Has your smile lost something over the years? Over time, natural wear, injury or poor dental care can hurt the function of your teeth and the brilliance of your smile. Dr. Johnson’s skill and expertise in restorative dentistry means renewing your smile is possible! You can trust that your bridges, crowns, implants and other smile solutions will look fantastic and function beautifully.
Answer: If a back tooth is lost, the surrounding teeth will shift into the newly created space. This shifting causes difficulty in keeping your teeth clean and also causes upper and lower teeth to be mismatched when biting which then in turn causes a number of problems, such as “TMJ” and a higher potential of breaking existing teeth. Once a tooth is lost, the bone that was once supporting a tooth melts away, thereby causing the facial structure to sink in.
Answer: By replacing missing teeth either with a bridge or implant, you will alleviate the problems associated with missing a tooth and give your smile back its beautiful, full appearance. A bridge is one solution for replacing a tooth. By using neighboring teeth as the supportive structure, Dr. Johnson places a porcelain restoration into the vacant space, restoring the functionality and look of your smile. A dental implant is also an excellent solution. Dental implants involve the placement of a titanium post directly into the jawbone. Once the post has bonded to the bone, it can act as a new, solid support for a natural looking, porcelain restoration. Implants can replace a single tooth, or an entire set of teeth, offering more function and permanence than traditional dentures.
A dental implant is one of the most permanent forms of restorative dentistry and can be used to restore a single tooth or several teeth. Dental implants involve the placement of a surgical grade titanium post by one of Dr. Johnson’s trusted specialists. As the bone bonds to the post, it forms a secure foundation for the attachment of a crown or a prosthetic tooth that is custom created for you. Implants are sometimes used instead of bridges to maintain the integrity of the teeth on either side of the missing teeth.
While typical dentures shift and require the use of denture adhesives to keep them in place, implants fit solidly, reducing the problems associated with traditional dentures such as gum sores, difficulty speaking and difficulty chewing. Implant supported dentures distribute your biting pressure more like natural teeth than traditional dentures and prevent the bone and soft tissues from shrinking away. You can replace an entire set of teeth with beautiful, natural-looking implants.
Answer: Implants will change your life. The stability one gets with an implant supported denture is remarkable. Every implant patient states they wish their implants were done earlier. Don’t wait! Ask us how you can be living a life free from worry about your dentures moving around.
Sometimes called “caps,” porcelain crowns are customized for you, covering broken, cracked or discolored teeth. Crowns are a durable, strong, long lasting method of enhancing both the look and functionality of your smile. After some preparation of the tooth or teeth that will receive the crown(s), Dr. Johnson will position a custom, lifelike porcelain crown over your damaged tooth, restoring and rejuvenating your oral health.
Missing teeth cause you to chew differently, may cause mouth pain, and as your remaining teeth work to compensate for the loss, gaps and spaces form that only make the situation worse. A porcelain bridge keeps your smile aligned and your bite functional. Bridges are anchored to existing teeth or crowns on either side of the missing tooth. They are semi-permanent, meaning they can only be affixed or removed by a dentist and are a long-term restorative solution to your compromised smile.
You can straighten your teeth without metal braces. Invisalign™ is an FDA approved system that uses clear, removable aligners to incrementally straighten your teeth. There are no uncomfortable brackets or wires, and because you remove the aligners to eat and drink, there are no food restrictions or problems with brushing or flossing. Invisalign™ uses 3D computer imaging to map out your entire treatment plan in advance, allowing you to see what your teeth will look like before you begin treatment. Then, using the imaging, a series of custom aligners are created that will move teeth incrementally. You will replace each aligner every two weeks with the next aligner in the sequence. Average treatment time from initial teeth position to brilliant, straight smile ranges from 9 to 15 months. The best part is, most people will never notice that you are undergoing treatment!
When the decay is removed from a tooth, it is replaced with “filling” material. Fillings play an important role in maintaining your oral health. Unfilled cavities never go away and get bigger with time. We offer two options for filling your cavities at Summit Dental: Amalgam (silver) filings or Tooth-Colored fillings. With tooth-colored fillings, you can benefit from having fillings to flawlessly match your existing teeth, giving you a brilliant, whiter smile!
If your teeth function properly but you are unhappy with their appearance, cosmetic dentistry can give you the look you desire.
“Going to Summit Dental is like a social event because Dr. Johnson and all his staff are so personable and caring. I always look forward to my appointments and I know I get the best dental attention and care available anywhere.”
~GLYNDA JONES