Educate Yourself about Cosmetic Dentistry

                                       in Time for Your Next Treatment

Crowns
Protect a tooth that is likely to break or is too broken down to be restored with a filling.  Crowns are most commonly done after a root canal treatment, or when a large filling wears out. The larger the hole made by a cavity having to be treated, the more likely a crown is necessary. A broken or cracked tooth is a far more serious matter and much more difficult to treat, not to mention more expensive. Crowns prevent this, as well as creating a lasting smile.
 
It takes two appointments to restore a tooth with a crown. In the first, decay is removed from the tooth and it is shaped to accept the crown. Then an impression is made of the tooth for use in fabricating a crown. Between your two visits to our office the crown is fabricated, usually of high-strength porcelain over gold alloy, all ceramic material, or gold.

Dentures
There are different types of dentures, but they share a common function: replacing teeth that have become loose or lost due to bone loss. When bone loss around the roots of teeth is significant enough to loosen them or let them fall out, it's time for dentures. No one enjoys losing natural teeth, but with dentures, you can still eat and talk regularly. 

The entire mouth is examined and a determination is made as to which teeth have to be removed, and which will remain. The loose teeth are then extracted. Dentures are fitted to go over or around whatever teeth remain in the mouth, depending on the type. There is an adjustment period after dentures are placed in the mouth, and it can take some time to become accustomed. Once this happens, all the normal functionality and appearance return and you carry on as usual. Often implants can be used to further stabilize the dentures.

Implants
A dental implant is an option to replace a missing tooth. In this procedure, a small titanium shaft is surgically implanted into the bone and allowed to set. The bone grows around it, forming a tight connection that additionally slows or stops bone loss that occurs when the root of a natural tooth is missing. Once the implant is firmly set in the mouth, your family dentist then works to attach the replacement tooth onto the top of the shaft.  Implants can also be used as support as part of an implant bridge. This is an alternative to partial dentures, and has several advantages.

First, there is no adjustment period. Once the work is done, you feel only teeth rather than metal supports intruding into the mouth. Second, implants slow bone loss occasioned by missing teeth. Third, there is no discomfort or difficulty in eating. And, best of all, of course, they don't have to be taken out all the time. At Signature Smiles, we also offer mini dental implants. These implants are about half the diameter of traditional implants are used mainly to stabilize lower dentures. The cost is 50-70% of standard dental implants.