|
Dental Implants
Dental implants are an excellent way to
replace a missing tooth (or more specifically a missing tooth
root). An implant is a small titanium post that anchors a crown
or a denture (called an overdenture if implants are involved).
The process involves placing the implant into the jaw bone
(either upper or lower), waiting several months for the bone to
grow to the implant, then taking a mold of the implant to make a
crown (that connects to the implant) or a bar (that connects to
a denture to support the denture).
Dental implants are an excellent way to replace missing
teeth. It is important to replace missing teeth for many
reasons:
- Teeth adjacent to the missing tooth will tip (rotate)
into the missing space. Given enough time (many years) the
teeth adjacent to the missing space could rotate completely
sideways (falling into the space where the missing tooth
is).
- The teeth opposing the missing tooth will grow toward
the missing tooth space (a process called super eruption).
- The combination of rotation and super eruption could
lead to a collapse of the bite.
- The collapse of the bite could lead to sagging of mouth
and an older appearance as well as jaw joint problems (TMD,
TMJ).
- Missing teeth decreases your ability to chew and can
affect speaking.
- Missing teeth can negatively affect your smile.
The 3 options to replace missing teeth are:
- Bridges
- Implants
- Removable dentures (either partial or full)
Implants Versus Bridges
Implants do not rely on the natural teeth next to the missing
tooth for support, where bridges do rely on adjacent teeth for
support. Tooth reduction is required on adjacent teeth to place
a bridge where an implant doesn't usually require modification
of adjacent teeth. Implants can often be flossed like natural
teeth; bridges require modified flossing techniques to clean
under. Implants usually require at least 4 months to complete
(usually longer); bridges often can be completed in two weeks.
During the 4-6 month healing phase of implants, some other type
of tooth replacement may be necessary. If the teeth next
to the missing tooth need crowns, a bridge will take care of
this; bridges actually serve as crowns. Bridges tend to be less
costly than implants, especially if the teeth adjacent to the
missing space need crowns or multiple teeth are being replaced.
Bridges replacing one tooth have excellent long-term success if
properly cared for (thorough tooth-brushing, flossing and
regular cleanings and exams) but as more teeth are replaced with
a bridge, the long-term prognosis tends to decrease.
Implants also have an excellent long-term prognosis if
properly cared for (thorough tooth-brushing, flossing and
regular cleanings and exams). Note: smoking significantly
reduces long term success in implants and usually indicates
doing a bridge rather than implants.
At Dr. Brian Kerr we use state of the art techniques and
materials. We only choose the highest quality implant
laboratories and implant components (we always match implant
components with the manufacturer of the implant).
Relaxation Dentistry
Over one half the population reports anxiety about having
dental care. In our office, you will soon learn that we treat
you with compassion, respect, and care. You have come to the
right place.
We have ceiling mounted TV's with cable or DVDs, stereo
headphones, and state of the art equipment to speed care and
make it as comfortable as possible. Don't let anxiety prevent
you from having the confident smile and healthy mouth you have
always wanted. Take the time to come in and meet us so we can
decide together what is best for you. If you would like a first
appointment to simply talk about your anxieties and fears, just
give us a call and we will do that with no exam or other dental
care. Below are some ways to help relieve anxieties over dental
care. Both are available at Dr. Brian Kerr.
Nitrous Oxide (Laughing Gas)
Nitrous oxide is one of the safest forms of sedation
available and can help take the anxiety out of dental care. It
can be used even for routine dental care like cleanings. It
involves placing a nosepiece over your nose where you breathe
the nitrous oxide in and out. In almost all children and most
adults this produces a feeling of relaxation, numbness,
security, and warmth almost immediately. Once the dental care is
completed you breathe oxygen through the nosepiece and the
sensations go away within minutes.
Oral Sedation
Oral sedation involves taking sedative medication by mouth.
Usually lorazepam (Ativan) or triazolam (Halcion). Oral sedation
when properly used can deliver a deep state of relaxation
(deeper than nitrous). You will be awake but feel relaxed and
drowsy. It can be used to relieve anxiety or to complete
extensive treatment in one visit. Since you will be deeply
sedated you will need someone to drive you to your appointment
and drive you home. The same medication can also be given to
help you sleep the night before. Oral sedation is a safe,
effective and economical way to help take the anxiety out of
dental care.
Dental Crowns
A crown (or cap) completely covers the tooth above the gums
and holds the remaining tooth together, providing excellent
longevity. A crown involves preparing all around the tooth
and over the chewing surface to make room for the new crown.
Then a mold of the prepared tooth is taken and sent to the
laboratory where the crown is made. A temporary crown is made to
protect the tooth while the final crown is being constructed.
There is an enormous difference in the quality between
laboratories. We use the best laboratories we can find. Once the
crown returns from the lab (around 2 weeks) we remove the
temporary crown and cement the final crown in place.
Crowns (caps) are indicated for:
- Severely cracked teeth
- Large breaking-down fillings
- Back teeth which have had root canals
- Teeth with little remaining natural tooth structure
- For aesthetic reasons
There are three basic types of crowns we offer:
- Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) crown
- All-ceramic crown
- Full gold crown (FGC)
Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) is a tooth colored crown with
high strength. The metal core makes a PFM many times stronger
than an all-ceramic crown. The metal core can be made of many
different materials. In our office the metal core is only "high
noble", which means almost all gold, over 96% or 23 carat (an
additional 2.6% is platinum). We only use high noble metal due
to the better-fit, extremely rare allergies and sensitivities,
and better aesthetics. Tooth colored porcelain is baked on the
outside of the gold. We only use the highest quality porcelains
(a combination of beauty, biocompatibility, and strength).
Because there is metal under the porcelain it blocks natural
tooth translucency and is not as pretty (aesthetic) as an
all-ceramic crown. There are many different marginal
configurations (the area where the crown meets the tooth) with a
PFM. How well the margin of the crown fits affects the health of
the gums and ultimately the longevity of the crown. We choose to
do a porcelain butt margin, which is the most aesthetic (also
the most challenging for the dentist and the laboratory
technicians to perform well). A porcelain butt joint, when done
well, is aesthetic, healthy for the gums, and durable. Back
teeth receive as much as 10 times the force of front teeth.
Therefore, PFMs are usually indicated on rear teeth that show
very little when you smile.
An all-ceramic crown (or porcelain with ceramic substrate) is
the most beautiful of all crowns. There is no metal so
translucency is usually excellent (dependent on the type of
materials used for an all ceramic crown). These crowns are
usually indicated on front teeth or teeth that are highly
visible. We use only the best materials (a combination of
beauty, biocompatibility, and strength) for our all-ceramic
crowns.
A full gold crown (FGC) is composed of gold and looks gold.
We only use high noble metal for our gold crowns (about 72% or
18 carat gold, 3.5% platinum. High noble metal fits better and
is much less likely to result in allergies or sensitivities.
Full gold crowns are indicated on back teeth with low visibility
and are performed rather than a PFM at patient's request. The
primary benefit of a full gold crown is durability.
Other types of crowns include stainless steel (indicated for
baby teeth that will be lost), noble metal (less gold and
platinum) and base metal crowns (usually do not fit well,
documented sensitivities and allergies, and a weaker bond to the
overlying porcelain).
Composite Resin Fillings
We offer composite resin fillings (also known as mercury-free
fillings, white fillings, or tooth-colored fillings) for back
teeth as well as front. Composite resin fillings offer several
advantages over silver for small-to medium-sized fillings.
- They look like teeth.
- They bond to the tooth, allowing more conservative
cavity preparation.
- They bond to the tooth, strengthening the remaining
tooth.
- They are less likely to fracture the remaining tooth
over time than silver fillings.
The durability and long term success of composite resins
depends on the quality of materials used and the techniques
used. There is a wide variety in the quality of filling
materials. We use only the highest quality materials and
techniques available today.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry can make an enormous difference in both
your personal and professional lives. In fact, 88% of Americans
surveyed say they always remember someone with an especially
attractive smile, while 96% of adults believe an attractive
smile makes a person more appealing to members of the opposite
sex. 74% feel an unattractive smile can hurt a person’s chances
for career success. In another study, participants judged people
with healthier smiles (based on appearances only) to:
- Be more socially competent
- Show greater intellectual achievement
- Be more psychologically adjusted
Fortunately, dentistry today has many advances that can make
significant improvements in your smile. There are many
techniques such as tooth whitening, porcelain laminate veneers,
and all-ceramic crowns that can be used to create a gorgeous and
durable smile. We also offer cosmetic imaging to give you an
idea of what you could look like with a new smile. With
well-done modern cosmetic dentistry, you can have a beautiful
smile that lasts and lasts.
Cosmetic Imaging
We use cosmetic imaging to give you an idea of how you and
your smile could look after cosmetic dental care. We start by
taking a digital picture. Then we use a cosmetic imaging program
to make changes in size, shape, location, spacing, and color of
your teeth. This will simulate techniques such as tooth
whitening, porcelain laminate veneers, and all-ceramic crowns.
We also can modify the gums if necessary. The end result is a
picture of you before and after potential cosmetic care so you
can get an idea of how you could look. This service is
complimentary for new patients and patients of record. Just give
us a call, e-mail us, or let us know you’re interested the next
time you’re in.
Dental Bridges
A bridge (also known as a fixed partial denture) is one way
to replace a missing tooth by connecting the replacement tooth
to the adjacent teeth. It is important to replace missing teeth
for many reasons:
- Teeth adjacent to the missing tooth will tip (rotate)
into the missing space. Given enough time (many years) the
teeth adjacent to the missing space could rotate completely
sideways, falling into the space where the missing tooth is.
- The teeth opposing the missing tooth will grow toward
the missing tooth space (a process called super eruption).
- The combination of rotation and super eruption could
lead to a collapse of the bite.
- The collapse of the bite could lead to sagging of the
mouth and an older appearance as well as jaw joint problems
(TMD,TMJ).
- Missing teeth decreases your ability to chew and can
affect speaking.
- Missing teeth can negatively affect your smile and self
image.
The 3 options to replace missing teeth are:
- Bridges
- Implants
- Removable dentures (either partial or full)
Making a bridge first involves preparing the teeth adjacent
to the missing space (essentially each adjacent tooth is
prepared for a crown). This involves removing some tooth
structure all around the tooth and over the top to make room for
the bridge. A mold of the prepared teeth is taken and sent to
the laboratory where the bridge will be made. There is an
enormous difference in the quality between laboratories. We use
the best laboratories we can find. The day the teeth are
prepared, a temporary bridge is made and placed. Once the bridge
returns from the lab (around 2 weeks) we remove the temporary
bridge and cement the final bridge in place.
There are three basic types of bridges we offer:
- Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) bridge
- All-ceramic bridge
- Full gold bridge
Porcelain fused to metal (PFM) is a tooth-colored bridge with
high strength. The metal core makes a PFM many times stronger
than an all-ceramic bridge. The metal core can be made of many
different materials. In our office the metal core is only "high
noble", which means mostly gold and/or platinum; our bridge
material is 54% gold and over 26% platinum. We use only high
noble metal due to the better-fit and extremely rare allergies
and sensitivities. Tooth colored porcelain is baked on the
outside of the gold. We only use the highest quality porcelains
(a combination of beauty, biocompatibility, and strength).
Because there is metal under the porcelain, it blocks natural
tooth translucency and is not as pretty (aesthetic) as an
all-ceramic bridge. However, all ceramic bridges do not enjoy
the longevity of PFMs. There are many different marginal
configurations (the area where the bridge meets the tooth) with
a PFM. How well the margin of the bridge fits affects the health
of the gums and ultimately the longevity of the bridge. We
choose to do a porcelain butt margin, which is the most
aesthetic (also the most challenging for the dentist and the
laboratory technicians to perform well). A porcelain butt joint,
when done well, is aesthetic, healthy for the gums, and durable.
An all-ceramic bridge (or porcelain with ceramic substrate)
is the most beautiful of all bridges but is not as durable as
the other types. There is no metal so translucency is usually
excellent (depending on the type of materials used for the
all-ceramic bridge). These bridges are usually indicated on
front teeth or teeth that are highly visible. We use only the
best materials (a combination of beauty, biocompatibility, and
strength) for our all-ceramic bridges. Note: All ceramic bridges
do not have the same longevity as PFM bridges.
A full gold bridge is composed of gold and looks gold. We
only use high noble metal for our gold bridges (about 72% gold
or 18 carat gold, 3.5% platinum). High noble metal fits better
and is much less likely to result in allergies or sensitivities.
Full gold bridges are indicated on back teeth with low
visibility and are performed rather than a PFM at patient's
request. The primary benefit of a full gold bridge is
durability.
Dentures
We do many types of dentures:
- Immediate Dentures (where the remaining teeth are
removed and a newly constructed denture is placed at the
tooth removal appointment).
- Implant Supported Dentures (utilizing dental implants to
stabilize dentures). Many patients have commented that this
is the best investment they have ever made.
- Partial Dentures (also known as removable partial
dentures) where the remaining teeth are used to support the
replacement teeth.
- New Dentures to replace existing dentures.
We use the best materials and techniques available today. We
have worked with many labs and work with the best we could find.
|
