A Healthy Smile

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    A Healthy Smile

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    Sealants

    Highly effective in preventing decay on the biting surfaces of your chewing teeth, dental sealants are a simple procedure in which a tooth-colored acrylic “coating” is painted onto the surface of the tooth. This effectively “seals” the deep grooves, acting as a barrier and protecting enamel from plaque and acids.

    Sealants protect the depressions and grooves of your teeth from food particles and plaque that brushing and flossing can’t reach.
    Easy to apply, sealants take only a few minutes to seal each tooth. Sealants hold up well under the force of normal chewing and can last several years before a reapplication is needed.
    Children and adults can benefit from sealants in the fight against tooth decay.

    Composite Fillings

    Highly effective in preventing decay on the biting surfaces of your chewing teeth, dental sealants are a simple procedure in which a tooth-colored acrylic “coating” is painted onto the surface of the tooth. This effectively “seals” the deep grooves, acting as a barrier and protecting enamel from plaque and acids.

    Sealants protect the depressions and grooves of your teeth from food particles and plaque that brushing and flossing can’t reach.

    Children and adults can benefit from sealants in the fight against tooth decay.

    Inlays and Onlays

    If more than half of the tooth’s biting surface is damaged a dentist will often use an inlay or
    onlay.

    Inlays and onlays can be made of porcelain, gold or composite resin. These pieces are bonded to the damaged area of the tooth. An inlay, which is similar to a filling, is used inside the cusp tips of the tooth. An onlay is a more substantial reconstruction, similar to the inlay but extending out over one or more of the cusps
    of the tooth.

    Traditionally, gold has been the material of choice for inlays and onlays. In recent years, however, porcelain has become increasingly popular due to its strength and color, which can potentially match the natural color of your teeth.

    Non-Surgical Periodontal Therapy

    Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical treatment that carefully cleans the root surfaces to remove plaque and calculus from deep periodontal pockets and smooths the tooth root to remove bacterial toxins.

    Scaling and root planing is sometimes followed by adjunctive therapy such as local delivery antimicrobials, systemic antibiotics, and host modulation, as needed on a case-by-case basis.

    Most dentists would agree that after scaling and root planing, many patients do not require any further active treatment. However, the majority of patients will require ongoing maintenance therapy to sustain health.

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    Endodontic Treatment

    A root canal is one of the most common dental procedures performed. This simple treatment can save your natural teeth and prevent the need of dental implants or bridges.

    At the center of your tooth is pulp. Infection of the pulp can be caused by trauma to the tooth, deep decay, cracks and chips, or repeated dental procedures. Symptoms of the infection can be identified as visible injury or swelling of the tooth, sensitivity to temperature or pain in the tooth and gums.

    If you experience any of these symptoms, your dentist will most likely recommend non-surgical treatment to eliminate the diseased pulp. Success for this type of treatment occurs in about 90% of cases. If your tooth is not amenable to endodontic treatment or the chance of success is unfavorable, you will be informed at the time of consultation or when a complication becomes evident during or after treatment

    Extractions

    Dr. McGuire and you may determine that you need a tooth extraction for any number of reasons. Some teeth are extracted because they are severely decayed; others may have advanced periodontal disease or have broken in a way that cannot be repaired. Other teeth may need removal because they are poorly positioned in the mouth (such as impacted teeth), or in preparation for orthodontic treatment.

    The removal of a single tooth can lead to problems related to your chewing ability, problems with your jaw joint, and shifting teeth, which can have a major impact on your dental health.
    To avoid these complications, in most cases, Dr. McGuire will discuss alternatives to extractions as well replacement of the extracted tooth.

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