OUR DENTAL SERVICES

A dental bridge literally connects the gap between missing teeth with an “implant” that’s attached to the patient’s natural teeth. An alternative to an individual implant, bridges are sometimes recommended if neighboring teeth have large fillings or need crowns or caps in the future.

A dental bridge is intended to fix the look of a smile while also helping to alleviate deformity and prevent stress on your bite.

While the cost of a dental bridge is usually less than an implant, it can also be more temporary.

Here at Northside Dental Care, we know patients can be overwhelmed by the variety of modern dental procedures. We consult with patients at length before prescribing any kind of procedure so, together, we can decide on the best course of action. Contact us any time for a consultation.

Crowns are a way to restore a tooth and prevent the tooth from having to be extracted.

Crowns usually fill gaps in teeth that have had root canals, large fillings, or are cracked, worn down or somehow weakened.

Crowns or “caps” on teeth are a preventative measure that will ultimately improve your tooth’s shape or prevent a tooth from fracture.

A crown is usually cemented or bonded onto a tooth and covers the portion of the tooth that’s visible and rests above the gum line. The crown becomes your tooth’s new outer surface. Crowns can be made of several types of material, including metal alloys, porcelain, ceramic, composite resin, or a combination of metal and ceramic.

Patients usually prefer porcelain crowns because they look more like natural teeth. Although sometimes a dentist will recommend metal-based crowns because of their added strength.

Crowns or onlays—also known as partial crowns—are needed when the tooth’s structure would otherwise crack or break without added reinforcement.

Unlike fillings, which are applied directly in your mouth, a crown is fabricated indirectly in a lab by using a custom-made tooth impression, or a digital scan of the mouth.

This usually requires at least two dental visits and the installation of a temporary crown because the impression will be taken from the patient’s mouth and then created in a lab in order to mold the crown’s shape without the time constraints of a typical dental visit.

Each crown is custom-fit onto the tooth so it will properly mold itself against the opposing and adjacent teeth in order to create the perfect bite.

Dentures are a natural-looking replacement for patients that have a large portion of missing teeth. Dentures will fill in a portion of the patient’s natural smile in order to restore function and appearance.

Dentures are either full or partial. Full dentures are put in place when the patient is missing all their teeth or has had a large number of teeth extracted due to disease or decay.

Partial dentures are attached with a metal frame that connects to the patient’s natural teeth.

Sometimes dentists are able to offer alternatives to dentures, such as bridges or implants.

Much like natural teeth, dentures need to be cared for daily.

Dentists always recommend cleaning your mouth, tongue, and gums without the dentures in place at least twice a day in order to keep plaque build-up to a minimum and reduce the risk of infection.

We also recommend using a gentle cleanser on your dentures and storing them in a container with water or denture cleaner when they’re not being worn to help prolong the life of your dentures and keep your mouth healthy.

Unfortunately, there are times when extraction is absolutely necessary.

Many teens and adults will get their wisdom teeth extracted (removed), but there are other reasons why tooth extraction might be necessary.

For example, if:

• Deciduous teeth (“baby teeth”) don’t erupt as they should
• A tooth is so compromised by dental decay that it can’t be restored
• A wisdom tooth is impacted and causing problems to surrounding tissues
• Orthodontic correction is needed

Excessive tooth decay, infection, and crowding are all reasons why a tooth extraction might be necessary.

In these instances, and many others not mentioned, extraction may be the best option for your overall health. Sometimes, the extracted tooth or teeth will be replaced by a bridge, implant, or dentures.

Tooth extraction is a relatively simple outpatient procedure. The procedure is usually quick with only mild discomfort afterward.

More complex extractions, such as impacted molars (wisdom teeth), will require longer appointment times and typically involve a longer recovery time.

In all cases of tooth extraction, the doctor will ensure patients are completely anesthetized to avoid pain and discomfort during the procedure.

Special sedation and/or general anesthesia can also be arranged.

Most patients understand that fillings are something they get when they have cavities.

Beyond that, cavities can sometimes be a mystery.

Getting a cavity filled is not a major, disruptive procedure, and you should never hesitate to get one. Fillings are essential to protect your teeth from further damage and decay.

Left unchecked, a cavity will continue to spread and damage the tooth beyond repair.

During a filling procedure, the dentist will clean away the decay and then fill the cavity with either a composite resin or glass ionomer filling.

Newer dental fillings are usually good at mimicking the appearance of your natural teeth.

The compounds used for fillings—often called composite resins—are typically used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important.

There are two kinds of fillings: direct and indirect. Direct fillings are usually applied in a single visit. Indirect fillings may require two or more visits and are more similar to a crown.

Fluoride is now considered an essential tool that dentists recommend to help prevent cavities and tooth decay.

Fluoride treatment is most important for children and teens because they’re at the most risk for developing decay.

Fluoride treatments take only a few minutes and are done as part of regular checkups.

Fluoride is a mineral that naturally occurs in food and water. Minerals are added to and lost from the enamel layers on your teeth through processes called demineralization and remineralization.

Minerals are lost from the tooth’s enamel layer when acids from plaque bacteria and sugars form in the mouth. Fluoride treatments will help remineralize your tooth’s precious enamel.

Patients can ensure fluoride treatments work best by not rinsing, eating, or drinking anything for at least 30 minutes after a treatment so that the teeth can fully absorb the fluoride.

If a patient already has an implant, sometimes an implant restoration is needed. While dental implants are often intended as permanent replacements for lost or missing teeth, sometimes implants can fail. There are several reasons for dental implant failure, including overly aggressive cleaning, changes in implant base or abutment, or wide temperature changes that can cause the implant to crack or break. A dental implant restoration usually involves the restoration of a single- or multiple-tooth implant crown or bridge that replaces missing teeth.

The process of an implant restoration usually involves fixing the abutment or crown and not the implant itself. This can involve more than one office visit and usually includes a scanning using state-of-the-art technology to precisely measure your restoration and allow for the perfect fit.

We then create the abutment and craft it to fit your mouth. This allows for a perfectly straight and well-fit implant.

If one of your dental implants cracks, chips, or feels loose, it’s important to visit a dentist right away.

With decades of experience and training, Northside Dental can help restore your smile with an implant restoration procedure.

Whether you wear braces or not, using a mouthguard while playing sports is an essential practice for everyone who wants to take care of their smile.

Custom-fit mouthguards are a great way to protect your teeth and gums from injury if you participate in any kind of contact sport. We can create custom-form dental mouthguards for sports enthusiasts from thermoplastic dental material that’s based on a detailed mould taken of your mouth and teeth.

Custom mouthguards are highly personalized. As your dentist, we can adjust the thickness of each mouthguard depending upon its intended use and the level of protection you might need.

We fit most mouthguards for your upper teeth, but they can also be fitted for your bottom set of teeth.

Unlike over-the-counter mouthguards, custom-fit guards are more precisely fabricated and can offer a more complete protection and more comfortable fit for your mouth. Custom mouthguards are also more durable and do not lose their shape as quickly as over-the-counter mouthguards.

Contact us any time to see if you’re a good candidate for a custom-fit mouthguard.

If you wake up with any kind of pain or tension in your jaw, or if you suffer from earaches or headaches, you might be suffering from bruxism. Bruxism is a form of teeth grinding that can be detrimental to the longevity of your teeth and gums. This kind of teeth grinding can even be the culprit for sleep apnea. Most patients usually aren’t even aware of whether or not they grind their teeth, since bruxism occurs during sleep.

One of the best ways to treat and prevent problems that may occur from bruxism is by getting fit with a custom nightguard.

Nightguards are made to prevent the surfaces of your teeth from grinding together. Teeth grinding can cause your teeth to chip, crack, strain your jaw muscles, and prematurely wear down your teeth.

We can provide custom-fit night guards for patients of all ages. Custom-fit guards are of higher quality and superior fit as compared to over-the-counter guards.

A simple exam and questionnaire will often determine whether or not you’re a good candidate for a custom-fit nightguard.

Root canals are a modern-day procedure preventing patients from suffering unnecessary tooth extractions.

In the past, if a tooth was diseased or had a decayed nerve, the patient would need that tooth extracted.

With modern-day treatment of root canals, your teeth can be saved from extraction.

If a tooth is cracked, has a deep cavity, or is somehow traumatized, the nerve tissue from within the tooth can become damaged or necrotic, or “dead.”

If left untreated, the damaged tooth can become infected and an abscess can form. These abscesses can spread to the bone surrounding the root tip, which can sometimes cause pain and swelling. If an abscess spreads without causing any pain, this is referred to as a chronic abscess.

In either case, a root canal is necessary to resolve the infection and prevent extraction.

There’s no need for concern if your dentist has prescribed a root canal. A root canal procedure is very common and is a quick, comfortable procedure that can save you from further pain and damage to your teeth and gums.

Modern-day root canals are much the same as a routine filling and can usually be completed in one or two appointments, depending upon the type of treatment needed.

Have no fear, root canals are a relatively painless procedure that will save the appearance and function of your smile. Contact us today for a consultation.

No matter how thoroughly or often you brush your teeth, sometimes it’s just not enough. When it comes to certain difficult-to-reach spots, it’s hard for your toothbrush to get in between the many small fissures and grooves on the chewing surface of your teeth. If left alone, these tiny surfaces develop tooth decay. Dental sealants can prevent plaque and bacteria from forming on these difficult-to-reach areas, thus preventing cavities and deterioration from acids in your mouth.

Dental sealants are made up of thin, plastic resins that coat the surface of teeth. When teeth are sealed with this material, the tiny grooves become smooth and less likely to harbor plaque.

Sealants last between three to five years and are a fairly common procedure, especially for patients uniquely susceptible to cavities.

The application of dental sealant is a virtually painless procedure. Provided you’re a good candidate, sealants are an excellent solution for warding off cavities and keeping your smile healthy and beautiful.

You no longer need to hide your smile because of gaps, chips, stains, or misshapen teeth. With veneers, you can easily correct your teeth’s imperfections to help you have a more confident, beautiful smile. Veneers are natural in appearance, and a perfect option for patients wanting to make improvements to their smile.

Veneers are thin, custom-made shells made from tooth-colored materials (usually porcelain). They are most frequently made to cover the front side of your teeth. To prepare for veneers, your doctor will create a custom mould of your teeth after minor reshaping/reduction of the enamel. This mould is made into a three-dimensional replica of your teeth by the dental technician who will handcraft your veneers. After the veneers are fabricated in the dental lab, they are returned to the dental office for permanent bonding to the prepared enamel surface by the dentist.

When your veneers are placed, you’ll be pleased to see they blend seamlessly with your natural teeth. If well maintained with good oral hygiene and not subjected to the damaging effects of bruxism (tooth grinding), veneers can last for decades.  Over time, veneers may slowly lose their color match to the adjacent natural teeth, as teeth may naturally darken with time and the porcelain veneers remain color-stable.

Wisdom teeth are types of molars found in the very back of your mouth. They are the third set of permanent molars to form and usually begin to erupt through the gum tissue in the late teens or early twenties. Wisdom teeth may become impacted (fail to erupt) due to lack of room in the jaw or angle of entry. Some wisdom teeth need to be removed. Here are the typical reasons wisdom teeth are removed:

• Chronic gum tenderness or infection where the wisdom tooth is erupting
• A partially erupted wisdom tooth fails to fully erupt and therefore does not become a functional (chewing) tooth
• An impacted wisdom tooth causes damage to the roots of the second molars (pressure resorption)
• A fully erupted wisdom tooth becomes decayed and is too difficult to properly restore due to its inaccessability in the back of the mouth
• Localized gum disease (bone loss) around a wisdom tooth due to inadequate cleaning

One of the most common justifications for extracting wisdom teeth that is false is “wisdom teeth cause crowding of the rest of the teeth that are already erupted.”  There’s not a single scientific study to justify this claim. If you’d like to know more about this topic, read more here.

Wisdom teeth are usually removed in the late teens or early twenties because there is a greater chance that the roots have not fully formed and the bone surrounding the teeth is less dense. These two factors can make extraction easier as well as shorten the recovery time.