Our practice can provide a wide range of dental services for patients of all ages! Children are always welcome at Bay Colony Dentistry. We believe that if we can provide a positive dental experience for them at a young age, they will enjoy going to the dentist regularly. We believe regular dental visits that provide patients with preventative services can improve one's oral health status immeasurably.
We typically provide every type of dental service from exams, cleanings, fillings, root canals, gum treatments, crowns, bridges, implant restorations, extractions, dentures and whitening. If necessary we may refer you to other specialties for consultations and/or treatment. Our emphasis is on total preventive care for our patients. Total care begins with regular hygiene visits, regular checkups and continued home oral health routines.
Our practice also provides the highest-quality services for restoring mouths that have been damaged by dental diseases such as decay and periodontitis (gum disease) as well as traumatic injuries and genetic malformations. Our primary goal for our patients is to achieve and maintain optimum oral health through consistent home care, regularly scheduled dental exams and when necessary, with superior restorative materials and conservative dental techniques. We want all of our patients to retain their natural teeth over the course of their lifetime.
Fillings
The concept of a "filling" is replacing and restoring your tooth structure that is damaged due to decay or fracture with a man made material. The most common materials used in fillings include white composite fillings that blend with the tooth's color or silver mercury amalgam fillings. Additionally, in some circumstances, we can replace missing tooth structure with poreclain inlay fillings.
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Root Canal
A root canal is a procedure that extracts decayed pulp from the central part of the tooth, reshapes the canal and replaces it with a filler material.
A cavity is the result of superficial decay of the enamel of the tooth. Left long enough, this decay can burrow into the deeper reaches of the tooth, causing extensive damage to tooth structure. When the damage goes beyond what can be treated with a filling, dentists can perform a root canal (or endodontics), preserving the tooth and retaining its original integrity; thereby, saving a tooth that in the past would have to have been pulled.
Procedure:
- The patient undergoes anesthesia.
- A dental dam is used to isolate the tooth.
- The tooth is opened to allow for removal of infected or dead dental pulp.
- The tooth is comprehensively cleaned, including any cracks and canals.
- With special tools, the doctor reshapes the canals.
- The tooth is filled again with cutting edge biocompatible filling material.
- A temporary covering is used to cover the access opening.
- Patients MUST see their regular dentist quickly for a permanent restoration of the tooth.
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Tooth Extractions
Extractions are performed by Dr. Blanchard and her staff in a caring and compassionate environment. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is available for the comfort of our patients. Reasons for extractions include baby teeth that are over retained and causing crowding of a child's permanent teeth, permanent teeth that need to be extracted due to insufficient room in the jaw (wisdom teeth) or as part of an orthodontic treatment plan and teeth that are unrestorable due to disease, decay or trauma.
Ask our staff for more information regarding tooth extractions if you feel you may need one.
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Crowns and Bridges
Crowns
A crown is a permanent covering that fits over an original tooth that is either decayed, damaged or cracked. Crowns are made of a variety of different materials such as porcelain, gold, acrylic resin or a mix of these materials. Porcelain generally has the most natural appearance, although it is often less durable.
The treatment plan for a patient receiving a crown involves:
- Numbing the tooth to remove the decay in or around it.
- Re-sculpturing the tooth to provide an ideal fit for the crown.
- Making an impression of your teeth in order to create a custom-made crown (usually takes one to two weeks).
- Making a temporary crown out of acrylic resin and fitting it onto the tooth during the interim period when the permanent custom-made crown is being created.
- Applying the permanent crown (when received from the lab) by removing the temporary crown and fitting the permanent one onto the tooth.
- After ensuring that the crown has the proper look and fit, the dentist cements it into place.
This process generally consists of a minimum of 2-3 visits over a three week period.Once the procedure is completed, proper dental hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, is required to maintain healthy, bacteria-free teeth, gums and crowns.
Bridges
A bridge is a dental device that fills a space that a tooth previously occupied. A bridge may be necessary to prevent:
- Shifting of the teeth that can lead to bite problems (occlusion) and/or jaw problems and resultant periodontal disease.
- Bridges safeguard the integrity of existing teeth and help maintain a healthy, vibrant smile.
Implants
Dental implants are artificial tooth replacements that were first developed half a century ago by a Swedish scientist named Per-Ingvar Branemark. Implants arose from the patient’s need to secure loose-fitting dentures. Since the advent of the implant, engineering and enhancements to the implant have enabled dentists to expand the implant’s usefulness, including the replacement of a single tooth or multiple missing or lost teeth. Implants are placed by specialists and restorations (crowns, bridges or dentures) for the implant are completed by Dr. Blanchard and her caring staff at Bay Colony Dentistry.
Post Implant Care
Although proper oral hygiene is always recommended for maintaining good dental health, it is especially important when a patient has received a dental implant. Bacteria can attack sensitive areas in the mouth when teeth and gums are not properly cleaned, thus causing gums to swell and jaw bones to gradually recede. Recession of the jawbone will weaken implants and eventually make it necessary for the implant to be removed. Patients are advised to visit their dentists at least twice a year to ensure the health of their teeth and implants. Dental implants can last for decades when given proper care.
Composite Bonding
Bonding is a common solution for:
- Fixing or repairing chipped or cracked teeth
- Reducing unsightly gaps or spaces between teeth
- Hiding discoloration or faded areas on the tooth’s surface
Often used to improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile. As the name indicates, composite material, either a plastic or resin, is bonded to an existing tooth. Unlike veneers or crowns, composite bonding removes little, if any, of the original tooth.
Composite bonding has many advantages:
- It is a quick process, which typically can be done in one office visit.
- It does not reduce the tooth’s original structure and is relatively inexpensive.
- Composite resins come in many different shades and are matched to the natural color of your teeth.
- Composite bonds, however, are not as durable and long-lasting as veneers and crowns and may need to be re-touched or replaced in the future.
Composite bonds stain more easily and therefore require proper care and regular cleaning. In order to ensure the longest possible duration of the bonding, composites should be brushed and flossed daily. Common staining elements include coffee, tea, red wine, tobacco, as well as some foods and candy.
Other Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures:
Teeth Whitening
Your teeth will darken over time. Changes in the color of your teeth can be caused by such factors as the food and beverages consumed (like coffee, tea and soda). Other known factors for discoloration may include trauma, childhood medications or illnesses, tobacco use or improper oral hygiene. Restoring your natural white smile is a priority for our dental whitening team. We can provide a variety of options for whitening your smile.
Tooth whitening services are growing in popularity, and it’s one of the most requested services offered by our practice. Everyone sees the growing consumer market focused on whiter teeth. The reality is that over-the-counter, “too good to be true” solutions typically don’t work.
We are trained professionals using prescription strength products and approved methods. Our goal is to meet the needs of every patient, and every patient’s needs are different. Some patients may only have one darkened tooth due to trauma or a root canal. Our single tooth internal bleaching for root canal treated teeth has produced amazing results....ask our staff for details!
We can whiten your entire smile in one visit. One of the methods used by our practice is a gentle hydrogen-peroxide gel-activated solution. Nothing improves your appearance more than a bright, white smile! Call us today for a whitening evaluation!
Veneers
Veneers are thin, semi-translucent “shells” typically attached to your front teeth. Veneers are customized from porcelain material and permanently bonded to your teeth. Veneers are a great alternative to otherwise painful dental procedures to improve the appearance of your smile.
Common problems that veneers are used for:
- Spaces between the teeth
- Broken or chipped teeth
- Unsightly, stained or discolored teeth
- Permanently stained or discolored teeth
- Crooked or misshapen teeth
Veneers are a great aesthetic solution to your smile. Please contact our office if you have any further questions on veneers or cosmetic dentistry.
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