Cleaning and Prevention

This is a broad term used to describe an issue involving the teeth and supporting tissues that is of high importance to be fixed or treated by a dentist. Most true dental emergencies involve a toothache or other pain in the mouth or jaw joints (TMJ).  Pain can originate from the tooth, surrounding tissues or can have the sensation of originating in the teeth but be caused by an independent source (sometimes sinuses). Depending on the type of pain experienced we can determine the likely cause and can treat the issue appropriately.

Root canal treatment, also known as endodontic treatment, is the process of removing infected, injured or dead nerve from your tooth. The space inside the hard layers of each tooth is called the root canal system. This system is filled with soft dental pulp made up of nerves and blood vessels that help your tooth grow and develop. 

When the nerve of your tooth becomes infected, a successful root canal treatment lets you keep the tooth rather than having to pull it out. Keeping your tooth helps to prevent your other teeth from drifting out of line and causing jaw problems. Saving a natural tooth avoids having to replace it with an artificial tooth.  Root canal therapy does have a bad reputation, but is a successful procedure, especially when the treated tooth has a crown placed afterward to protect the tooth from breaking.

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root made of titanium metal. It is inserted into the jawbone to replace the root of the natural tooth. A replacement tooth is then attached to the implant. The implant acts as an anchor to hold the replacement tooth in place.  If you are in good general health, have healthy gums and have enough bone in the jaw to hold an implant, dental implants might be right for you. If your jawbone has shrunk or if it has not developed normally, you may be able to have a bone graft to build up the bone. A bone graft is a way of adding new bone to your jaw in the area where the implant will be placed. Implants are now the gold standard to replace a single tooth, but also a great option to replace multiple missing teeth, or to stabilize partial and complete dentures.

A dental filling is the general term to describe a material placed in a tooth to maintain its health and function. We place fillings primarily after removing cavities or to repair broken teeth. Most fillings now are placed with with the white composite material, but we also have metal and porcelain options. Crowns completely cover a tooth, restoring a normal shape and appearance. You may need a crown to: cover a misshapen or discoloured tooth, protect a weak tooth, restore a broken or worn tooth, cover a tooth with a large filling, hold a dental bridge in place, cover a dental implant, or cover a tooth that’s had a root canal procedure.Bridges, sometimes called a fixed partial denture, are used to replace missing teeth with artificial teeth. Bridges can be made of gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination. We anchor them onto surrounding teeth after preparing them for crowns. Then a false tooth joins to the crowns and the bridge is cemented onto the prepared teeth.

Over time, teeth can become stained or discoloured, especially after smoking, taking certain medications, or consuming foods and beverages such as coffee and tea. Using a chemical process, we can whiten your teeth in a safe way to improve their appearance.

Partial dentures are a cost effective way to replace a missing tooth, or multiple missing teeth.  This is a removable option (different than a dental implant or bridge that is fixed in place).

In many cases, a partial denture can be a satisfactory option that esthetically replaces teeth and allows patients to eat more effectively.  The main complaint with partial dentures are the fact that they are removable and can move when eating or talking, and can get food stuck under the appliance.  Removable partial dentures can be metal or plastic. Complete dentures replace all of the teeth in a patients jaw.  Upper dentures are often a satisfactory option on their own because suction is formed with the coverage of the palate to hold them in place.

Complete lower dentures tend to be more difficult to get used to as they can move during eating and speaking.  They are a different shape than the upper denture (horseshoe) and have the tongue and lips fighting against them which makes the lower denture less stable.  An effective treatment option for loose lower dentures are to place two implants in the lower jaw to stabilize them in place.