Regular dental exams, professional cleanings and x-rays are critical to maintaining good oral health. Our dentists treat patients of all ages and can help you and everyone in your family maintain a healthy and beautiful smile.
Our general and cosmetic dental services include:
Dental Exams, Professional Cleanings and Preventive Care
Good oral hygiene at home and regular dental care can not only help you maintain a beautiful smile; they can also help protect your overall health. Cardiovascular disease, dementia, respiratory infections and diabetic complications have all been linked to poor oral health.
Regular, professional teeth cleaning is essential. Most dental hygienists recommend having your teeth professionally cleaned every six months. More frequent cleaning may sometimes be necessary.
Routine dental exams are recommended annually and may include dental X-rays.
At Central Dental Group, we’re here to take care of you and your entire family. Schedule your appointment today!
Composite Fillings
Composite fillings are not the silver fillings of yesterday. They are tooth-colored and made of a composite resin that helps restore the structural integrity of a damaged or decayed tooth.
Composite fillings can usually be placed in one appointment. They are a routine procedure. The dentist will numb the area prior to the procedure then remove any decay. The area is cleaned and carefully prepared before the filling is placed. Some patients experience a little hot or cold sensitivity with a new composite filling, but that quickly subsides.
Tooth Extractions
Sometimes a tooth needs to be pulled. If that happens, you can trust that Central Dental Group will provide you with the best of care.
During an extraction, the patient is thoroughly numbed and sometimes under sedation. Once the tooth is extracted, stitches may be required to help with healing. Recovery time from a tooth extraction is typically just a few days.
Once a tooth has been removed, neighboring teeth may shift, causing problems with chewing or the functioning of your jaw joint. To avoid these complications, we recommend that you replace the extracted tooth as early as is appropriate. A dental implant is the preferred solution to replace a missing tooth.
Tooth Whitening
Food, beverages and time can take a toll on our tooth enamel, causing stains and discoloration. If you’d like a whiter, brighter smile, we offer a safe, simple and inexpensive solution.
We use Zoom!® teeth whitening. Zoom!® combines the latest advances in dental technology and proven chemical formulas to brighten teeth up to eight shades whiter in just one hour.
During treatment, a bleaching gel is applied to your teeth then activated by the Zoom!® light. Once activated, the gel penetrates the teeth, removing deep stains and discolorations safely and painlessly.
Crowns
Crowns (or caps) protect and strengthen decayed or damaged teeth that cannot be restored with fillings or other types of restorations. A crown completely caps or encircles the tooth and is bonded to the surface of the tooth with dental cement.
Crowns come in a variety of materials including porcelain fused to metal, all-ceramic, full gold, stainless steel, noble metal and base metal.
A full crown restoration typically takes 2-3 appointments to ensure a proper fit. During the first appointment, the dentist will remove all of the decay within the problem tooth. Once the decay is removed, an impression of the tooth is made. That impression is sent to our lab where the crown will be created. A temporary crown will be placed on your tooth while the new crown is being made.
It’s important to note that we use the best labs we can find to ensure the quality of your crown.
At the second appointment, the dentist will place the new crown and fit it comfortably into your mouth. Sometimes a third visit is needed to ensure a proper fit. The final step is to cement the crown into place.
Inlays and Onlays
Inlays and onlays fall somewhere between a filling and a crown. They are used to repair decayed or damaged teeth that are too damaged for a standard filling, but not damaged enough to need a crown. They can also be used to replace old fillings.
An inlay fits inside the cusp tips of the tooth (the pointy edges), while an onlay covers the chewing surface and one or more of the cusps. Inlays and onlays are made in a laboratory and then cemented or bonded to the surface of the tooth.
Inlay/Onlay procedures require two appointments. We use the best labs we can find to ensure the quality of our patients’ inlays and onlays.
Bridges
Bridges are an option to replace a missing tooth or teeth. They are also known as fixed partial dentures and are made of crowns and replacement teeth.
The bridge fills the gap left by the missing tooth with a replacement tooth and holds the replacement tooth in place by connecting it to the adjacent teeth with the crowns.
To make a bridge, the teeth next to the gap are prepared for crowns and some of the tooth structure is removed to make space for the bridge. A mold is taken and sent to the lab where the bridge will be created. We use the best labs we can find to ensure the quality of our patients’ bridges.
It takes about two weeks to make the bridge. The patient will have a temporary bridge in place during that time. Once the bridge returns from the lab, we remove the temporary bridge and cement the final bridge into place.
There are several types of bridges available. Porcelain fused to metal is tooth-colored and very strong. All-ceramic bridges are beautiful, but not as durable as other types of bridges. Full gold bridges are made of gold and typically used on back teeth where they are less visible. Full gold bridges are very durable.
Reshaping
For teeth that have minor chips, cracks or are irregular in shape, reshaping can help uncover a more beautiful smile.
Reshaping involves the removal of small amounts of the tooth structure to achieve a desired look. During a reshaping and recontouring treatment, chips and cracks can be smoothed out, and angles and edges can be rounded or squared off. This is an inexpensive way to see immediate results in the look of your smile.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain Veneers are option to cover tooth imperfections or protect a damaged tooth surface. They are made of a thin layer of porcelain, which is glued to the front of the tooth.
They can cover a variety of imperfections including chips, discolorations, crooked angles and even fill unwanted spaces. In some cases they can serve as an alternative to crowns.
Bonding
Bonding is a less expensive alternative to veneers and an excellent cosmetic option for patients wanting to cover tooth imperfections. Bonding covers flaws with a thin coating of composite resin, placed on the front of the teeth. A high intensity light is used to harden the resin and the surface is then polished.
Custom-Fit Mouthguards/Nightguards
Our custom-fit mouthguards provide an excellent line of defense against sports related injuries to the teeth, mouth and jaw. That same level of quality is applied to our custom-fit nightguards, which help protect against damage caused by teeth grinding at night.
Here at Central Dental Group, we customize your guards and ensure that the fit against your teeth and the bite are properly contoured for comfort.
Here at Central Dental Group, we can help you and your family stay ahead of dental problems and maintain good oral health and healthy, beautiful smiles.
We want to be your comprehensive dental health care provider. Contact us to schedule a consultation.
