General Dentistry for the Whole Family. Yes! We see kids!
At Burns Family Dentistry, our primary goal to help you, and your family, achieve maximum oral hygiene and give you great dental care. We see both children and adults and “kids” of all ages love our pain-free dental laser. Our experienced team is here to serve your dental needs and ensure each visit is as effective, efficient, and comfortable as possible. No matter what you’re in need of, whether it be a general cleaning, an extraction, a root canal, or any of our other services, we’ll treat you with extra care and exceptional service.
We also want to be there when our patients are in need. We strive to work emergency services into our daily schedule. If you’re experiencing pain, we want to help you on that same day. Call us and see what we can do for you.
General Dentistry Services:
Crowns and Bridges
Crowns and bridges are used to restore and enhance teeth that are damaged. A crown (also referred to as a cap) not only strengthens a tooth, but it can dramatically improve a tooth’s appearance, shape and alignment. Crowns have many other uses as well. A bridge is one or more artificial teeth cemented into place using the teeth on either side for support.
How It Works:
Crowns and bridges are custom made, by taking an impression of your mouth creating them to match your natural tooth color. Typically, a temporary crown or bridge would have to be put in place, but our technology allows for many of our crowns to be made here in our office using our CEREC cad/cam technology. That means no impression, no temporary and no follow-up appointment! Just your custom made, beautiful all-porcelain crown finished in just about an hour!
Sometimes it is necessary to reinforce your crown or bridge with a post inserted into the root, especially for teeth that have had root canal treatment. Our office uses passive posts, meaning they do not stress the teeth. Cast posts are made from a wax imprint of your tooth canal. In some cases, the post is milled as part of your CEREC crown. Another type of post is made of steel so that it can be used on smaller roots without compromising them. The result is a custom post and buildup that fit passively into the tooth for maximum strength and quality. Bridges and crowns are very durable and can last a lifetime with extra care and good oral hygiene.
Root Canal Treatment
Root canal treatment (also referred to as root canal therapy or endodontic therapy) is made necessary when an untreated cavity reaches all the way to the pulp. Treatment may also be needed when deep restorations or trauma to a tooth cause pulpal damage. Once the pulp becomes infected, it can begin to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is known as an abscess). If the pulp is infected, not only is it painful but it will require treatment as it cannot heal on its own.
Symptoms that indicate the pulp has become infected may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, pain to biting or pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth. However, sometimes no symptoms are apparent and you may be unaware of any problem until a checkup.
How It Works:
A root canal is performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp, disinfect the canals of the tooth and fill them with a material called gutta percha to seal out bacteria. Once the area is numbed a root canal treatment can be quite painless. Single rooted teeth, such as front teeth, can be treated in as little as 30 minutes, however, root canals on back teeth can take 1 1/2 hours or more. The alternative treatment would be to extract the tooth. Once the infection is resolved a core build-up, or a cast post, and crown is recommended for restoring a tooth that has undergone root canal therapy to keep it from breaking.
Fillings
A filling is a way to restore a tooth damaged by decay back to its normal function and shape. Our dentist will first remove the decayed tooth material, clean the affected area, and then fill the cleaned out cavity with a filling material. A filling helps prevent further decay by closing off any cracks or spaces where bacteria can enter.
How It Works:
There are a variety of filling materials available including amalgam, composite resin and porcelain.
- Amalgam (silver) fillings have been used in the past, however, they tend to eventually fail by cracking the tooth and have largely been replaced by other superior materials. Their dark color makes them more noticeable, so it’s not recommended for fillings in very visible areas such as front teeth.
- Composite resins are custom made to the color of your natural teeth, creating a more esthetic appearance. Modern composite resins and bonding agents are very strong and can last as long as amalgam fillings.
- Porcelain fillings are called inlays or onlays and are custom created in our office in about an hour using CEREC CAD/CAM technology. They can be matched to the color of the tooth, resist staining, and can last 20 years or more if properly cared for. It is the strongest, best restoration that can be done for your tooth.
Our team can help you determine which material is best, depending on the extent of repair, where the filling is needed and the cost. If decay or a fracture has damaged a large portion of the tooth, a crown may be needed. Decay that has reached the nerve may be treated through root canal therapy or pulp capping.
Bonding
Bonding involves adhering composite resin material matched to the color of the tooth, to the front of the tooth, and generally refers to anterior teeth. This is performed to cover stains, repair damage caused by decay, to alter the color and alignment of the tooth, close gaps between the teeth, or for other cosmetic purposes.
How It Works:
During this process, the surface of the tooth is roughened to accept the bonding and any decay is removed. A gel is then applied so the bonding agent will adhere to the surface of the tooth. The composite resin is placed on the tooth in the shape of putty and hardened with intense light. The last step is shaping with a high-speed handpiece and polishing to a lustrous finish.
Often we can rehabilitate your entire smile in about an hour or two!