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Dental Bonding

Most people believe a smile is an important social asset. Today, there are a variety of ways that we can transform problems such as stained, gapped, chipped, cracked, or misaligned teeth, into the smile of your dreams. Dental bonding is one option that is an affordable and popular cosmetic dentistry procedure. In some cases, veneers and or Invisalign® treatment may be more appropriate to correct your smile.

Bonding, on the other hand, is well-suited for minor teeth repairs. The treatment is accomplished using a tooth-colored resin, which the dentist can shape to fill tiny chips or slightly reshape a tooth. The dentist will use a custom shade to ensure that the bonding is matched to your natural teeth. Once the dentist’s repair is complete, the resin polymerizes or hardens under a curing light which bonds the resin to the tooth.

Patients who undergo dental bonding at Palo Alto Central Dental appreciate that this procedure can be accomplished in a single visit. There are no molds, impressions, or temporary fillings / crowns. In most cases, there will not be any anesthetics required for us to complete your bonding treatment.

Root Canals

A root canal is a common dental procedure that is performed over 14 million times in the United States every year. Most people associate root canals with pain and/or discomfort. However, advancements in modern dentistry have made root canals more tolerable and often no less comfortable than getting a filling.

Root canals are valuable dental procedures used to treat and preserve teeth with badly infected roots. The pulp is the live portion of the tooth that extends vertically into the root and contains nerve endings, blood supply, and tissues. When it becomes infected from a large cavity, traumatic injury to a tooth, or from a cracked tooth, patients can experience pain, swelling, and even total tooth loss unless treated. Root canals remove the pulp tissue, the inner portion of the tooth. In some cases, antibiotics may be prescribed to help prevent further infection within the tooth. In most cases after a root canal is completed, the remaining portion of the tooth will need to be restored with a cap or a crown that will reinforce the tooth and prevent fracture or discoloration of the tooth.

Partials and Dentures

Dentures or partials are removable tooth prosthetics designed to look and function like natural teeth. Most dentures are composed of replacement teeth attached to plastic bases and in some cases with metal reinforcements or clasps to secure and stabilize the denture. They are used to compensate for one or more missing teeth and are available as partials and complete sets of teeth. Many dental patients elect dentures for tooth replacement if they are not candidates for dental implants or bridges.

A complete denture is needed when a patient has lost all of their teeth in their arch. A partial denture is needed when a patient has lost 1 or more teeth in an arch and is used to replace the missing teeth.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers can transform stained, misshapen, crooked, chipped, and otherwise unattractive teeth into the smile of your dreams. Once your veneers have been placed, you will leave our office with your new confident smile for people to see.

Veneers are very thin pieces of durable porcelain that are custom designed for each specific tooth shape and size. The versatility of these veneers mean that they can conceal a wide range of cosmetic dental problems, such as:

• Chipped teeth
  
• Stained teeth
  
• Worn teeth edges
  
• Gaps between teeth
  
• Misshapen teeth
  
• Uneven tooth size and length
  

The procedure starts with a custom design of your smile by taking an impression of your teeth. We then design the size, shape, contours, and color scheme of each porcelain veneer to best fit your dental and facial features. Once the finished veneers have been created, we carefully fit and adhere each custom porcelain veneer to the facing of each tooth, using a special dental adhesive, under proper isolation. This gives you a completely natural-looking smile, without orthodontics or wire braces. Porcelain veneers can usually be designed, fabricated, and placed in as little as two office visits, and the results are stunning.

Are Porcelain Veneers Right for Me?

The best way to know if you are a good candidate for porcelain veneers is to schedule an appointment with our office. During your initial consultation, we will assess your oral condition and recommend the solutions that can best meet your personal goals. Generally speaking, ideal candidates for porcelain veneers will:

• Be free of gum disease and infections
  
• Not clench or grind teeth: Although they are durable, porcelain veneers can wear over time. In most cases, we recommend patients wear a nightguard to protect their veneers.
  
• Practice good oral hygiene
  

Dental Implants

Before the development of dental implants, dentures or bridges were the only alternative to replacing a missing tooth or teeth.

Dental implants are surgical-grade root devices made from titanium, that are placed in the area of the missing tooth normally occupied by the root. Implants are highly bio-compatible to the jawbone and act as a foundation for an artificial tooth or permanent bridge. In some cases, implants can be used to stabilize dentures.

Implant crowns are so well designed that they mimic the look and feel of natural teeth, similar to a standard crown.

Surgery is necessary to prepare the area for an implant and place the implant in the bone. Following the procedure, a period of time is required for the implant to stabilize and for the bone to grow and anchor the implant.

As with any restoration, implants require diligent oral hygiene and proper care to ensure they last a long time.

We also offer free Invisalign (Invisible Braces) consultation.  Some dental insurances cover adult orthodontic treatment.  Call now to schedule your complimentary consultation. 

Teeth Cleanings

Preventative care is the foundation of dentistry. The American Dental Association recommends visiting your dentist regularly – usually about twice yearly – for full cleanings, examinations, and consultations for potential treatment. Professional dental cleanings help remove calculus or tartar build-up that is not removable using conventional brushing and flossing. By visiting the dentist regularly, dentists are capable of identifying potential problems that patients are not yet able to see or feel. When you maintain regular preventative dental appointments, you can stave off decay and gum disease, as well as identify the beginnings of oral health problems before they become severe.

At Palo Alto Central Dental, we use a gentle ultrasonic scaler to remove plaque, calculus (tartar), and biofilm on the teeth. Our dentists and hygienists are attentive to your needs and help you maintain your teeth for a healthy smile.

Crowns and Bridges

Chipped, discolored, missing, or poorly restored teeth can cause you to appear older than you are, rob you of self-confidence, and affect your ability to properly eat or speak. The problems surrounding these dental health issues go beyond aesthetics. They also can accelerate the development of gum disease, which can lead to even more damaging teeth and gum conditions, and the systemic health risks associated with bacteria and infection in your body.

Unlike dentures or partials, which are removable, crowns and bridges are fixed pieces that remain in your mouth. But before a crown can be placed or bridgework can be completed by your dentist, patients often require some reshaping of their natural teeth.

A dental crown, also referred to as a cap, is custom-fitted over your damaged or unstable tooth to restore appearance and structure. Generally, crowns are required for teeth that are:

• Chipped
  
• Cracked
  
• Too damaged to support a filling
• Fractured because of trauma or decay
• Root canal treated

When Do You Need a Dental Bridge?

Bridges are natural-looking dental appliances that can replace a section of missing teeth. Since they are custom-made, bridges are barely noticeable and can restore the natural contour of teeth as well as the proper bite relationship between upper and lower teeth.

Bridges keep teeth from moving in the future. This, in turn, will improve your bite, not to mention the beauty of your smile.