Other Options:

Cosmetic Dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry is a broad title which describes several new and exciting techniques that can fill gaps between teeth and restore discolored, misshapen, or broken teeth.

There are several procedures which fall under the heading of cosmetic dentistry:

Cosmetic Resin Bonding
Shade Correction by Tooth Whitening
Laminate Veneers
Tooth Movement Recommendations
Replacement of Missing or Discolored Teeth
Cosmetic Reshaping
Oral Hygiene
Special Crowns
Specialty Dentures
Replacement of Lost Gum Tissue

With the advent of new materials and their various applications, your prosthodontist has a wide range of procedures that enable him or her to choose the one that best meets your needs.

Full Mouth Reconstruction

The replacement of missing or severely decayed teeth with prosthodontic reconstruction is our specialty and just one of the treatment options available at Pi Dental Center. Teeth can be replaced by many different means and combinations of techniques, such as crowns, non-removable bridges, removable partial dentures or implant supported permanent teeth. The rebuilding of a smile often requires a blend of these options.

Crowns and Bridges

Our single crowns and bridges are custom designed to match proportions of adjacent natural teeth. Porcelain is custom colored and shaped in our laboratory to offer each patient a distinctive prosthetic restoration.

Dental Crowns

Crowns are restorations that cover the teeth, restoring them to their natural size, shape, and color. Even a poorly maintained or badly damaged tooth can benefit from a well designed and correctly placed crown. This cap not only helps appearance, but can also save a tooth that might otherwise be lost. Learn about TRIOS® Digital Scanning Technology available at Pi Dental Center.

Veneers

A porcelain veneer is very thin piece of porcelain similar in size to a fingernail that attaches to the front of the tooth to improve overall appearance. Some of the problems that it can solve include chips, small holes and pits. Once in place, it looks, feels, and functions just like a regular tooth.

Fixed Bridges

A fixed bridge is designed to replace a tooth that has been lost, with natural looking non-removable replacement. It can eliminate unsightly gaps by extending or “bridging” a replacement tooth between the teeth on either side of the gap.

Why is it important to replace missing teeth?

Aside from the obvious effects that missing teeth can have on personal appearance, there are other more serious consequences. When a tooth is lost, as space is created. Normal oral pressures and stress can cause the remaining teeth to shift. This shift can cause healthy, straight teeth to tilt and become unstable, leading to even more tooth loss. Also, the teeth support facial tissue. When gaps are left unrepaired, the tissue “caves in”. This can add years to the person’s appearance.

The Proven Technique

For years, crowns have been constructed to restore the function of damaged teeth. Today, crowns can be created to look exactly like your natural teeth. Porcelain is often baked onto a durable metal shell. The porcelain is colored or shaded to blend in with your natural teeth. The damaged, natural tooth is reduced in size so the crown can cover or “cap” the damaged area without appearing too large or out of place. A non-removable bridge uses crowns on adjacent teeth to support an artificial replacement tooth. If the teeth on either side of the gap are healthy and in good condition, they can easily be used as anchors for the bridge. The crowns are connected to a replica of the missing tooth. This replacement tooth “bridges” the gap between your teeth and restores function while improving appearance. Learn about Teeth In A Day® Treatment and Computer Guided Dental Implant Treatment. Many people have been told that they do not have enough bone for dental implants. The No Bone Solution may be an option.

Complete Removable Dentures

A removable prosthesis, such as customized complete dentures, can restore function and appearance in the mouth as well as the surrounding facial tissues. If several teeth can be saved, dentures may be made to fit over the roots of these teeth. The “overdentures” preserve bone and greatly increase denture stability. In many individuals, dental implants can offer a patient an overdenture with far more stability that traditional dentures. More importantly, patients who have had dentures can enjoy non-removable replacement teeth, built upon implants. These function as well as, and sometimes better than, the original natural teeth.

AvaDent® Digital Dentures

Cosmetic Resin Bonding:

Advantages of Cosmetic Resin Bonding

- Immediate results
- Little or no tooth reduction (for bonded restorations)
- Less expensive than crowning or capping
- Generally painless (requires little or no anesthetic)

Disadvantages of Cosmetic Resin Bonding

- The bonded areas of teeth can chip and stain over time
- There is a limited life expectancy to each of these techniques
- Does not postpone the need for a crown

Why should you choose a Prosthodontist?

A prosthodontist is a dentist who has had two or more years of advanced training to provide simple as well as complex dental care. Pi Dental Center’s Prosthodontists, Dr. Glenn Wolfinger and Dr. Robert Slauch, are extensively trained in the complicated techniques of:

- Cosmetic Dentistry
- Denture Therapy and Fabrication
- Crowns and Bridges
- Fixed and Removable Partial Dentures
- Dental Implants
- TMJ (Joint Dysfunction)
- Facial Replacements (Maxillofacial Prosthesis)
- Total Mouth Rehabilitation

Depending upon your individual condition and needs, your prosthodontist can recommend the treatment that is right for you.