Composite Fillings
If you have a sweet tooth or you simply don't brush your teeth every night it might not be a big surprise for you to have a cavity. Bacteria that remains on your teeth uses sugars in the foods you eat to create acids. These acids slowly soften and dissolve your enamel. To fix those cavities we clean out the decay and fill it in with a high quality composite material. Composite fillings, also known as tooth-colored fillings, consist of a tooth-colored plastic and glass mixture used to restore decayed teeth. A lot of patients prefer composite over amalgam fillings (metal fillings) for cosmetic reasons, plus it doesn't contain mercury!
Even with proper dental care, you may still develop a cavity. Our doctors will need to replace the damaged area with a filling. Because we want your smile to look great and remain strong, we recommend composite fillings.
Our doctors relie on the latest technology to create a metal-free filling that offers both strength and aesthetics. Composite fillings create safe, long-lasting restorations that bond directly to your teeth and allow more of the healthy tooth structure to remain.
For the filling placement, our doctors will first clean the affected area and prepare the tooth. Then, we will remove the decay and apply liquid resin over the remaining tooth structure. We will harden the material with a special curing light to produce a solid surface. As a finishing touch, we will polish the tooth, making it look as good as new.
Root Canal
Cavities are sometimes bigger than what they look like. Teeth are hollow and the inside is filled with nerves and blood vessels. When a cavity is large enough to where it spread down to the nerves or if the roots of your tooth are infected then you might need a root canal. When a root canal is done, the nerves of the tooth are removed and filled back up with a sealer. This causes the tooth to become more brittle and prone to fracturing which may result in an extraction. To prevent this from happening we highly recommend a crown to be placed to protect the tooth from further damage.
Root canal therapy is an effective and pain-free alternative to tooth extractions, thanks to the gentle hands of our doctors. They will recommend root canal therapy to restore a tooth that has become significantly infected or decayed. By cleaning out the decay from the inner nerve (pulp) and tiny canals of the tooth, and then filling the spaces with special dental materials, We can restore health, function, and wellness to your smile.
Root canal therapy can require one to three appointments at Family Dentistry of Grand Prairie depending on your individual needs. After the therapy has been performed, our doctors will place an aesthetically-pleasing dental crown over the treated tooth to give you a smile that’s as beautiful as it is healthy. Please contact our office as soon as possible if you experience a dental emergency or any pain in the teeth or gums as they may be the signs of infection and decay. We’ll be happy to let you know if root canal therapy or another treatment is right for you.
Crowns
A crown is used to entirely cover or "cap" a damaged tooth. Besides strengthening a damaged tooth, a crown can be used to improve its appearance, shape or alignment. A crown can also be placed on top of an implant to provide a tooth-like shape and structure for function. Porcelain or ceramic crowns can be matched to the color of your natural teeth. Other materials include gold and metal alloys, acrylic and ceramic. These alloys are generally stronger than porcelain and may be recommended for back teeth. Porcelain bonded to a metal shell is often used because it is both strong and attractive.
Crowns are a versatile dental treatment that can be used to restore broken, weak, or even missing teeth. Also known as dental caps, crowns are designed to closely resemble your teeth in shape, size, and color for a natural-looking smile. Our doctors often recommend crowns to complete a dental implant, restore a damaged or decayed tooth, and protect a tooth that has had root canal therapy.
All it takes is two or three visits to Family Dentistry of Grand Prairie to receive your custom crown. We’ll first take impressions of your teeth and prepare the tooth in question for the crown. A temporary crown may be placed while your custom crown is being crafted. Then, about two weeks later, you’ll visit us again to have the final crown placed. Once in place, strength, function, beauty, and wellness will be restored to your smile. Please call or visit our office today if you would like to learn more about crowns and general or restorative dentistry.
Bridge
Dental bridges literally bridge the gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of two crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap -- these two anchoring teeth are called abutment teeth -- and a false tooth/teeth in between. These false teeth are called pontics and can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. Dental bridges are supported by the natural tooth structure.
Is there a missing tooth in your smile? Maybe you have had a tooth extraction and that gap between teeth makes it difficult to chew correctly. Missing teeth can not only make eating uncomfortable, but can also affect the way you speak, the way you smile, and cause oral health issues. A missing tooth can make your gums susceptible to disease. Surrounding teeth lose some defense against decay, may drift out of position, or create a bigger gap. How can you prevent all of these unwanted changes in your eating habits, speech, and health? Using advanced technology and years of experience, our doctors can help you close this gap with a bridge.
A dental bridge is much like the structural bridges that connect one land mass with another. In the case of a dental bridge, consider the teeth on either side of the gap to be the “land masses” that need to be connected. Like a structural bridge, the dental bridge is firmly attached to either side of the gap. Dr. Park will use a dental cement to seamlessly bond the bridge to the surrounding teeth. In the middle, a porcelain model will replace the missing tooth. In just a few visits, you can have a bridge placed in the gap so that you can avoid tooth and gum vulnerability to decay and disease.
On the first visit at Family Dentistry of Grand Prairie, our doctors will prepare your teeth to take an impression of the area that the bridge will be placed. The impression is made so that the bridge will model exactly how a natural tooth should feel. From these impressions, the laboratory will match the model to the impression and form your bridge to fit seamlessly with your smile. Our doctors will then take the exact shade of your teeth on either side of a bridge so that everything remains uniform. While the bridge is being specially crafted to your mouth’s unique specifications, we may give you a temporary bridge so that your teeth will be protected. When your bridge is ready, your dentist will remove the temporary bridge and place the final dental bridge. Because we care about your comfort and satisfaction, we will check to make sure the bridge fits well with your bite and feels comfortable. Then, you will be able to use and maintain your new bridge like you would your natural teeth.
Dental Implants
A Dental Implant is a highly engineered titanium post which is placed into the jaw bone in much the same position as a natural tooth root. The implant has an etched and sandblaster surface which helps the bone adhere to the implant during the healing process. Approximately two to four months after initial placement, the implant is well healed and is as stable and sturdy as a natural tooth root. At this point, the implant is ready for restoration by a dentist who will place a crown permanently into the implant "root" creating a natural looking, fully functional tooth which appears to be grown naturally from beneath the gum tissue. A Dental Implant is extremely natural looking, durable and has a very good success rate (approximately 90% over 40 years). These attributes have made Dental Implants one of the most sought after treatments for missing teeth.
One of the biggest advancements in modern dentistry is the dental implant. Dental implants are man-made, titanium screws that an oral surgeon or periodontist surgically places into the jawbone associated with one or more missing teeth. The titanium fuses with the jawbone over a period of several months to create an extremely secure and stable foundation for replacement teeth or implant restorations. Our doctors place the implant restorations in just one or two appointments at Family Dentistry of Grand Prairie.
Depending on your unique needs and treatment plan, you implant restoration could be a crown, a bridge, or a denture. Each implant restoration is created to restore function, health, beauty, and wellness to your smile. When in place, no one will ever be able to tell that you are missing any teeth! If you are missing any teeth, please call Family Dentistry of Grand Prairie today to schedule your consultation with our doctors and learn how implant dentistry can change your life.
