Cosmetic Dentistry and Skin Care Blog

Advantages of Veneers

Smile and Skin veneers are a permanent solution to chipping, cracking, staining and unwanted tooth gaps. Porcelain veneers can transform your smile in as little as two appointments-and at competitive pricing. During your veneer visits, we will prepare your teeth, make detailed tooth impressions and carefully bond the porcelain laminates to your teeth, sometimes without any drilling or needles. We will use a special light to "cure" the bonding cement, so your veneer will be both permanent and durable.

Placing cosmetic veneers requires skill and artistry-and the Smile and Skin team has years of experience in transforming smiles of all ages. Benefits of our restorative veneers include:

• Texture, look and shine that mimics natural tooth enamel
• Stain and decay resistant design
• Simultaneous reversal of staining and tooth shape corrections
• Little to no discomfort; infrequent need for anesthesia

Advantages of Ceramic Crowns

For years, dentists have been repairing badly damaged teeth with crowns. Traditionally, these crowns were made of metal-which is an undesirable look for visible teeth. However, thanks to ceramic (porcelain) crown technology, Smile and Skin can apply natural-looking crowns that not only look attractive and mimic natural tooth structure, but also strengthen and protect your teeth.

If you are considering implant treatment or have extensive structural tooth damage, ceramic crowns are an aesthetic way of restoring your smile-and improving tooth functionality. During your crown visit, we will prepare the tooth and make an impression so our partner lab can manufacture a custom-fitted crown. After we receive the crown, it is permanently cemented in place and you are provided with a comprehensive review of how to care for it. Proper maintenance allows cosmetic crowns to last years and years, or even up to a lifetime.

Schedule Your Cosmetic Consultation Today!

If you've been putting off smile repairs, it's time to visit Dr. Meola's team of smile experts. Our staff of trained cosmetic dentists can use veneers and ceramic crowns to improve existing enamel defects, remove unsightly gaps and repair crooked teeth-and our three-dimensional models allow a glimpse of your new smile before we even begin. Call or email today to schedule your no-obligation cosmetic consultation, or to inquire about Zoom tooth whitening and other Smile and Skin cosmetic services.

Why is it important to replace a missing tooth?

Bone loss and shrinkage of gum tissue can begin immediately following the loss of a tooth. In addition, the loss of a tooth frees up space in the mouth, allowing for other teeth to begin moving and shifting in to undesirable positions. This unfortunately can alter your bite and compromise the long-term stability of those teeth. It is vital to see a dentist immediately after the loss of a tooth to discuss the available implant and/or restoration options.

What are Dental Implants?

In the past, the options for restoring missing teeth were limited to removable dentures, which relied on suction of the gums or the support of neighboring teeth, or a fixed dental bridge, which required the reduction and restoration of teeth adjacent to the missing tooth area. Today, dental implants can provide a permanent cosmetic replacement for a missing tooth or several missing teeth. Implants look and feel like natural teeth and serve to restore the bite as well as improve chewing function.

In general, a dental implant consists of three parts. First there is the titanium post, which is secured into the jawbone. This post serves as the replacement "root" of the missing tooth. As the titanium dental implant is allowed to heal in the bone for several months, your bone fully attaches and fuses to the implant through a process called "Osseointegration". After this occurs, the gums are gently uncovered to expose the dental implant and a small healing cap is secured to the implant, allowing the implant to be slightly exposed in the mouth. Following this step, impressions are taken by your dentist and the laboratory will then fabricate a custom natural looking tooth crown made out of porcelain as well as a metal connector called an abutment which attaches the tooth crown to the dental implant itself.

For those who wear removable complete dentures due to having lost all of their teeth in the mouth or those who wear removable partial dentures for several missing teeth, dental implants can used to help retain and secure these dentures for a more stable bite. This allows people to chew and function normally without the fear of embarrassment if the dentures were to come loose or fall out.

How Predictable are Dental Implants?

Dental implants are very predictable with long-term success rates as high as 97%. Dental implants have been utilized in dentistry for over 30+ years and have become the "Gold Standard" for replacing missing teeth. In order to ensure the longevity of the dental implant and the health of the surrounding gum tissue around the implant, frequent professional cleanings are needed.

Things such as smoking, uncontrolled diabetes, and poor oral hygiene with chronic untreated periodontal disease are all important risk factors, which negatively impact the long-term success rate of dental implants.

Am I a Candidate for Dental Implants?

In order to determine if you are a candidate to have dental implants, a professional consultation is needed with your dentist. At this visit, radiographs "X-rays" will be taken along with a thorough clinical exam to determine if there is an adequate amount of bone required for dental implant therapy. The longer a person goes without a tooth, the greater the amount of bone loss occurs, making implant therapy more difficult. Often times an additional bone grafting procedure is performed either prior to or at the time of implant placement in order ensure that the implant is properly stable and secured within the bone as well as to obtain optimal esthetics of the gum tissue.

Types of Sedation Dentistry

Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Use of a combination of inhaled nitrous oxide and oxygen is a very safe and effective way to achieve a relaxed state. Nitrous oxide, or commonly known as "laughing gas," has been used in dentistry for over one hundred years. The effects of nitrous oxide are to reduce fear and the perception of pain while still maintaining consciousness. One of the main benefits is that the onset and recovery is immediate, which allows patients to resume normal activity following their appointment.

Conscious Sedation
For patients with high levels of fear and anxiety, nitrous oxide sedation may not be enough. In these cases, conscious sedation is a much better option. Conscious sedation provides a reduced state of consciousness through the use of medications provided by the dentist. These medications are administered by mouth (oral conscious sedation) or via intravenous methods (IV sedation). Patients undergoing conscious sedation are able to speak and respond to verbal cues throughout the procedure, communicating any discomfort they experience to the dentist. Nitrous oxide sedation can also be used as an adjunct to conscious sedation, synergizing with the effect of local anesthetic and the sedative medications. One of the other benefits of conscious sedation is temporary amnesia that may erase any memory of the procedure. Most patients experience minimal post-operative discomfort; however, due to residual effects of the sedatives, it is important for a trusted companion to escort the patient home to ensure safe transportation and recovery.

General Anesthesia
The majority of dental procedures can be completed with conscious sedation. However, in rare cases in which a patient has extreme anxiety, requires extensive treatment to be done, or has a complex medical condition, general anesthesia may be the best option. General anesthesia is the state produced when a patient receives medications for purposes of amnesia, pain control and to induce sleep. An anesthetized patient can be thought of as being in a controlled, reversible state of unconsciousness. The medications are administered either intravenously or inhaled. Your dentist must work with an anesthesiologist to administer the medications and carefully monitor vital functions such as breathing and heart rate. Due to the complex nature of providing general anesthesia, it is usually performed in a hospital outpatient setting.

There is no need to be fearful of the dentist's office. You can receive the highest quality dental care in a painless and anxiety-free setting. To find out if sedation dentistry is an option for you, or if you would like more information about sedation dentistry, contact your dentist or a qualified sedation dentist.

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