Dental Home Monthly Updates

NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS



29/Feb/2024


Active Treatment


This phase of treatment includes monthly evaluation visits (for patients in Comprehensive Treatment) and appliance adjustment visits (for patients in Phase I Treatment). These visits usually occur every three to six weeks and are approximately 30 minutes long. Periodic progress reports and records will be taken throughout the active period of treatment to ensure a high standard of quality and adherence to the patient’s individualized treatment plan.



29/Feb/2024


Initial Placement of Braces


This first appointment of active treatment usually requires one to two hours for placement of the appliance(s) and/or braces with time to review instructions for the care and cleaning of the appliance(s). Due to the length of this appointment, we generally schedule this appointment in the morning or early afternoon. One might feel slight discomfort or tightness or teeth being spread apart kind of feeling after this visit.



29/Feb/2024


Duration of Treatment


The length of treatment depends on the severity of your malocclusion and may vary from case to case. Typically, braces are worn from 10 to 18 months.

The treatment times with clear aligners vary and can range from 12 to 24 months depending on the specific alignment problem; treatment for moderate cases may require as many as 32 steps while minor cases may require as minimal as 12 steps.

The cost of invisible braces is usually higher than traditional orthodontic treatment. Your specific braces cost is determined by factors that include the type and duration of treatment, any other restorative work needed before or throughout treatment.



29/Feb/2024

Prolonging the Life of Your Dental Crowns


The longevity of the full coverage dental crown is determined by the precision of its fit to the underlying tooth. The fit can vary tremendously and requires attention to detail by the providing dentist. An ill-fitted crown can house bacteria that may build into more serious tooth decay in years to come



29/Feb/2024

Aftercare Precautions


  • Maintain proper oral hygiene habits by brushing twice daily and flossing with dental floss or interdental cleaners (specially designed brushes and sticks) once a day
  • Avoid chewing hard foods, ice or other hard objects, since this could damage your crown. It also is important to avoid biting your fingernails and grinding your teeth, which could significantly shorten its lifespan
  • If you habitually clench or grind your teeth, your dentist may recommend wearing a night-time mouth guard to offer protection while sleeping


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29/Feb/2024


Procedure of Crowning


To perform the dental crown procedure, your dentist prepares the tooth and makes a molded impression of the teeth to send to a dental laboratory. A fitted, temporary crown is created during this visit to temporarily protect the tooth while the final restoration is being made in the dental laboratory. Once completed, the crown can be cemented or adhesively bonded at a later visit.

A recent technology that we have, CAD/CAM technology (computer-aided design/manufacturing technology) has evolved to display a 3-D picture of the teeth. A restoration is then created through milling of a ceramic block. If this technology is located in the dental office (chair-side CAD/CAM), there will be no need for a temporary or return visit for the final cementation.



29/Feb/2024

Consultation and Treatment


If tooth decay or damage is so extensive that veneers, direct composite bonding or other conservative treatments aren’t viable treatment options — or if you have undergone root canal therapy — your dentist will consult with you about dental crowns. Whether used to restore a damaged tooth or to create a lifelike tooth replacement for an implant, crowns can be fabricated in dental laboratories or in your dentist’s office, depending on the material.

Part of your consultation may involve taking impressions of your existing tooth (or teeth) as a basis for creating the shape and size of your restoration(s). If crowns will be used as part of a smile makeover, these impressions are used to make models for designing the new length, shape and alignment of your teeth, so that you can preview your new smile before committing to treatment.

Your dentist also will describe the tooth preparation process, as well as your options with regard to local anesthesia (to numb your teeth and surrounding areas) and sedation dentistry, if necessary.


29/Feb/2024


When is a dental crown needed?


There are a variety of situations that require a tooth to be restored with a dental crown. The following are the most common:

  • Root canal: Root canal treatment leaves the tooth hollowed out and predisposes the remaining tooth to cracking. So, a tooth that has had a root canal almost always needs to be restored with a crown immediately to prevent it from fracturing.
  • Cracked tooth syndrome: This is a condition whereby a patient has fractures inside a tooth that cause pain when it is chewed on a certain way. Chewing produces stress on fracture lines that make it feel like it is splitting apart. A crown will hold the tooth together and redistribute the stress evenly throughout the tooth, eliminating the pain in most instances.
  • Broken cusps: Cusps frequently break off of teeth due to trauma or large existing fillings. Since the cusps are the part of the tooth that take the most stress during chewing, they need to be completely covered or the tooth or filling will keep fracturing
  • Excessive wear of teeth: If a person has a habit of grinding their teeth, the teeth will become shorter over time. The teeth can also wear away due to acid erosion due to excessive stomach acidity. Over time, the bite can collapse and the only way of restoring the teeth properly is by increasing the bite and covering the teeth with crowns.
  • Undesirable appearance of teeth: Teeth that have an unacceptable appearance due to color, shape, or spaces between teeth can be made to look very natural and beautiful with crowns
  • Implants and bridges: Crowns are placed on dental implants to restore spaces left from missing teeth. Another way of filling these spaces is with dental bridges, which are made from crowns on the teeth next to the spaces attached to fake teeth in the middle.

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29/Feb/2024


What is Crown?


A crown is a type of dental restoration which completely caps or encircles a tooth or dental implant. Crowns are often needed when a large cavity threatens the ongoing health of a tooth. They are typically bonded to the tooth using a dental cement.


29/Feb/2024


Steps of Dental Filling


Local anesthesia – at the beginning of your filling procedure, you may be given local anesthesia to numb the area around the tooth.

Tooth decay removal – then the dentist will cut through the enamel using a drill to remove any decay. After the dentist removes the decay, the dentist will shape the space to ready it for the dental filling.

Etching – for a bonded filling the dentist will etch the tooth with an acid gel before placing the dental filling.

Resin application – for certain types of dental fillings the dentist will layer on the resin and harden it using a bright light. This makes it strong.

Polishing – after the filling has been placed, your dentist will polish the tooth.