Dental Terms and Procedures
Dental Implants are simply metal posts with a false tooth on top. They are integrated into a patient’s jawbone fusing together with the bone over time to form a strong, long-lasting replacement tooth.
An individual crown or a bridge may be cemented to the portion of the post, which rises above the soft tissue. An individual implant may be used to restore an area where a single tooth is missing, eliminating the need for dental bridges. Multiple dental implants may be used to restore an edentulous area or a series of missing teeth, eliminating the need for partials or dentures.
Dental Veneers are a very thin outer shell of ceramic, or a poly-ceramic material placed on the tooth surface. Veneers are a conservative application of cosmetic dentistry where reducing or reshaping the natural tooth’s structure is minimal. Veneers can however result in a very positive improvement to a person’s smile.
Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth typically made out of an acrylic resin. There are two main types of dentures, Complete Dentures and Partial Dentures. Dentures help strengthen muscles controlling your expressions that require the support of your teeth, solve problems of pronunciation caused by missing teeth and aid with chewing.
Gum Surgery (visible & receding gum lines) – Cosmetic surgery of the gums will help patients achieve an attractive smile whose smiles show a bit more gum than teeth. The procedure removes extra gum tissue using a laser to expose more tooth surface.
Sometimes as a result of gum disease, age, or bite misalignment, a patient can experience gradual receding of their gums. This can cause discomfort as the roots become more exposed; loosening of teeth usually occurs. In order to repair gum recession, cosmetic dentists graft tissues from the roof of a patient’s mouth on to the gum line. The “brand new” gum line will then hold teeth firmly in place & protect teeth roots from future damage.
Tooth Bleaching is a cosmetic process prescribed by the dentist to whiten your teeth. The dentist takes an impression of your teeth and creates a custom fitted tray that holds a chemical next to the tooth surface. The whitener works by penetrating dentinal tubules — resulting in whiter teeth.
Tooth Whitening is any treatment procedure or method your dentist might prescribe to whiten the color and brighten your teeth.