Prophylaxis (Getting teeth cleaned)
Our professionally trained dental hygienists do not simply clean your teeth. One of the first objectives of a dental prophylaxis is to remove all the tartar from the teeth.Tartar is a hard, yellowish deposit on teeth. It is composed of mineral salts, food, and other debris that has hardened over time. Tartar cannot be brushed off. It has a rough surface, attracting more debris and food particles, causing a repeating cycle of tartar formation and buildup. Our office is equipped with state-of-the-art ultrasonics scalers which permit the removal of tartar in a gentle and atraumatic way.
Obturations (Fillings)
A dental obturation may be defined as the removal of decay or of a defective filling and a replacement of tooth structure by a biocompatible material. Amalgam or silver fillings are very rarely used in our office. We prefer to use composite (white fillings). Composite has the advantage of being able to be bonded to the tooth and therefore has less chances of falling out. Advances in dental materials have brought about new dental composites which last much longer than those of the past.
A bridge, otherwise known as a fixed partial denture, is a prosthesis used to replace missing teeth and is not removable by the patient. A prosthesis that is removable by the patient is called a removable partial denture.A dental bridge is fabricated by reducing the teeth on either side of the missing tooth or teeth than taking an impression (these teeth will serve as the pillars of the bridge and are called abutments) to send to the dental laboratory (just like for a crown). The missing tooth or teeth will be replaced by porcelain teeth and called a Pontic(s). Just as for a crown the bridge will be cemented permanently into place and is not removable.
The permanent dentition is comprised of 32 teeth, four of which are called the third molars or wisdom teeth. Only 4% of people have enough space for the wisdom teeth to grow in. When these teeth don’t have enough room to erupt they often grow sideways and remain impacted or semi-impacted in the jawbone. In the instances when they do erupt they often remain half trapped under the gum. Bacteria can then get beneath the gum and cause an abscess. Therefore it is usually best to have them removed before they cause a problem. It’s also often much easier to take them out before the roots have completed their formation. If you must have your wisdom teeth removed it’s often best to get all four out at the same appointment. This way you only have to go through healing once. If you’re nervous about getting them out you need not be, we can give you nitrous oxide to help you to relax or if you prefer we can heavily sedate you with the use of conscious sedation. (Read on our information on conscious sedation found elsewhere on this website)