Dental Treatments

If requiring dental treatment, a visit to your dentist is required to diagnose what the problem is. If you require additional treatment, he/she will refer you to one of the specialized dentists mentioned below. Following are some of the more common dental treatments;

*Teeth whitening or bleaching, as the name suggests, is to obtain whiter teeth and therefore a better smile. A dentist will either use an in-office bleaching system or laser bleaching.
*Crowns are either an artificial tooth or an artificial replacement for the covering of a tooth.
*Prophylaxis involves the cleaning of teeth.
*Full orthodontic treatment involves getting braces to straighten the teeth. Braces straighten teeth by putting steady pressure on the teeth for extended periods of time. Standard braces consist of wires and rubber bands. Sometimes head gear is required.
*After braces, a retainer (thin piece of plastic molded to fit your mouth, with metal wires) is used to ensure the teeth don't return to former positions.
*A dental bridge is an appliance used to replace one or more missing teeth. These appliances are cemented into place and cannot be removed by the patient.
*Dental implants can be done to replace a missing tooth. The implant is different than a bridge in that the implant is permanently attached into your jaw.
*Tooth decay creates cavities that require a filling. There 2 main fillings are; dental amalgams and composite resins. Dental amalgams are made of mercury and an alloy of silver, tin and copper. Composite resins are a tooth colored plastic mixture filled with glass. Composite resins are also used to change color of teeth and reshape disfigured teeth.
*Teeth that are severely decayed and causing extensive pain, or infection, may need to be removed from the mouth and are therefore extracted. Impacted wisdom teeth also need to be extracted as they can cause severe pain, bacteria and plaque build up, tumors, infections and jaw or gum disease.
*Root canal treatment is a procedure where the nerve of a heavily decayed tooth is removed from the tooth and replaced with a filling material.
*Dentures are a synthetic replacement for all of your teeth in either your upper or lower jaw.
Porcelain veneers is a ceramic material which is bonded to the front of teeth to change the tooth's color, size and/or shape.

Specialised Dental Treatments

The following are specialized areas of dentistry.
A periodontist is a dentist who specializes in the treatment of gum disease.
A pedodontist is a dentist who specializes in the treatment of children's teeth.
A prosthodontist is a dentist who specializes in the replacement of missing teeth.
An endodontist is a dentist who specializes in root canals and the treatment of diseases or injuries that affect the root tips or nerves in your teeth.
Orthodontics (orthodontist) is the dental specialty that focuses on the development, prevention and correction of irregularities of the teeth, bite and jaws.
Oral and maxillofacial surgeons are orthopedic facial surgeons who treat a wide variety of dental problems ranging from the removal of impacted teeth, to reconstructive facial surgery.