Description of Dental Procedures
Click on a procedure listed below to see its' description
bonding, teeth whitening, front tooth porcelain facings, air abrasion, tooth sealants implants, gum treatment, crowns, dentures, partials, root canal treatment, surgery, fillings, retainers, nitrous oxide gas, computerized photography, and specialist referral
1.) Bonding:
Bonding is the use of tooth colored filling materials and porcelains to repair teeth, to replace broken or missing parts of teeth, to cover stains and discolorations on teeth, or to reshape and change the color of teeth by a process of bonding or sticking the filling to the teeth.
2.) Teeth whitening:
Teeth whitening or bleaching is done usually one of two ways. One is to use a laser on the enamel of the teeth. This normally takes 1-4 hours between 1-2 appointments depending on the number of teeth involved. Another way is to use a tray, somewhat similar to an athletes' mouth guard (but thinner and smaller) filled with a bleaching gel material which the patient will wear for several hours each day.
3.) Front tooth porcelain facings:
Front teeth which are stained, discolored, broken, or malformed may be esthetically treated by bonding porcelain facings over the front of these teeth. These porcelain facings are custom designed, baked, and fabricated to fit over the front of the teeth (similar to the way a fake fingernail is placed over the nail) and are bonded as described above [see 1.)].
4.) Air abrasion:
Air abrasion is a technique where a tiny, precision sand etching dental instrument is used (instead of drilling) to remove stained grooves and some types of decay in the top of teeth. Tooth sealants (a tooth color or clear coating that helps the tooth fight decay) or fillings are then placed to finish the procedure. Tooth, gum, and jaw numbing is normally not necessary and rarely required.
5.) Implants:
A procedure where a titanium rod or post is placed by a Surgeon, Periodontist, or General Dentist in the patients' jaw to replace a missing tooth is called implants. The jaw heals around the implant, after which the Dentist fabricates a precision adapter and tooth to fit over the implant which completes the the missing tooth replacement.
6.) Gum treatment:
Gum treatment involves many different procedures depending on the severity of the gum (periodontal) problem. Gum treatment includes the cleaning of teeth, the cleaning of roots by root planing, the surgery on gums so that the teeth roots and bone can be cleaned, the grafting of gum to cover exposed roots, the reshaping of the gums to help them be more healthy, the prescribing of medicines for the gums and bone, the teaching of how to take care of teeth and gums by brushing, flossing, water picking, using mouth rinses, and the discussing of diet and harmful habits.
7.) Crowns:
Crowns are fixed covers or caps that structurally support teeth. They can be gold or porcelain (tooth color). Crowns (they are tight - do not come in and out) are used to repair teeth that have been badly broken, that have root canal fillings, that are malformed or discolored or that need a better bite. The tooth is trimmed , impressions (molds) are taken, the crown is fabricated to fit over the trimmed tooth, the crown is then cemented or bonded to complete the restoration of the tooth.
8.) Dentures:
Dentures are removable sets (sometimes called "plates") of teeth that replace all the teeth in a jaw. They can be upper, lower, or both. The teeth in a jaw are all removed, the jaw bone may need to be shaped properly with a minor surgery, impressions (molds) are taken, the bite is measured, the denture is fabricated, the denture ( they do come in and out) is placed and home care instructions are discussed.
9.) Partials:
Partial dentures are removable sets (sometimes called partial plates) of teeth that replace missing teeth in a jaw that still has other teeth in that jaw. Anchor teeth are shaped, impressions (molds) are taken, the bite is measured, the partial denture is fabricated, the partial denture ( they do come in and out) is placed and home care instructions are discussed.
10.) Root canal treatment:
Root canal treatment is the treatment of a tooth that is sick, abscessed, severally broken, too long and in the way of the bite, hurting due to a pulp stone, or hurting for other reasons. A small entry is made into the tooth and the little tunnels or canals (where the nerve and blood vessels live) inside the tooth are cleaned and reshaped. A filling is placed inside these little canals to seal them off from germs (hence the term "root canal filling"). Most of the time a root canal filling is the only treatment that can help save a tooth with the aforementioned conditions. A crown [see 7.)] is then often recommended as the final restoration.
11.) Surgery:
Oral surgery is the removing of teeth, root tips, sick gum, fibromas, mucoceles, cysts, and other mouth lesions; the reshaping of jaw bones, muscle attachments, and tooth roots; and the placing of implants and bone grafts. Gum (Periodontal) surgery is the placing of gum grafts, implants, the reshaping of gum and jaw bones, the guided regeneration of new bone, and the cleaning of roots.
12.) Fillings:
Fillings are one type of treatment for the repair and restoration of teeth which are broken, decayed, malformed, or treated with root canal fillings. Fillings usually involve numbing, drilling or reshaping the teeth. The filling (gold, silver, or tooth color) is then bonded or placed in the area to be restored.
13.) Retainers:
Retainers are used to help keep or hold teeth in place so they do not move (usually following orthodontic treatment). Retainers can be either fixed (do not come out) or removable. They can be used to hold teeth that have never had orthodontics or braces.
14.) Nitrous oxide gas:
N2O gas is breathed through a mask over the nose and helps the patient to relax. The patient does not go to sleep and can talk to the Dentist and staff during the treatment. This is used only when needed.
15.) Computerized photography:
Intraoral photographs can be taken and computer processed to both store as a record and to study for diagnosis.
16.) Specialist referral:
When the Doctor or Patient thinks another opinion is helpful or when the patient will be better served by a specialist providing the treatment a referral is recommended.
Oral Surgeon - surgery, biopsy, teeth removal
Periodontist - gum surgery, gum treatment
Endodontist - root canal filling
Orthodontist - braces
Prosthodontist - crowns, bridges, dentures
Pedodontist - children's dentistry
Oral Pathologist - biopsy, disease diagnosis
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