Crown and Bridge • Dentures • Filling • Free Check Up • Dental Implants • Oral Surgery • Scaling • Veneers • Whitening
Cosmetic Dentistry
We have all felt self-conscious about our appearance at some time. Many people, however, have lived their entire lives feeling self-conscious about the appearance of their teeth. If you are one of these people, you may cover your mouth when you laugh, avoid smiling in public, or simply feel a little nervous when you meet someone new.
The good news is that cosmetic dentistry today offers solutions to almost any condition that may make you feel uncomfortable about the appearance of your teeth and smile.
Today's porcelain veneering and bonding can virtually change your appearance, usually in just a few comfortable visits. Bleaching, tooth-coloring fillings, and other cosmetic procedures play their part too.
What Options can Whiten Stained or Discolored Teeth?
The most dramatic option is our Teeth Whitening System, which can target stains with a highly concentrated bleaching solution applied with a special laser light for maximum adsorption.
Patients can whiten up to 12 shades in just under an hour! Porcelain veneers, bonding and crowns can also make treated teeth appear whiter.
What Options are Available to Fix Chipped Teeth?
Chipped or cracked teeth can be easily corrected with a bonding procedure, a dental crown, or a porcelain veneer. Depending on how deep the chip may be, one of our Dentists will recommend the option that can give you the most natural results. Request an appointment for a cosmetic dentistry consultation today.
What Cosmetic Procedures Will Give me the Smile I Want?
With the latest techniques and affordable financing options, the perfect smile has never been more accessible. Choose from a variety of cosmetic dentistry treatments to create the look that best fits your features. During your personalized consultation, our Dentists, will give you recommendations and suggest a combination of procedures custom designed to give you the best smile possible.
Are Your Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures Affordable?
We strive to make every procedure we offer affordable to all patients who desire a cosmetic change. We offer flexible payment options and financing plans to fit comfortably into your budget. Contact us via our website or call any one of our offices today for more information.
Crown and bridge
If you are faced with tooth loss, crown and bridge treatment may be the best option for you. A bridge is a custom-made device anchored to neighboring natural teeth, which replaced one or more missing teeth; When a lost tooth is replaced with bridgework, the teeth on either side of the missing one are prepared as crowns to hold the bridge in place.
Bridges, sometimes referred to as a fixed partial denture, look natural and literally bridge the gap where one or more teeth may have been. Fixed bridges appear and function similar to natural teeth and remain in the mouth at all times. They can only be removed by your dentist.
Benefit of Crown and Bridge Treatment
- Restores lost teeth and supports remaining teeth
- Restores and maintains your natural bite
- Improves your speech, smile and chewing ability
- Helps prevent further dental decay and gum disease
- Prevents tilting and shifting of adjacent teeth
Crowns
A crown, sometimes referred to as a “cap”, is an artificial covering cemented over an existing tooth that has been specially prepared for you (somewhat like a thimble over your finger).
Crowns help to strengthen and restore or improve the appearance of your natural teeth. In addition to strengthening a tooth to accommodate the attachment of a bridge, crowns serve many functions. One of the most common is to support the tooth when there is no longer sufficient tooth structure left to place a filling.
Crowns and bridges are most often made of superior materials such as semi-precious or precious metals, porcelain or a combination of metal fused to porcelain.
Dentures
Replacement teeth or dentures can be of benefit to your whether you are missing all or just a few of your natural teeth. Dentures can be made to resemble your natural teeth so that there will be little change in your appearance. Dentures may even improve your look by giving you a more confident smile and help fill out the appearance of your face and profile.
The two main types of dentures are conventional and immediate dentures. Conventional dentures are made and inserted after the remaining teeth have been extracted and the tissues have healed, which can take several months. Immediate dentures are inserted right away after the removal of remaining teeth. Your dentist will have already taken measurements of jaw at a prior appointment. The obvious advantage to immediate dentures is that you don’t ever have to be without teeth. However, since healing may affect the fit of immediate dentures, they may require further adjustment to fit properly.
Getting Used to Dentures.
Common changes with dentures:
» Feel loose while the muscles of your cheek and tongue learn to keep them in place
» Minor irritation or soreness
» Temporary increase is saliva flow
» Changes in the way you speak - reading aloud can help correct any minor speech problems
Initially, you may want to eat only soft foods and liquids and avoid sticky, crusty or hard foods. Cutting food into small portions is also a good idea. As you become accustomed to chewing, you will gradually return to your normal diet.
One or more follow-up appointments are generally needed after denture insertion. Those who choose immediate dentures should leave them in until the follow-up appointment scheduled for the next day. During healing, the dentures should be left in the mouth as the denture acts much like a bandage.
Caring for Dentures • Denture Care - Watch Video •
Dentures are delicate and break easily. It is recommended that you do the following to care for your dentures:
» Store away from children and pets
» Brush daily to remove food particles, prevent staining and plaque buildup
» Use a brush specifically designed for dentures and denture cleaner (regular toothpaste may be too abrasive)
» After cleaning your dentures, rinse and submerge in a denture-cleaning solution
» Never boil dentures because this may cause warping
» Remove one or both of your dentures at night. It allows your gum tissue to breathe
» Store dentures in water or a cleaning solution to prevent them from drying out
Returning for Care
After getting your dentures and having them fitted, you may require further adjustments by your dentist. You should also keep seeing your dentist to ensure that the tissue under the denture remains healthy and that the denture remains healthy and that the dentures fit you properly. Dentures need to be relined every five to seven years. The determination as to when to reline your dentures should be made by your dentist. Most insurance companies will pay a portion for the relining of dentures every five to seven years.
Minor Repairs to Dentures
It is recommended that your dentist make even the smallest adjustment to your dentures. It is often possible to have the adjustment done while you wait. It is not recommended that any adjustments, however minor, be made at home. You can seriously damage your dentures and harm your health by trying to make adjustments yourself. See your dentist if your dentures beak, crack or chip. Over-the-counter glues can potentially contain harmful chemicals and should never be used on dentures. Your dentures need care just like your natural teeth. If you experience any problems or have additional questions, you should consult with your dentist or hygienist.
Filling
Dental filling is a restorative procedure that fills in decaying teeth with a composite resin (durable plastic) which is hardened with a high-intensity light that essentially “fill” the material to the tooth. Composites are tooth-colored in order to effectively create a natural looking restoration in either the front or back of the mouth.
Dental filling can produce one or all of the following results:
- Repair decayed teeth
- Repair chipped or cracked teeth
- Lighten discolored teeth
- Close spaces between teeth
- Alter the teeth’s length or shape
- Protect the tooth's root if receding gums have exposed it.
How Long Will Dental Filling Last?
Tooth filling is able to withstand everyday functions, allowing you to eat and live without worrying about your teeth. How long the filling lasts can depend on many things, including how you care for your teeth. If you perform good homecare and routine dental check-ups, dental filling lasts for many years. If you are not consistent with home care or professional cleanings, the bonded teeth will not last as long as they could. Filled teeth are susceptible to staining just like normal teeth, so you should avoid smoking and limit intake of wine, green tea, and other staining products.
In our Dublin Dental Clinic you can expect only top quality materials
How you benefit
Everyone needs to have dental check-ups. The reason is simple: even if you brush and floss every day, you cannot see all the parts of your own mouth. For example, here is a list of things your dentist can see that you can't:
» Fillings, crowns and other repairs (or restorations) that are no longer in good shape
» Root cavities, or cavities that form when the gums pull away (or recede) from the teeth cavities around your fillings
» Tiny cracks (or fractures) in a tooth
» Wisdom teeth that are trapped (or impacted) in the gums
» Early signs of gum disease
» Early signs of oral cancer
» Signs of other problems that could affect your general health
How often you go for a check-up depends on YOUR dental health needs. The goal is to catch small problems early. For many people, this means a check-up every 6 months. Your dentist may suggest that you visit more or less often depending on how well you care for your teeth and gums, problems you have that need to be checked or treated, how fast tarter builds up on your teeth, and so on.
- Free Check Up
Dental Implants
What Are Dental Implants?
Dental implants are small titanium fixtures which are surgically placed in the upper or lower jawbone. They replace the root of your missing tooth and provide an anchor for your dental prosthesis (single crowns, bridges, and partial or full dentures). A natural appearance is achieved, and normal chewing and speech are maintained.
Why Dental Implants?
- No worrying about dentures falling out- a stable foundation
- Improves biting pressure
- Insufficient teeth amount or jaw structure for other types of replacements
- Restores proper chewing ability which leads to a better diet and improved overall health
- Eliminates tooth shifting
- No loose dentures
- No gooey denture adhesives
- Improves speech
- Won’t apply damaging pressure to your natural teeth
- Comfort and fit
- Help preserve healthy vital tooth structure (unlike a bridge)
- They look and feel like your natural teeth
- Increase your self-confidence when taking and smiling
- What Can Dental Implants Do For You?
Implants can replace a single missing tooth, without involving healthy adjacent teeth. Implants provide extra support for your existing partial or full denture alleviating uncomfortable movement. In many cases, implants may be placed to support a fixed bridge eliminating the need for a removable partial or full denture. Also, implants minimize gum irritation and pain often associated with removable partials or conventional full dentures.
Risks Associated with Dental Implants
Complications are rare with implant procedures. When infections or other complications occur, medication or surgical intervention may be used to treat it. Oral surgery may incur damaging of the nerve that controls sensation. Such complications are rare and may be temporary or permanent. In addition, there is the risk of bleeding, swelling, bruising, infections, discomfort post operatively. Ask your surgeon to provide more information about the risks involved with this procedure.
The Procedure
Implant placement does require several steps over a period of time ranging from 3 months to over 1 year depending on your specific needs. Here are the steps followed for implant therapy:
- The implant is inserted into the jawbone and allowed to heal for several months
- A post is attached to the implant and a temporary artificial tooth is used
- A permanent tooth is attached after all healing is complete
Oral Surgery
A number of conditions may require oral surgery, including:
Impacted Teeth Wisdom teeth, otherwise known as third molars, are the last set of teeth to develop. Sometimes these teeth emerge from the gum line and the jaw is large enough to allow room for them, but most of the time, this is not the case. More often, one or more of these third molars fails to emerge in proper alignment or fails to fully emerge through the gum line and becomes entrapped or "impacted" between the jawbone and the gum tissue. Impacted wisdom teeth can result in swelling, pain, and infection of the gum tissue surrounding the wisdom teeth. In addition, impacted wisdom teeth can cause permanent damage to nearby teeth, gums, and bone and can sometimes lead to the formation of cysts or tumors that can destroy sections of the jaw. Therefore, dentists recommend people with impacted wisdom teeth have them surgically removed.
It's not just wisdom teeth that sometimes become impacted and need to be removed. Other teeth, such as the cuspids and the bicuspids can become impacted and can cause the same types of problems described with impacted wisdom teeth.
Tooth Loss
Dental implants are an option for tooth loss due to an accident or infection or as an alternative to dentures. The implants are tooth root substitutes that are surgically anchored in place in the jawbone and act to stabilize the artificial teeth to which they are attached. Suitable candidates for dental implants need to have an adequate bone level and density, must not be prone to infection, and must be willing to maintain good oral hygiene practices.
Jaw-Related Problems:
- Unequal jaw growth. In some individuals, the upper and lower jaw fail to grow properly. This can cause difficulty in speaking, eating, swallowing, and breathing. While some of these problems -- like improper teeth alignment -- can be corrected with braces and other orthodontic appliances, more serious problems require oral surgery to move all or part of the upper jaw, lower jaw, or both into a new position that is more balanced, functional, and healthy.
- Improve fit of dentures. For first-time denture wearers, oral surgery can be done to correct any irregularities of the jaws prior to creating the dentures to ensure a better fit. Oral surgery can also help long-term denture wearers. Supporting bone often deteriorates over time resulting in dentures that no longer fit properly. In severe cases, an oral surgeon can add a bone graft to areas where little bone remains.
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Dysfunction of the TMJ, the small joint in front of the ear where the skull and lower jaw meet, is a common source of headache and facial pain. Most patients with TMJ disorders can be successfully treated with a combination of oral medications, physical therapy, and splints. However, joint surgery is an option for advanced cases and when the diagnosis indicates a specific problem in the joint.
Related links:
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Scaling
What is Scaling?
Commonly known as a "cleaning", scaling can also be referred to a prophylaxis, or prophy for short. During a scaling, we will remove any superficial stains, dental plaque (soft deposits), and calculus or tartar (hard deposits) that are visible on your teeth and under the gum line, to maintain your dental and periodontal good health. The final step is to polish your teeth. (See below for specifics).
If it has been a while since you had a ‘cleaning’ or if you have certain problems with your gums, we may recommend that you have deeper scaling. These procedures remove the plaque, tartar, and abnormal tissue that has accumulated deep under the gumline where a toothbrush or floss won't reach. If these deposits are not removed, they may lead to gum disease, bad breath and tooth loss. In an effort to make your scaling as comfortable as possible, we will may give you local anesthesia and perhaps treat only a part of your mouth at each visit. If you have developed gum disease (periodontal disease), scaling will almost always be a part of your treatment plan.
The Scaling Process
Some patients wonder what exactly we do during the scaling (‘cleaning’) process, so we want to share with you some of the specifics:
Step 1 Step 3 Step 6
1) First we check the pocket depths around the teeth by probing. This gives us a great deal of information about the overall health of your gums
2) Then we examine for calculus or tartar, which is the hard residue, ranging in color from yellow to brown to black, which can form on your teeth. Calculus above the gum is easily seen, but below the gum is hidden. This calculus below the gum is detected again by careful probing.
3) We remove the plaque and calculus from above and below the gum line using techniques called scaling. When removing the rock-like calculus the deposits literally fracture from the tooth.
4) Then the rough spots are smoothed removing the crevices that collect bacteria. Smoothing the tooth surface also helps the gums reattach at a higher level.
5) Polishing is the final procedure. This produces a smooth surface, making it difficult for plaque to adhere. All these benefits are only maintained with excellent home care. So be motivated when you get back home. Removing plaque on a daily basis is the key to long term health, as without plaque, calculus and gum disease cannot form.
6) If the gums have shown signs of inflammation, a good cleaning will certainly result in an improvement, provided you continue the removal of bacteria on a daily basis. This includes not only the proper use of a toothbrush and floss with fluoride toothpaste, but also the use of cleaning auxiliaries such as mouth rinses, proxabrushes and other devices as recommended by your health care professional.
7) It is important to note that home care can easily eliminate the plaque above the gums, but is only effective to a depth of about 3 mm below the gums, depending on the individual. So if you do have deeper pockets more frequent cleanings may be required.
Veneers
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells made of tooth-colored porcelain designed to cover the front side of teeth. They are bonded onto the teeth so as to create a cosmetic improvement for a tooth. Porcelain veneers are routinely used as a way to make cosmetic changes for teeth that are discoloured, worn, chipped, or misaligned. The translucent ceramic quality of today's veneers provides a more natural look than what’s been available in the past. In some cases, veneers may replace the need for a dental crown, eliminating the need for more invasive tooth preparation.
Whitening Your Teeth
Teeth whitening is one of the easiest procedures that can be done to improve the appearance of a smile. Today, teeth whitening is a safe and long-lasting way to achieve a brighter smile.
A dentist-supervised whitening treatment is the safest and most effective method for obtaining whiter teeth. Teeth become darker with age and exposure to substances such as coffee, tea, and tobacco can contribute to discoloration. These yellow, brown or orange colored stains respond best to whitening. Other stains may be caused by exposure to a drug called tetracycline or to excess fluoride during early stages of tooth development. These gray stains can be lightened but results are not as predictable.
Best Teeth Whitening Options
After an exam to ensure oral health, your dentist will determine if you are a candidate for a whitening process. There are several whitening processes available today; your dentist will recommend one that will give you the best results.
In-office Teeth Whitening
In-office whitening is done at your dentist’s office. While it may require several visits depending on the number of teeth that need whitening, in-office whitening is the fastest way to brighten your smile. Your dentist protects your gums, then applies a bleaching agent to the teeth. A special heat light may be used to activate the agent.
Take Home Teeth Whitening
A Take Home whitening system is the most popular way to achieve a whiter smile. Your dentist first takes an impression of the teeth to create custom bleaching tray. When you receive the bleaching tray, you will also receive the whitening gel and specific instructions from your dentist on how to use the system. This system usually takes 10 to 14 days to complete but some patients may begin to notice results right away. Your dentist will ask you to come back to check on your progress.
Side Effects of Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is very safe, especially when supervised by your dentist. The whitening process does not harm existing enamel, tooth structure, bonding or restorations. However, whitening agents will not lighten bonding or tooth-colored fillings, only the teeth around them.
For some people, teeth may become sensitive during the 10 to 14 days of treatment with whitening gel. Your dentist may choose to alter the treatment to alleviate sensitivity. However, the sensitivity is usually temporary and will lessen after treatment is over. Some people may have slight gum irritation from small amounts of the whitening gel coming in contact with tissue.
Length of Effectiveness
Depending on personal habit, whiter, brighter teeth should last one-five years. Smoking and drinking coffee, tea and dark colas can darken teeth sooner and may require a whitening touch-up. Twice-daily brushing, daily flossing and regular dental checkups will help keep whitened teeth bright.
Zoom/Beyond Teeth Whitening
Take a first step in feeling good and looking great with brighter, whiter teeth in less than an hour. Zoom! teeth whitening is safe, effective and very fast, and performed only by a dental professional.
