New Beginnings for Your Smile
You might take all the necessary steps to fight gum disease and tooth decay, but still have difficulty warding them off. You may have genetics that didn’t give you strong enamel, or TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorder that has caused excessive wear to your teeth—whatever your situation, Dr. Shull has solutions. With today’s restorative dentistry options, the process of restoring your smile’s function, form, and beauty is faster and more comfortable than ever.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings are strong enough to withstand temperature changes without expanding and contracting like metal fillings. They are completely safe for the human body without the use of mercury, and they are perfectly color-matched to blend in seamlessly with your natural teeth.
Same Day Crowns
If visible tooth structure (known as the crown) has been deeply damaged because of infection or decay, your treatment plan may include a dental crown. Our office utilizes CEREC technology which allows you to receive your permanent crown the same day as treatment. Crown placement starts with treating the infection or removing the decay. After removing decay, the tooth is shaped in preparation to take a digital scan. The 3D scan will allow the doctor to design the restoration and send to the CEREC milling unit which will create the restoration in about 15 minutes. When finished milling, the crown will be placed in an oven for 20 minutes to give it its final strength and color. The crown will then be cemented onto your tooth and you’ll be finished! (For a small number of patients, we will need to send impressions to our lab of choice for crown crafting, and when the crown is finished, you’ll visit us again for the final placement.)
Bridges
If you’re missing a tooth or teeth, a dental bridge can bring new life to your smile. The process of building a bridge resembles that of a crown, but adjacent teeth are prepped before being used as anchors for the artificial tooth or teeth (trust us, nobody will be able to tell the difference). The importance of replacing missing teeth can’t be overstated; if gaps aren’t filled in a relatively timely manner, surrounding teeth may shift to fill the space, causing bite changes, TMJ dysfunction, and potential loss of additional teeth in the future.
Dentures & Partials
At Bear Creek Family Dental, we know losing your natural teeth can be a painful experience, but replacing them doesn’t have to be. Dentures and partials, like bridges, are an option for replacing missing teeth. How many teeth are being replaced and their location in the mouth factor into Dr. Shull’s recommended treatment plan.
Dentures and partials are crafted with durable, biocompatible materials like acrylic and ceramic that mimic the appearance and feel of your natural teeth. If your impression of dentures is that they’re outdated, we’d love to show you the many ways they’ve improved over the decades and help you determine if they’re a good option for you.
Root Canals
This endodontic procedure can save teeth from the need for extraction. If you have an infection in the pulp of your tooth, it can cause a world of pain. A root canal procedure eliminates the infection, usually with no more discomfort than the process of having a cavity filled.
Root canal procedures involve making a small access hole in the tooth, using specialized instruments to carefully remove the infection, sterilizing and filling the chamber with a biocompatible material to prevent further infection, and completing the treatment with a crown to restore the tooth back to health.