Are You a Good Candidate for a Dental Implant?

If you have healthy gums and adequate bone to support an implant, you may be a good candidate for this tooth-replacement option. An implant is an artificial tooth root that the dentist places in the jaw, where it fuses to the bone, to accept a replacement tooth or bridge. Because it so precisely mimics a natural tooth, a dental implant is the most secure, comfortable, and natural-looking tooth-replacement option. Once the implant and the prosthetic tooth are in place, they can be treated like the rest of the teeth. Just as importantly, unlike a traditional bridge, implants do not affect the health of adjacent teeth. They are stand-alone replacements that do not need to be anchored to neighboring teeth.

Dental implants can help you look better, eat better, and feel better. More than a million have been successfully placed in North America, and that's a lot of smiles! They are safe and reliable, and they look so completely natural that no one will know you have them unless you tell. Implants also help you avoid the facial changes, speech changes, and diet changes that take place over time as teeth shift and jawbone recedes. Are dental implants for you? Why not call our office and make an appointment for a consultation. We are here to help. We accept most insurance, and we'll file for you. Easy payment plans are also available.

Porcelain Crowns

Traditional crowns are often associated with a dark gray line that is visible at the margin where the crown meets the gumline. This line is actually underlying metal in the crown, which does not allow light to penetrate the tooth. An all-porcelain crown, on the other hand, provides a more natural prosthetic. Porcelain crowns are relatively recent development that enable the dentist to restore broken and decayed teeth with a material that more closely resembles the characteristics of tooth enamel. Unlike crowns that have a metal substructure that will not allow light to pass through them, porcelain crowns are translucent. Thus, they have a much more natural look, and they can be bonded to the tooth for greater strength.

Porcelain crowns are just one option available today to change the look of your teeth. And teeth you are proud of can give you a new reason to smile. Don't hide your smile behind a lack of information. A visit to our office is an opportunity to find out new procedures as well as maximize your dental options. New patients are always welcome at our office, where we want our patients to be comfortable not only with the function of their teeth, but also with the appearance of their smile. For an appointment, please give us a call. A healthy smile lasts a lifetime.

Do Your Teeth Need Shaping Up??

Even slight to moderate overlapping, rotation, or unevenness of the front teeth can detract from your smile. Fortunately, in certain select cases, the appearance of your top and bottom teeth can be improved by recontouring the enamel. The top and bottom incisors and canine teeth can be routinely altered in this manner. This usually painless procedure involves removing, recontouring and repolishing the enamel to produce a more uniform and natural appearance. Many times, recontouring in this manner is all that is required to significantly improve your smile. If, on the other hand, the poor alignment is more pronounced, it might be done in conjunction with bonding, the cosmetic technique by which tooth-colored resin is added to the tooth surface.

If you're not happy with your smile, we hope you won't be shy about examining the many options available today in cosmetic dentistry like tooth reshaping, porcelain veneers, bonding, and whitening. Our interest in you extends beyond just fixing your teeth- we want you to feel totally unselfconscious about your mouth so that you will have every reason to break into a smile. A healthy smile lasts a lifetime.
P.S. Enamel recontouring and/or bonding may eliminate the need for orthodontic treatment in some cases.

Formally Announcing the start of my Smile Update Blog

After many requests from my patients and friends I have decide to start this blog. There are so many great questions asked each week that I felt the very best way to get this information out to my family of patients is through this blog. I invite you all to participate by posting comments, suggestions and questions as often as you like. This blog is as much for you as it is for me. We can use it to improve the dental health of our local community and the internet community as well. I hope you find it to be a fun, easy read. Peace, Dr Al