Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry

Prosthodontists are the experts in dental rehabilitation and have mastered many procedures including: crowns, bridges, veneers, removable partial dentures, dentures and dental implants.

Composite Bonding

One of the most common uses of the term “bonding” is the application of tooth-colored filling material to the existing tooth. Bonding is used for repairing fractures, filling cavities, masking discolored teeth and making cosmetic improvements to the natural tooth. It’s often considered an intermediate step to improve the appearance of these teeth until the patient is ready to receive more definitive restorations.

Veneers

Porcelain veneers are used to modify the shape and color of teeth. A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that is bonded to the surface of a tooth to improve its esthetics, close gaps, aligned teeth properly or to protect a damaged tooth.

Teeth whitening

Is the process of removing stains from the teeth. Teeth bleaching process can be done in the dental office with a more concentrated solution with a special bleaching light or laser, or at home using a customized tray with a less concentrated bleaching gel.

Cosmetic Contouring

Is a simple procedure in which the teeth are reshaped to enhance the appearance by giving the sense of uniformity and alignment.  It is a good approach in cases of small chips or fractures, minor crowding, and sharp or uneven tooth lengths.

Crowns

Crowns cover or “cap” a tooth to restore the normal function and appearance of the tooth. Crowns are indicated for teeth with large fillings with not enough tooth structure to support a new filling, teeth that have had a root canal, fracture teeth, worn teeth due to grinding, and misshaped and/or discolored teeth. Crowns may be made as all metal, porcelain fused to metal, or all ceramic (porcelain).

Fixed conventional bridges

A bridge has been use to replace a missing tooth or teeth, which consist of two or more crowns attached to a false tooth or teeth.  The bridge is cemented to the prepared teeth. The patient can’t remove the bridge, and special aids are available to keep it clean.

Dentures

When a patient no longer has any natural teeth, complete dentures are the traditional method to restore function and appearance. Many patients experience difficulty wearing conventional dentures because of poor stability and decreased chewing function. The use of dental implants to improve the stability and retention of dentures is becoming quite popular.

Removable Partial Dentures

When there is multiple missing teeth, weak anchor teeth or no posterior teeth to anchor on, a removable partial denture is used to replace teeth. These restorations typically are made of a metal framework and a plastic base with teeth. They must be removed for daily cleaning and at night.

Full mouth reconstruction

Refers to rebuilding and/or replacing all of the teeth in a patient’s mouth to restore the health, function, and the beauty of the mouth. In these cases the patient has multiple missing teeth, teeth with large fillings that are failing, severe teeth decay, broken teeth, or severe worn teeth due to bruxism (teeth grinding) or other habits.