At Creating Smiles Cosmetic + Family Dentistry, we offer a variety of services to care for your mouth. If you have any questions or would like more information on how we can care for your teeth and mouth, please contact us today.
Dental Exams
Here at Creating Smiles Cosmetic + Family Dentistry, we are proud to offer dental examinations and x-rays for our patients.
Regular dental examinations and x-rays are the best way to ensure that you have a healthy smile. We start each examination with a professional cleaning so that we are able to examine your mouth and teeth closely. It is our goal to find and correct any problems before they become major ones!
X-Rays are used to examine the inside of your teeth. We are hoping to be able to catch any problems that we can’t see with the naked eye! Using radiology, we are able to see which teeth are developing cavities. We may also see some teeth or gum areas that may require some extra work.
Teeth Whitening
One of the most common desires patients have is whiter teeth. When considering your options it is important to consult your dentist to make sure you have all the facts and understand how they may affect your teeth and mouth.
Many people think the coloring of teeth is due to plaque or dirt. But a variety of factors can affect the color of your teeth including food, drink, tobacco, age, injury, and medications. Understanding what is causing the discoloration is important to properly whiten your teeth.
Teeth whitening products use bleaches (either hydrogen peroxide or carbamide peroxide) to break stains into smaller pieces, which make them harder to see and make your teeth brighter. These bleaches do not work on all teeth, so it is important to consult your dentist before any treatment. Whitening will not be effective on caps, veneers, crowns, fillings or if the color is caused by medications or injury.
Options for teeth whitening usually include whitening toothpastes, at-home bleaching, and in-office bleaching. Of course effectiveness, safety, and results vary greatly between products, so consult with your dentist if you are considering these choices.
If the bleach in a whitening product gets through the enamel of your teeth, it can irritate the nerves and cause tooth sensitivity. This sensitivity is usually temporary, but overuse of whiteners can cause lasting damage. If you are experiencing prolonged side effects from teeth whitening, contact us right away.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are one of the most popular choices for replacing missing teeth, due to its many strengths as a procedure. With dental implants, your tooth replacement looks, feels, bites, and functions almost exactly like an actual tooth.
Using our 3D imaging scanner, we take a high resolution, panoramic, color image of your entire jaw structure within less than 30 seconds. This also provides us with a full 3D analysis and scan of your face. This allows our Dr. Pineda to get a complete view of your situation in order to detect and prevent any issues that a traditional x-ray, like a bite-wing, may not have seen. It also allows for pinpoint accuracy for the placement of the dental implant. Our new 3D scanner (also called a cone beam scanner) also emits the lowest level of radiation possible while still providing a super clear image. That makes it exceptionally reliable….. and exceptionally safe.
We then create a dental implant, made out of a bio-compatible metal, which is placed into the jaw and allowed to fuse with the surrounding bone and tissue. A dental crown is then placed over an abutment, and the crown is the only part of the implant that is visible. To anyone else, it looks like your own, natural tooth.
Implants are a great solution for a single missing tooth, multiple missing teeth, or even replacing all of the upper or lower teeth (sometimes called an All-On-4 implant, because it resides on 4 posts). To find out if dental implants would be a good fit for you, call our office to set up a dental implant consultation.
Crowns
A tooth can lose its normal shape and size for a variety of reasons. A crown covers your tooth to help restore its original shape and size. Crowns can also be used to make teeth stronger and look better.
Crowns have a variety of uses. In some cases that require a large filling, there isn’t enough tooth remaining to keep the filling in place. A crown can strengthen the tooth and hold the filling. Crowns can also protect teeth that are weak, or help fix ones that are broken. Discolored or misshaped teeth can be covered by a crown, as can dental implants.
Your dentist may recommend a crown for any of the reasons, among many others. Crowns play an important role in dental health, and if you are in need of one, please contact our office today.
Periodontics
Here at Creating Smiles Cosmetic + Family Dentistry, we work hard to prevent periodontal disease.
Periodontal disease is very common in adults. It is caused by all of the bacteria in our mouth that forms form plaque on our teeth. Without routine brushing and flossing, it continues to build up, forming tartar.
People with periodontal disease can have red and swollen gums that often bleed quite easily. It may be hard to eat because their teeth are so sensitive. They may be missing teeth. Some people with periodontal disease have very bad breath.
We diagnose periodontal disease by examining your teeth. We also use a probe to look for any problem areas. X-rays are also necessary to diagnose the disease.
A good professional cleaning is necessary to remove the tartar from your mouth and underneath your gums. If your periodontal disease is bad, you may need to follow up your brushing and flossing with antibacterial mouthrinse. You may even need to use an antibacterial gel or start on oral antibiotics to help to get rid of the disease. Sometimes surgery is necessary to help with the deep pockets of infection.
Once your periodontal disease is under control, good home care with brushing and flossing should help to keep it from coming back.
If you are concerned that you may have periodontal disease, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We will get you in for an examination as soon as possible.
Veneers
Veneers are thin shells intended to cover the front side of teeth to hide stains, chips, decay, or irregularities. A dental technician uses a model created by a dentist to make a custom shell out of specials materials.
Because veneers require removing some enamel, they are usually permanent. Your dentist will typically recommend avoiding food and drink that will stain your veneers. Veneers can chip or crack, but overall the results are worthwhile and many people are thrilled with their new smile.
Veneers are an alternative to more expensive crowns. Porcelain veneers require multiple visits, but they last longer and provide a more stable color than bonding. If you are considering veneers, contact us today to discuss your options with our staff.
Invisalign®
Have you ever thought about straightening your teeth, but hate the idea of metal braces? With Invisalign® clear dental aligners, you can achieve that straight, confident smile you’ve always wanted without the look of “metal-mouth.” In-fact, most teens and adults who have used Invisalign® report that no one even knew that they were wearing them.
So how does it work?
First, we’ll use our 3D imaging scanner (also called a cone beam scanner) to take a high resolution, panoramic, color image of your entire jaw structure in less than 30 seconds. This provides us with a full 3D analysis and scan of your face, jaw, and sinuses in order to detect and prevent any complications or issues that a traditional x-ray (like a bite-wing) may not see.
Dr. Pineda will use these images to map out a treatment plan, showing you exactly how the movement of the teeth will occur and what time-frame will be involved. While every case is different, most treatments take approximately a year for adults. With teens, the length of time for adjustments is about the same as regular braces.
Based on your treatment plan, a series of clear aligners will be custom-made for you out of a smooth, BPA-free clear plastic. You’ll wear them all day, and take them out to eat or to brush and floss your teeth. As you wear them, your teeth will gently and gradually begin to shift into their proper place.
About every two weeks you’ll switch to a new set of aligners to continue to move your teeth into proper positioning, and you’ll also have occasional checkups with Dr. Pineda to monitor your progress.
It really is that easy.
Want to learn more about Invisalign and see if it’s right for you? Call our office for a consultation today!
A special note for Parents: Has your teen been asking you about Invisalign®? Check out this special information for the facts on why Invisalign® clear aligners are a better choice than traditional metal braces.