EXTRACTIONS
Extractions are performed on:
Decayed teeth-when the decay has progressed so far the tooth cannot be repaired.
Over Retained Teeth-baby teeth that have hung around too long and are in the way of the erupting permanent teeth. Primary teeth and permanent premolars as recommended by the orthodontist
We evaluate our young adult patients’ wisdom teeth (third molars) and may make an appropriate referral to our expert local oral/maxillofacial surgeons for removal.
AMALGAM RESTORATIONS (Silver fillings)
We limit restoration of primary and permanent teeth with amalgam to:
- Various situations, where the durability of resins is questionable.
- parental request to restore with amalgam vs. resin (white fillings)
- patients whose cooperation is questionable due to lack of desire to cooperate or physical condition
You see, amalgam can set up in a wet environment, but resin cannot. It is rather difficult to keep a tooth dry if the patient is anxious, crying, very wiggly or fussy, or due to physical conditions or limitations produces alot of saliva or has a strong and resistant tongue.
RESIN RESTORATIONS (White Fillings)
Modern bonding techniques and improved materials can make repair of fractured teeth both durable and beautiful. With the advent of white filling materials designed for back teeth, we can now treat decay in these areas with confidence.
Often, resins are the preferred treatment for the following reasons:
- more conservative tooth preparation
- more aesthetically pleasing
STAINLESS STEEL CROWNS
Primary Teeth
We will restore primary molars with stainless steel crowns (SSC) when:
- a restoration has fractured and the durability of another filling is questionable
- when multiple areas of decay weaken a tooth
- when decalcification of enamel surrounds the entire tooth. Much of decalcification is removed during preparation stage. Subsequently, much of the tooth enamel is missing when the decalcification is removed.
- Stainless steel crowns are attached to the tooth by a special decay-inhibiting cement. When the baby tooth comes out later, the crown comes out with the baby tooth.
Permanent Teeth
We will restore permanent molars when:
- hypoplasia (very soft enamel) covering much of the crown is present. Typically, sealants, resins and amalgam restorations don’t hold up well on such teeth.
- Not restoring a hypoplastic permanent molar with a stainless steel crown can often increase the chance of an abscess or extraction.
- A prefabricated stainless steel crown (one put on when the child is young) must be followed by a permanent crown (porcelain or porcelain/metal or gold) when the patient is a young adult (18 or older).
- A permanent crown cannot be placed while the child is young, because compared to an adult tooth, the nerve is very large inside the tooth and could be damaged by the steps required to construct a permanent crown.
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BONDED WHITE PLASTIC CROWNS FOR FRONT TEETH
We can often restore decayed front baby teeth with bonded full resin crowns. Even little kids deserve a beautiful smile!
SPACE MAINTAINERS
We fabricate unilateral spacers and bilateral spacers, when primary molars have been extracted prior to the time of natural exfoliation. ('What?!' 'See: When the baby teeth come out too soon.' 'Ohhh!')
MICRO-ABRASION
A compound rubbed on a tooth to remove superficial stain and discoloration (hypoplasia). Success depends on the type and extent of discoloration. Brown or dark stains are most readily removed. White spots are often improved, and sometimes eliminated. Sometimes these white stains will persist. Speckled teeth can have improvement by equalizing color.
This minimal treatment of teeth does not eliminate other treatment options. Micro-abrasion is cheaper than other options and is conservative.
Deep stains are not improved by micro-abrasion.
ORAL SURGERY
We provide oral surgery (extractions) services except for extraction of wisdom teeth. For those procedures we have consulting relationships with several excellent local oral surgeon offices.
APPLE HILL SURGICAL CENTRE
Several reasons we would not recommend treatment in our office but would recommend treating your child at Apple Hill Surgical Centre:
- The patient has special needs or a medical history that requires comprehensive treatment in one visit
- Patient desires extensive treatment in a single visit
- Patient is very young
PREVENTATIVE SERVICES
We regularly provide a variety of preventative services which include:
Scaling and polishing of teeth
Typically, these services (with the exception of sealants) are performed every 6 months. You and your dentist can determine if this schedule is appropriate for your child, or if he or she needs a more specialized schedule.
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