Restore Your Smile

A crown is a restoration that covers, or caps, a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size. The purpose of a crown is to strengthen or improve the appearance of the tooth. Crowns are used for a number of different reasons, including:

• to support a large filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining
• to attach a bridge
• a weak tooth from fracturing
• to restore fractured teeth
• to cover badly shaped or discolored teeth
• to cover a dental implant

A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth. It literally “bridges” the gap where one or more teeth used to be. A bridge is referred to as a “fixed” restoration option because it stays in your mouth, unlike a partial that can be removed.

In many situations, a dental implant can be your best long-term replacement option for a missing tooth. First, a titanium post is placed into the jaw or skull in the position of the missing tooth. Then the post is usually left alone for a few months to allow the bone to attach itself or integrate to the post. Once the post has integrated, a crown is attached to the post to complete the procedure and leaves the patient with an almost natural feeling and looking tooth.

Oral Surgery refers to dental extractions, or the removal of teeth. This is done when the tooth has disease, trauma or too much crowding.

Orange City Dentistry can perform most extractions in our office, but some teeth, such as impacted wisdom teeth, are referred to area oral surgeons.

• Night Guards are recommended for those that suffer from bruxism, or teeth grinding. A night guard is an appliance typically worn while sleeping through the night, and helps to alleviate a sore jaw, headaches or tooth pain from grinding.
  
  
• Mouthguards, also referred as mouth protectors, help to minimize the risk of broken teeth or injuries of your lips, teeth or jaw. Mouthguards should be worn during sport activities, whether it is a contact or non-contact activity.

A root canal may be recommended if you have a severely damaged, decaying tooth or a serious tooth infection. Root canals are used to repair and save your tooth instead of removing it. A root canal involves removing the damaged area of the tooth (the pulp), cleaning and disinfecting it and then filling and sealing it.

When you no longer have any teeth, your facial muscles can sag, making you look older. Dentures can help fill out the appearance of your face and profile. They are made to resemble your natural teeth and can greatly help with chewing food, speaking and smiling.

A removable partial denture replaces missing teeth and attaches to your teeth. It can be removed from your mouth at any time, unlike a bridge, or “fixed” option.