esthetic result is achieved by hand made porcelain veneers. If you have spaces in your teeth that you are unhappy with, ask your dentist if you are a candidate for veneers.
Often, the teeth in the front of our mouths can become fractured. In these instances where structural integrity and high esthetic results are pivotal, porcelain veneers can be a viable option.
Ask us about home whitening procedures. We can fabricate custom fitting trays to be used as a vehicle for whitening gel that can be worn at your convenience. The gels that we can offer through our office will be of higher concentration and more effective than those that can be purchased over the counter.
In office "ZOOM" whitening is one of the most popular procedures offered today. In as little as 90 minutes, we can remove years of unsightly stain from the surfaces of your teeth. You will also receive custom trays and "touch-up" gel to be used at home.
Screw retained dental implants are a wonderful option for restoring a missing tooth. The fact that they are secured with a tiny screw makes the process of replacing the crown in the future and quick and easy procedure.
Like screw-retained options, cementable implants are a very popular solution for replacing missing teeth. The crown is cemented permanently onto the abutment in the same way that a crown might be cemented to a real tooth.
Although we make our best effort to help you keep your natural teeth, there are situations that arise that make it unhealthy for you to keep a tooth. By removing the tooth, we can make preparations for a way to replace it prosthetically.
When wisdom teeth are impacted, or unerupted into the mouth, it is often necessary to have them surgically removed to prevent future problems. In most cases this requires a referral to an oral surgeon. If you have impacted wisdom teeth, we can help arrange a referral to the proper office.
Wisdom teeth that are not completely erupted or partially covered by gum tissue can cause a liability in the sense that they are difficult to clean. It may be necessary to remove the wisdom teeth in order to preserve the health of the neighboring teeth.
Root canals are necessary when the interior nerve of a tooth has been irreversibly compromised by decay or fracture. Root canals are a means to remove the portion of the tooth that is sensitive to toothache so that we can alleviate the chance of dental related pain or infection.
Periodontal disease can be one of the most potentially dangerous problems associated with your oral health. Bacterial infections of the mouth can easily spread to the blood stream if not treated promptly and have been linked to a variety of systemic health issues, including heart disease.
Scaling is the procedure by which your hygienist or dentist physically removes calcified plaque deposits from the surfaces of your teeth. In this way, we can help prevent or combat the detrimental effects of periodontal disease.
Gingival grafting may be an effective way to restore healthy gum tissue to an area that has receded due to periodontal hard and soft tissue loss.
Many patients believe that losing a tooth is fairly inconsequential, other than causing an unsightly space in the smile. In actuality, losing a tooth can cause multiple problems and put the neighboring teeth at risk for malposition and the opportunity for decay. If you have a missing tooth or missing teeth, please contact us for an appointment to determine the best solution for replacement. Not only will you feel better about your appearance, but you may also take great steps toward protecting your remaining dentition.
Bridges are the classic means of restoring a missing tooth in a fixed or permanent fashion. The tooth on either side of a space is prepared for a crown, and a multi-tooth crown is fabricated to "bridge" the gap.
Cantilever bridges can be used in certain instances when we do not want to crown a healthy tooth for the sake of replacing another. Due to functional and structural rules associated with the length of the space, this is not always a useful alternative. With the advent of implants, we seldom have to use cantilever bridges.
Removable partial dentures can be a cost efficient means of replacing several missing teeth throughout the mouth. RPDs are not cemented in place like bridges, but can be removed from the mouth for cleaning and maintenance. New advancements allow us to fabricate all acrylic partial dentures without the unsightly metal framework.
Full dentures are the traditional means by which we can replace an entire dentition that has been lost due to disease or trauma. Dentures are made primarily of acrylic and plastic and can be removed from the mouth.
Denture wearers have become some of the greatest benificiaries of dental implant technology. By anchoring your existing denture to implants, patients who are missing all of their teeth can achieve a result that is much more similar to the feel and function of natural teeth.
|
|
Home%)
The Doctors%)
The Team%)
Education%)
Gallery
