Bridges

Children's Teeth

Crowns

Deep Cleaning

Dental Cleaning

Dentures

Fillings

Implants

Partials

Root Canal Therapy

Whitening

 

Bridges

A bridge is a treatment to replace one or more teeth that are missing. To place a bridge, a crown is placed on the teeth on both sides of the space created by the missing tooth/teeth and crowns replacing the missing tooth/teeth are placed to span between those two crowns.

 

Bridges are cemented into place and are not removable; they function like natural teeth and can be very aesthetic. However, it is incredibly important to keep the remaining teeth healthy and strong in order to keep and maintain a strong foundation for this bridge (the success of the bridge depends on it).

 

Children's Teeth

At Hintz Family Dentistry, we love treating children and believe that this is a critical time for children to develop good oral hygiene that can last a lifetime. Most of our staff have children of their own and will treat your children with patience and kindness. We encourage parents to be present for any part of the treatment they wish to observe.

 

We can see children as soon as they get their first teeth (as decay can occur as soon as teeth appear), but it is important that all children are seen by a dentist by their first birthday. Although most children can be treated in a general dentistry atmosphere, some young patients with behavioral or health issues may be referred to someone who specializes in treating children.

 

As children's permanent teeth begin to appear, the dentist may recommend sealants. Sealants are an in-office treatment that acts as a barrier to prevent cavities on permanent back teeth, where decay occurs most often. These sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and can last several years.

 

Crowns

Crowns are used to restore teeth that are structurally compromised. This can be due to root canal therapy, large breaks, large cavities, or deep cracks. A crown covers the whole tooth above the gum line. By surrounding the whole tooth, it ties the tooth together and directs the forces of chewing uniformly to the root preventing breakage or further damage to the tooth.

 

Crowns can be made of porcelain, titanium, gold, zirconium, or a mixture of these materials. They can be made to match your teeth almost exactly.

 

Making a crown requires 2 appointments. During the first appointment, the dentist removes the tooth enamel shells and makes an impression of the tooth. The dental lab uses this impression to make a crown specifically for the tooth. While waiting for the final crown, the dentist puts a temporary crown to cover the tooth. The second appointment is to remove the temporary crown and cement the final crown.

 

Deep Cleaning

A deep cleaning, also called scaling and root planning, is performed when a patient has a condition known as periodontitis. Periodontitis occurs from the lack of regular dental cleanings and is a serious condition of the gums and bone that support the teeth. Tartar builds up on the teeth over time and progressively builds up deeper within the gums. This build-up is filled with bacteria and causes inflammation and infection of the gums and bones around the teeth.

 

Over time the bone around the teeth disappears resulting in loose teeth and eventually loss of the tooth, but this condition is usually not painful. The bone that has already been lost cannot be regained.

 

The treatment involves a deep cleansing and continuation of dental cleanings every 6 months or more frequent. The aim of this treatment is to prevent further bone loss and stop the chronic infection.

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Dental Cleaning

During a cleaning, a hygienist or dentist removes plaque, tartar, and stain from your teeth. Everybody collects plaque, tartar, and stain on their teeth little by little over time.

 

Plaque is a soft, sticky substance that forms on your teeth from food debris, bacteria, and bacterial secretions. Plaque can be removed with a toothbrush, however we all have places in our mouth that are hard to clean.

 

Tartar is a hard deposit on the teeth that can be tooth-colored, yellow, brown, or black. Tart is formed when plaque calcifies; this porous deposit then fills with new bacteria. Tartar cannot be brushed away and must be removed by a dental cleaning.

 

Stain is a thin layer of brown or dark yellow that forms on our teeth from the things that we eat or drink.

 

Dentures

Dentures are used when a patient is missing all of their teeth on the top, the bottom, or both. Dentures are made from acrylic. Great care is taken to ensure that you are provided with dentures that fit well and are aesthetically pleasing.

 

Fillings

Fillings are materials placed in a tooth to replace tooth structure that has been lost due to decay/cavities, chipping, or breaking. Fillings can be done with either amalgam or composite materials. Amalgam is a silver colored material that is made of a mixture of metals. It holds up very well over time and has a long history of use in the dental field. These fillings are usually less expensive and are covered well by insurance companies.

 

Composite is a material that is made of resins and other fillers, such as glass particles. Composite comes in a variety of shades so that is can be matched to your individual shade. All fillings in the front teeth are done using this material; back teeth can also be restored using this material.

 

Which filling material is used will be determined by your needs and preferences. Be sure to discuss any preferences with your doctor.

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Implants

Implants are titanium posts that are placed within the bone where a tooth has been lost. This post is normally surgically placed by an oral surgeon. A crown is then placed over the part of the post above the gum line by a dentist.

 

Implants are able to replace teeth without compromising the adjacent teeth in any way. They are very reliable, and function just as a natural tooth would.

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Partials

Partials are usually used to replace multiple teeth within the mouth. They are removable and are held in the mouth with clamps that hold onto the teeth that are still present. Partials are made from a combination of acrylic and metal.

 

Care is taken to try to make any metal present in the partial not visible when the patient smiles. Partials are designed to look like real teeth and can be used during all daily activities.

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Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy is performed when the nerve of the tooth dies or is so badly damaged that it cannot heal itself. This can be caused by deep cavities, cracks, or trauma to the tooth. Each tooth root has a canal running through it, and this channel has nerves and blood vessels that run through it. When the nerve dies, it can be accompanied by intense pain and swelling or have no symptoms at all. Pus usually accumulates within the bone at the tips of the roots and causes bone destruction over time.

 

There are 2 ways to treat tooth abscess: extraction or root canal therapy.

 

During root canal therapy, the small canals within the roots of your teeth (where blood vessels and nerves normally run) are cleaned, disinfected, and sealed. This makes the infection subside and allows us to save the tooth. Despite the stories, we have all heard that root canal therapy feels much like getting a filling done.

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Whitening

Whitening is a procedure that changes your actual tooth color. Each person has a unique shade to their teeth. Nobody actually has white teeth as human teeth are naturally slightly yellow or gray, and the color of the teeth does not always indicate the health of teeth. A special type of bleaching solution is applied to the teeth that breaks apart the pigment molecules within your teeth. Whitening is not a temporary procedure, however over time the teeth can darken slightly due to staining from foods we eat and drink and/or tobacco use.

 

There are various ways to whiten teeth, and there have been many fad whitening treatments popularized by the media. The preferred method in our office is the use of custom trays. Impressions of your mouth are taken in order to make flexible plastic trays that are designed to fit your mouth. These trays are worn nightly for about a week to a week and a half using a special whitening solution provided by our office. This method gives a great results that is very stable over time. This method results in less cold sensitivity during treatment and allows the patient to decide the final shade.