What goes into designing a smile?
Individuality.. Elegant & Unique… Patients simply find “natural” more appealing. Tailoring our dentistry to harmonize with the individual’s facial characteristics and lip posture allows us to meet patients expectations, optimize esthetics while hiding evidence of treatment. Our best reference for developing a new smile for and individual is studying nature and identifying elements that make it appear attractive and appealing. A proper “smile design” should...
read moreWhy is Dr. K not on our Preferred Provider list?
We believe dental insurance plans provide a tremendous service for those who need more routine care and maintenance. However, when treatment needs become well beyond what dental benefits typically allow, finding a sustainable solution involves using the best materials and technique. We simply believe patients should have the option to choose what is best for them without Insurance interfering. Contracted dentists in PPO networks are limited in many ways in choosing products used to restore teeth....
read moreWhat problems are caused by teeth grinding?
Notice the deep dark colored neck area of the canine tooth below. Tooth colored filling material is often used in areas such as this to protect the vulnerable unprotected surface void of enamel. Little notches near the necks of teeth are very common and are not always associated with grinding habits. Often sensitive to cold and difficult to clean, these defects lead to gum recession as illustrated clearly here. Gum surgery has become a very predictable way to recover receding gums but in this case, surgery was not needed. The...
read moreWhy do I need cleanings and exam every 6 months?
Bi -annual cleaning appointments are driven primarily by what insurance companies allow. The primary benefit to you has less to do with the actual cleaning but mostly early diagnosis and prevention. What we are monitoring during your visit are possible changes or signs of pathology occurring around the soft tissue and bone that support your teeth. Measurements are taken every six months and if we are observing changes- treatment may be indicated to prevent further damage and costly treatment down the road. The exam following the...
read moreWhat is the purpose of a night guard?
Teeth undergo stress from clenching, chewing and for 90% of the population night time grinding. Possibly the most under treated oral disease but one I have observed is a primary precursor for cavities, dental abscesses, cracked teeth, enamel wear, sensitive teeth, periodontal disease, TMJ abnormalities, recession and often chronic isolated gingivitis. With age, teeth naturally undergo wear and erosion leading to enamel loss. One of the many benefits our natural enamel provide is resistance from...
read moreIs this a mercury free practice?
Yes. We use primarily two materials to repair natural teeth. For fillings, we recommend tooth colored materials also known as “bonding” and or “Composite” This material is a resin based formula filled with microscopic glass filler particles for better durability. It hardens under ultraviolet light and is used to repair smaller areas of damage. For larger areas, or crowned teeth in need of replacement, we recommend metal free ceramic to repair the tooth. Ceramic materially is remarkably similar to enamel in many...
read moreWhat is a Custom Implant Abutment?
An Implant abutment is what connects the crown you see in the mouth to the implant replacing where the tooth was lost. The threaded post you see in the radiograph above is the implant. The neck or “abutment” is anchored in the implant by a screw that will become the foundation for a crown visible in the mouth is cemented on top. The implant is ideally placed well below the gum line as seen above. In this photograph, there is only a slight shadow revealing the actual implant without the abutment. The...
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About Implants
Implants serve primarily two purposes. Replacing individually missing teeth or used to support a prosthetic where multiple are missing perhaps even support a complete denture. This article will provide general information about implants but as you scroll down through our posts, more descriptive articles will be available. Traditionally, implants were developed to replace the root portion of a missing tooth. This is an x-ray showing an example. Here, the implant is attached to the irregular grey appearing part of the film which is...
read moreMaterials Used
Two primary materials are used to repair teeth. Tooth colored Composite Resin for small repairs and Glass Ceramic for larger areas of damage and major esthetic enhancements. Crown Try in Integrated Tryin Integrated Remaining foundation Integrated ceramic crown Cavity Damage deep under the enamel Integrated Repair About Emax (Lithium Disilcate Ivoclar Vivadent’s patented lithium disilicate material is truly a revolution for the dental industry. Never before has a material been able to combine high strength, high esthetics and...
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