Dental exams
We offer each and every patient a personalized complete dental examination including a detailed intra-oral exam. This is an essential part of a new patient exam. The hard and soft tissues are assessed and recorded during this appointment. As well, x-rays are taken as per your needs in order to more accurately diagnose and allow for a more thorough examination. Subsequently, at each recall visit, which usually occur 1-2 times per year, an exam is performed in order to record any progress, monitor any suspicious areas, and properly maintain good oral health.
Oral Hygiene Instructions
Oral hygiene instructions are discussed and reviewed whenever necessary with our patients. Proper brushing and flossing techniques are key to a healthy oral cavity! Ask us what our recommendations are at your next dental visit :)
Cleanings
Dental prophylaxis is a cleaning treatment performed to thoroughly clean the teeth and gums. Teeth cleaning is an important dental treatment for stopping the progression of gingivitis and periodontal (gum) disease. We use ultrasonic dental scalers in order to properly remove bacteria that has accumulated in your mouth over time. This type of instrument is not something that you can use in your own home, which is why it is important to make sure you visit your dentist frequently for a proper cleaning. This ultrasonic cleaning of the teeth is followed by the use of hand instruments that allow to clean any harder to reach areas. To finish, flossing and polishing of the teeth is performed. Recommendations of how often cleanings must be performed are patient specific and can vary from twice per year to four times per year. At SDV, our dentists are very open and honest and will provide you with all the accurate information necessary to giving you the healthiest mouth possible.
Preventative tooth sealants
Sealants are highly effective in preventing cavities from occurring on the biting surfaces of teeth that we use to chew. Sometimes, it is very hard to clean these teeth that are in the back of our mouths because they have deep grooves where food can get stuck. Sealants is a procedure that is done in order to help in keeping these surfaces clean and prevent cavities from forming there. They are a simple procedure that consists of applying a protective white coating onto the tooth surface in order to “seal” it and protect it from bacterial or debris accumulation.
Veneers
In simple terms, a veneer is a layer of material placed over the front surface of a tooth. Veneers are dental treatments that are categorized as cosmetic because, in most cases, they are done in order to enhance the colour and/or shape of the tooth in question. The material that is chosen to place on the surface of the tooth is chosen based on the type of veneer that is best suited for your tooth or teeth in question. The first thing to do is discuss with your dentist what type of veneer is best suited for your needs.
There are two categories/types of veneers: direct and indirect.
What is a direct veneer?
This is a veneer that is started and finished in 1 appointment. It is an “on the spot” veneer. The colour is chosen prior to beginning the treatment. The material that is used is the same material that we use for a white filling. The treatment consists of isolating the tooth/teeth in question, preparing them properly and placing the filling with the proper shape and dimensions to match the adjacent teeth. A direct veneer is less expensive than an indirect veneer because it is done in-house and nothing needs to be sent to the lab. However, it is also less esthetic because it is much more difficult to get an accurate colour of the filling material to match the tooth. Direct veneers also don’t last as long as indirect veneers, are more fragile, and are subject to staining. Therefore, it is recommended to re-do a direct veneer every few years.
What is an indirect veneer?
This is a veneer that is done in 2-3 separate appointments. For this type, the final veneer fabrication is done by the laboratory instead of by the dentist like in a direct veneer. The first appointment consists of preparing the tooth by removing a thin layer from the front surface of the tooth. Subsequently an impression is taken of the prepared tooth. The colour of the future veneer can be chosen by the patient and the dentist or, in some situations where the colour selection is trickier, the patient is sent to the laboratory that will be fabricating the veneer to choose the colour with an experienced technician. Then, a temporary veneer is fabricated and glued onto the surface of the tooth that was prepared. The patient will then return to the dental clinic once the veneer has been fabricated and, if the patient is happy with the final veneer, the dentist will glue it on permanently. Indirect veneers are very durable and can last a very long time. They are fabricated with ceramics and do not need to be re-done as often as direct veneers.
Whitening treatments
A number of different bleaching techniques and products are available to patients. Your dentist will use one of these two
methods to whiten your teeth:
• Vital bleaching is done on “living” teeth and can be used to whiten your teeth if they have become stained or if they have darkened with age.
• Non-vital bleaching is bleaching done on teeth that are no longer “alive.” If your tooth has changed colour because of a root canal, non-vital bleaching can lighten your tooth from the inside out.
Bleaching should be done under a dentist’s care. Tooth-bleaching under controlled dental office conditions is safe and effective. Tooth sensitivity and irritation to soft tissues can occur during bleaching treatment, but these effects are usually temporary. Many individuals end up undergoing periodic bleaching treatments to keep their teeth at their whitest for an extended period of time.
Implants
Dental implants are permanent ways of replacing missing teeth. Simply put, a dental implant is a screw that is placed into the bone of your jaw in the area where you are missing a tooth. This screw acts like the root of the tooth and anchors into the bone. The most important component to knowing whether or not your missing tooth is eligible for an implant is knowing how much bone you have in that area. If there is inadequate bone height and width, it is very difficult and sometimes impossible to place an implant in that area and other options need to be discussed. If the bone height and width are adequate and a dental implant can be placed, an implant is one of the best options to replace a missing tooth. It almost feels like you never lost a tooth in the first place! Dental implants can be costly but, if properly maintained, they can last a lifetime.
Crowns
Crowns, also known as “caps”, is an artificial tooth that is fabricated using ceramics and is used to cover a damaged or severely decayed tooth. Crowns are the best treatments for teeth that have a guarded prognosis because they act as protection from future and further damage. When properly maintained, crowns can last many years without needing to be replaced.
There are two types of crowns. Crowns that are tooth-borne, i.e. that go on your natural teeth, and implant crowns, i.e. crowns that are made for implants.
Bridges
Bridges constitute another permanent option to restore missing teeth. In most cases, a bridge is able to replace one, two, or, in some rare cases, three adjacent missing teeth. Bridges are fixed in place permanently and, if properly maintained, can last a long time. There is one very important component that is needed in order for a bridge to be considered as an option for a missing tooth/teeth: there needs to be a tooth on either side of the empty space. This is because a bridge consists of an artificial tooth that is fused between two crowns , and, as we know from reading the paragraph above, a crown is an artificial tooth that covers a tooth. Therefore, in order for your empty space to be eligible for a bridge, it must have teeth adjacent to it that are eligible to receiving crowns. Bridges, like crowns, are made of ceramic materials and, in most cases, the colour of the final bridge is chosen by the patient and the laboratory technician in order to get a colour that matches perfectly with the rest of the teeth in the mouth.
Invisalign®
is a dental treatment that falls under the category of orthodontics. In simple terms, it is a way to have your teeth straightened. This treatment consists of taking a mould of the patients mouth and having clear trays custom-fabricated based on the patient’s needs. These trays are to be worn minimum 22 hours per day, 7 days a week, in order for optimal results to be achieved as efficiently as possible. Invisalign® treatments vary in time frame and last on average 1.5 years. The reason this treatment has become very popular in the past years is due to the fact that the clear trays that need to be worn are much more esthetic than brackets (i.e. braces). Some people can be very self conscious to have silver brackets on their teeth, so Invisalign® is a great option for them.
What are dentures?
Dentures are devices that are fabricated to replace missing teeth along with their surrounding tissues (i.e. the gums). They can be made for the top or bottom gum-line, or both. Dentures are custom made to fit your mouth as precisely as possible. There are many steps to fabricating a denture properly. The final fabrication of a denture is made by the dental laboratory and is based on a very precise impression of the gums, soft and hard tissues that the dentist takes.
There are two types of dentures: partial and complete. The choice of which denture is best for you depends solely on how many teeth are missing. As its’ name suggests, a complete denture is fabricated to replace a gum line that has lost all of its teeth. A partial denture, on the other hand, denotes that there are partially missing teeth, i.e. only some teeth are missing on the gum line and some remain.
Whether it be partial or complete, dentures are removable tooth replacements and need to be removed at night. As well, they need to be properly cleaned and maintained in order to have a long lifetime.
How does a denture hold in the mouth?
In the case of a partial denture, there are still teeth present near the missing spaces. Therefore, these types of dentures are fabricated with metal clasps that anchor onto these remaining teeth. For this reason, partial dentures are quite sturdy and hold fairly well. Complete dentures, on the other hand, do not have any teeth to anchor onto. Therefore, their hold is dependant on the surrounding hard and soft tissues, i.e. jaw bone, gums, and corresponding muscles of the oral cavity. All of these components are very important in assuring that the denture stays in place and does not dislodge. To add stability to dentures, dental implants can be placed in the jaw to serve as anchorage.
Dental fillings
A dental filling is performed when a tooth has a cavity.
What is a cavity?
A cavity occurs in a tooth where there is an accumulation of bacteria.
As a cavity grows, it destroys more and more healthy tooth structure. The goal of a filling is to stop this destruction before it affects the vitality of the tooth. This procedure involves removing this cavity (i.e. bacteria and decayed part of your tooth) and subsequently filling and sealing the hole with a biocompatible material. Fillings can range in size and difficulty. Each tooth and each tooth surface is unique. The material that we use to fill a tooth depends on that specific tooth’s needs.
Root canals
When a cavity (or a fracture) reaches the nerve of the tooth and we can still save it, the best treatment option is a root canal treatment. This procedure involves removing the dead or dying nerve from the roots of the tooth, cleaning it out and refilling the empty space with a biocompatible material.
Extractions
Sometimes, a tooth cannot be saved no matter how much we would like to try! In this case, the tooth must be extracted. Once you are properly anesthetized, we remove the tooth in question following a proper sequence of instruments. Once it is removed, we make sure that the area is properly disinfected and a proper clot has been formed to control the bleeding. If the patient is considering an implant in that area, a bone graft at the time of extraction will be highly recommended.
Treatment of gum disease
Periodontal disease, also known as “gum disease” characterizes one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults. However, when the disease is detected and treated early, this tooth loss can be avoided. If left untreated, this disease will begin to slowly destroy the structure and support of our natural teeth. The treatment of gum disease in its earlier stages includes a complete periodontal (gum) examination where we take measurements and data of each and every tooth that allowing us to highlight the problematic areas. This is followed by an accurate diagnosis of the disease state and a well-explained step-by-step treatment plan. Usually, in its’ earlier stages, the first part of the treatment of periodontal disease is a deep cleaning. This is performed by anesthetizing the areas of the mouth that are diseased and properly cleaning them. The anesthetizing is performed because this treatment is considered a more in-depth cleaning and would hurt otherwise. This means that we are not only cleaning the teeth surfaces that you can see when you open your mouth. Because periodontal disease also affects the areas below the gums, we must assure that this area is properly cleaned as well. So, during this treatment we are also going underneath the gums and cleaning the tooth root’s surfaces using the proper instrumentation. This deep cleaning is followed by proper maintenance and subsequent frequent cleanings.
A dental emergency is a problem that a patient is having anywhere in the mouth. These types of dental problems can range from extreme pain, to infection, to broken teeth, and many more. Dental emergencies require a visit to your dentist as soon as possible. At Studio Dentaire VMR, we are here for you for any and all dental emergencies. Give us a call and you surely won’t be disappointed :)
