General Dental Care
General Dental Care
We provide our patients with all up-to-date dental services. All procedures are done using the latest in state-of-the-art high-tech equipment. The combination between the two allows our dental office to be the best choice for your dental needs.
Prevention
Dental problems can always be prevented through proper oral hygiene; brushing and flossing, fluoride treatments, and keeping up with regular visits to our office. We are always happy to offer instructions on how to better maintain your oral hygiene and overall health. Preventative care is the best care.
Teeth Whitening Treatment
Teeth whitening is a very common procedure in today’s world of cosmetic dentistry. As we age our teeth often become darker due to changes in the mineral structure of the teeth. Teeth can also become stained by bacterial pigments, foods and certain drinks. Certain antibiotic medications (like tetracycline) can also cause staining. Let us give you that "Movie Star" smile you always wanted.
First, we check your teeth for any overall problems such as cavities. Whitening gel can cause serious damage if it leaks into these areas. If cavities are found, they must become priority before any teeth whitening procedures take place. The process is quick, easy, and comfortable and done under our professional supervision. Our whitening treatments are completely safe and will not harm teeth or gums. We also fabricate custom whitening take home trays. These trays will help maintain your beautiful, bright smile.
We offer a variety of teeth whitening procedures and options to best suit you as our patient. Dr. Marcus and his staff will discuss all of the options you have prior to any whitening procedure.
Cosmetic Porcelain Veneers
A porcelain veneer is a thin shell of porcelain that fits over a damaged, discolored, or misshapen tooth. This procedure has several advantages over other tooth restoration procedures. Porcelain is an extremely durable material with a color, translucency and texture that is similar to natural tooth enamel. It is not susceptible to decay and resists staining while maintaining a natural appearance. Porcelain veneers can effectively close gaps between teeth, lengthen and reshape teeth, repair chips and cover stains and discolorations.
During the consultation, you and Dr. Marcus will discuss the changes that you would like to make in your smile. Dr. Marcus will explain the different options available to you, the procedure itself, and its risks and limitations. Dr. Marcus will also explain the kind of anesthesia required if any, and porcelain veneers cost. Porcelain veneers usually require at least two appointments to be completed. The length of time for each appointment will depend on the condition of your teeth and on how many veneers you are having done.
Metal-Free Crowns and Bridges
It wasn't long ago that metal based crowns and bridges were the accepted standard of care in dentistry. Now however, we enjoy the esthetics and dependability of super-strong, medical quality ceramics, for our modern dental restorations. With modern procedures we can get a natural luminescent quality that allows light and color to come through like no metal based crown and bridge ever could. Advanced CAD/CAM technology ensures that you receive a great fitting restoration every time.
Although no dental restoration lasts forever, the average lifespan of a crown is around 10 years. While this is considered comparatively favorable to direct restorations, they can actually last up to the life of the patient (50 years or more) with proper care. One reason why a 10 year mark is given is because a dentist can usually provide patients with this number and be confident that a crown that the dental lab makes will last at least this long.
Tooth Color Restorations
Tooth colored restorations or white fillings are also referred to as composites. Tooth colored filling material comes in a great number of shades. The shades are matched to your individual tooth color. The materials used for front teeth have a high shine; where as, the materials for back teeth are designed for strength — both look great!
Tooth colored fillings are now stronger and more comparable to silver/amalgam restorations. A small filling could last a lifetime, and larger fillings can be expected to last many years. The factors that determine the lifespan of a particular filling include: the tooth, the size of the filling relative to the tooth (smaller fillings will usually be more durable than larger fillings) and your daily oral hygiene.
A new filling should feel natural, like your own teeth. After the anesthesia has worn away and you can feel your teeth and bite again, you should not notice anything particularly different. It should be smooth and comfortable. There is a period of time were you might feel some sensitivity to temperature after the restoration is placed. It is temporarily as with any other restorations when they are first placed on teeth.
Dental Implants
Did you know that dental implants are lately the best treatment option for replacing missing teeth? Rather than resting on the gum line like removable dentures, or using adjacent teeth as anchors like fixed bridges, dental implants are long-term replacements that your dental professional places in the jawbone.
Dental implants are composed of titanium that "fuses" with the jawbone through a process called "osseointegration." Dental implants never slip or make embarrassing noises that advertise the fact that you have "false teeth," and never decay like teeth anchoring fixed bridges. Dental implants are currently the most effective solution to replace missing teeth in today’s dentistry.
Periodontal Therapy
Early detection of gum disease is very important. The goals of treatment are to control infection in your entire body, prevent gum disease from permanently damaging tissues around teeth and prevent tooth loss. If you have early-stage gum disease, you may be able to reverse the damage if you begin proper treatment in time. We offer non-surgical gum treatment options to best suit your needs as our patient.
After treatment, you will need to keep your mouth disease-free by preventing plaque buildup. You will need to brush carefully and thoroughly after all meals and floss daily. Also, we strongly recommend that you keep all your recall appointments suggested by your dental professional.
Cosmetic Crowns
Similar to porcelain veneers, dental crowns are used to camouflage imperfections such as cracks, slight misalignments, chips, small gaps and discolorations. Instead of covering the front surface of a tooth as porcelain veneers do, dental crowns fit over an entire tooth like a cap. In addition to the cosmetic benefits of crowns, they are used to add support to a tooth that has been weakened due to decay or root canal therapy. At Wellington Dental Studio, we use all-porcelain dental crowns for an extremely natural result that can enhance the overall appearance of a your smile.
Root Canal Therapy
At the center of a tooth is a hollow area that houses soft tissue, known as the pulp or nerve. This hollow area contains a relatively wide space in the coronal portion of the tooth called the pulp chamber. This chamber is connected to the tip of the root via narrow canal(s); hence, the term "root canal". Human teeth normally have one to four canals, with teeth toward the back of the mouth having more. These canals run through the center of the roots like pencil lead through the center of a pencil. The tooth receives nutrition through the pulp containing blood vessels and sensory nerves that carry signals back to the brain.
For many people who experience tooth pain, discomfort or temperature sensitivity, root canal therapy may be necessary.
Oral
Surgery Procedures
Surgical extractions involve the removal of teeth that cannot be easily accessed, either because they are broken down, are un-restorable or because they have not erupted fully. In a surgical extraction the doctor may elevate the gum covering the tooth and bone and may also remove some of the overlying and/or surrounding bone tissue with a drill. Frequently, the tooth may be split into multiple pieces to facilitate its removal. Surgical extractions are usually performed under local anesthetic.
Following the extraction of a tooth, a blood clot has to form in the socket. It usually happens within an hour after the tooth is pulled. Bleeding is common in this first hour, but its likelihood decreases quickly as time passes. The raw open wound overlying the dental socket takes about 1 week to heal. Thereafter, the socket will gradually fill in with soft gum tissue and bone over a period of time. Final closure of the socket with bony remodeling can take three months or more. It is very important to take post-op instructions seriously after you had an extraction.
Oral Sedation
Most commonly, oral sedation (usually in the form of anti-anxiety or "happy pills") is prescribed for relieving anxiety in the hours immediately before your dental appointment. An anti-anxiety or sedative-hypnotic drug taken an hour before your appointment or the night before will help relieve anxiety prior to treatment. Dr. Marcus will discuss with you what options you have to make your dental experience a great experience.
Bone Grafting
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PRF Procedures
The concept of PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin) is based on the centrifugation of the patient’s own blood without anticoagulants. (J. Choukroun et al. 2001). At the end of the spin, a fibrin clot containing the majority of the platelets and white blood cells is obtained.
This fibrin clot called Platelet Riche Fibrin or PRF will release gradually and growth factors or cytokines in the site.
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The expected objective of these growth factors is to accelerate the soft tissue and bone healing. Today, the PRF is recognized around the world and its effectiveness is definitely proven.
We use PRF with the following procedures: Surgical extractions, implants, bone grafting, and sinus lift.