COMPOSITE FILLINGS

Fillings are a very familiar procedure for many people.  It’s part of maintaining your teeth to keep very small problems from getting bigger.   The procedure involves anesthetizing the tooth to be worked on and removing all of the decay and/or defect, then placing a tooth colored restoration.  At Adair Dental Medicine we provide this service but with some additional touches.  We use a composite that is highly biocompatible with no BisGMA like traditional methacrylate composites.  Dr. Adair also finds no indication for amalgam at this stage in dentistry, so they will not be a part of your treatment. 

Filling indications

• Removing small decay to prevent infection

• Closing spaces for esthetic reasons or for areas that trap food.

• Replacing defective restorations due to decay around a filling or a deteriorating material

• Removing small fractures

crowns

Crowns are indicated when a patient has a tooth that is not strong enough to support a filling.  If a tooth has a large existing filling that needs to be replaced, a cavity that wraps around the tooth, or if the tooth has been treated with a root canal; these are some reasons Dr. Adair would treatment plan for a crown.  People often associate crowns with cutting the tooth down to a small “nub.”  This is not the case anymore.  We use all ceramic (porcelain) crowns that require very minimal preparation and in the front of the mouth we veneer over the stronger material for the most natural look.  Dr. Adair tries to be conservative wherever possible so that if it ever needs to be replaced there is plenty of tooth to work with.  Crowns provide structural integrity to the tooth.  A crown will allow you to eat whatever you want without fear of damaging it.  A crown is prepared in the first visit.  An impression is made and sent to the lab where the crown is custom fabricated.  The patient will have a temporary crown in the meantime.  At the second visit, slight adjustments are made and the crown is seated.  Often the patient doesn’t even need to be numb for the second visit.

CROWN INDICATIONS

• Creating structural stability for a fractured portion of a tooth

• Restoring a tooth that has had root canal therapy

• Replacing large decay or deteriorating fillings in the front or in the back of the mouth.

veneers

Veneers are a beautiful option for enhancing a patients smile and giving them a new source of confidence in their appearance.  Your smile is an integral part of who you are and the more you smile, the more you brighten everyone’s day.  We want to be part of that!  The procedure for veneers requires smoothing and preparation of the outside layer of the tooth and a dental impression.  From there the impression is rushed to the lab and the veneers are hand crafted and glazed with customizations to match the surrounding smile and give the look that the patient is trying to achieve.  Dr. Adair can even present a mock up before the teeth are actually prepared that will even help with the fabrication of the temporary restoration.

Veneer indications

• Closing small spaces between the front teeth when braces are not indicated or wanted

• Changing the shade and surface texture of the teeth

• Changing the shape of the teeth to make them more prominent, more feminine or stronger

• Restoring surface stains from braces or fluorosis