Dental Treatment Information
Darr Dentistry
Our practice can provide a wide range of dental services. We can typically provide every type of dental service without having to refer you to other specialties. This flexibility saves you time and keeps your total dental care within one practice. Our emphasis is on total preventive care for our patients. Total care begins with regular hygiene visits, regular check-ups and continued home oral health routines.Our practice also provides the highest-quality services for restoring mouths that have been damaged by dental disease and injury and common problems that require cosmetic dentistry. Our primary goal for our patients is to achieve and maintain optimum oral health through advances in techniques, technologies and by maintaining their scheduled dental exams.
Teeth Cleanings
Annually, you should schedule a routine dental cleaning. During this visit, one of our dental hygienists will remove plaque from your teeth, especially from places where your brush can’t reach, such as underneath the gum line and in-between teeth. We will then clean your teeth and apply fluoride to help protect your teeth once you leave the office.Fluoride is a relatively recent but important advancement in dental and oral health. Studies consistently show that a moderate but consistent exposure of teeth to fluoride helps strengthen and rebuild tooth structure, and helps prevent future decay.If you are due for your annual dental cleaning, please call our office to schedule an appointment.
Fillings
The concept of a “filling” is replacing and restoring your tooth structure that is damaged due to decay or fracture with a material. We will replace old, broken-down amalgam/metal fillings that contain traces of mercury with white fillings (composites) to restore your smile and teeth to a more natural look and feel. With today’s advancements, no longer will you have to suffer the embarrassment of unsightly and unhealthy silver/mercury fillings or metal margins of the past. Eliminate the dark, black appearance in your teeth with new-age, state-of-the-art, tooth-colored resin or porcelain materials placed by our cosmetic dentist right here in Thomasville.
CEREC Crowns
A crown is a custom-made covering that fits over an original tooth that is either decayed, damaged or cracked. We utilize CEREC technology to provide you with custom, porcelain crowns.
CEREC offer you same-day, custom crowns that you can depend on. In most cases, with CEREC crowns, there is no more need for multiple visits, temporary crowns or waiting for dental labs to create your custom crown. CEREC allows us to take optical impressions, design and create your custom crown in our Thomasville office and in just a single visit!
CEREC custom crowns are designed with tooth-colored porcelain allowing you to maintain the natural appearance of your smile so you can face the world with confidence. Contact us today to see if CEREC crowns are right for you!
Bridges
A bridge is a dental device made by a dentist that fills a space that a tooth previously occupied. A bridge may be necessary to prevent:
- Shifting of the teeth that can lead to bite problems (occlusion) and/or jaw problems and resultant periodontal disease.
- Bridges safeguard the integrity of existing teeth and help maintain a healthy, vibrant smile.
There are three main types of bridges, namely:
- A fixed bridge is the most popular and consists of a filler tooth that is attached to two crowns, which fit over the existing teeth and hold the bridge in place.
- The “Maryland” bridge is commonly used to replace missing front teeth and consists of a filler that is attached to metal bands that are bonded to the abutment teeth. The metal bands consist of a white-colored composite resin that matches existing tooth color.
- The cantilever bridge is often used when there are teeth on only one side of the span. A typical three-unit cantilever bridge consists of two crowned teeth positioned next to each other on the same side of the missing tooth space. The filler tooth is then connected to the two crowned teeth, which extend into the missing tooth space or end.
Tooth Extractions
General Extraction
An extraction is the complete removal of a tooth by a dentist. Extractions are sometimes necessary if a primary tooth is preventing the normal eruption of a permanent tooth, if the tooth has suffered extensive tooth decay or trauma that cannot be repaired, if the patient has gum disease, or if the tooth is impacted (usually the wisdom teeth). Depending on the complexity of the case, an extraction can be performed surgically or non-surgically. A mild anesthesia is used to ensure your child is as comfortable as possible throughout the procedure.
Wisdom Teeth
Your third molars are more commonly called "wisdom teeth." Usually appearing in the late teens or early twenties, third molars often lack the proper space in the jaw to erupt fully or even at all. This common condition is called impaction. When any tooth lacks the space to come through or simply develops in the wrong place of your jaw and becomes impacted, problems can arise. Primarily, damage to adjacent teeth and crowding occur. In certain cases, the wisdom tooth that cannot come through becomes inflamed under the gums and in the jawbone, causing a sac to develop around the root of the tooth that then fills with liquid. This can cause a cyst or an abscess if it becomes infected. If either of these situations goes untreated, serious damage to the underlying bone and surrounding teeth and tissues can result. To potentially stave off this result, an extraction of one, several or all of the wisdom teeth may be advised. If that is the case, we have the equipment and training needed to perform such extractions, with an absolute minimum of discomfort. Ask our staff for more information regarding tooth extractions if you feel you may need one.
Bone Grafting
The term "bone graft" may sound a bit scary, but in actuality it is a very common and simple procedure that is done the same day a tooth is pulled.
There are many benefits to placing a bone graft when a tooth is pulled.
- Bone grafts eliminate the chance of developing a dry socket because the bone particals fill the space where the roots were removed.
- Placing bone graft in the extraction site helps to preserve the natural bone that surrounds your teeth, giving you more options when it comes to replacing that tooth in the future. The roots of your teeth are surrounded by bone, once a tooth is removed the bone that is remaining has nothing to support it anymore which can cause the area to heal lower than we would like. A tooth in an area where the bone level is very low is going to make you look really “long in the tooth” and nobody wants that!
- Placing bone graft in an extraction site on the upper jaw can help prevent the floor of the sinus from dropping into the area where the roots were. If the sinus floor drops after an extraction it can result in sinus issues and possibly would require more aggressive treatment such as a sinus lift to fix any issues resulting from the sinus dropping.
Although bone grafting is a surgical procedure, we are NOT harvesting bone from your body at all. Instead we use cadaver bone that has been checmicaly treated and sterilized for dental use, making it perfectly safe.
Early Dental Care
Teething
Normally the first tooth erupts between ages 6 to 12 months. Gums are sore, tender and sometimes irritable until the age of 3. Rubbing sore gums gently with a clean finger, the back of a cold spoon or a cold, wet cloth helps soothe the gums. Teething rings work well, but avoid teething biscuits—they contain sugar that is not good for baby teeth.
While your baby is teething, it is important to monitor the teeth for signs of baby bottle decay. Examine the teeth, especially on the inside or the tongue side, every two weeks for dull spots (whiter than the tooth surface) or lines. A bottle containing anything other than water and left in an infant’s mouth while sleeping can cause decay. This happens because sugar in the liquid mixes with bacteria in dental plaque, forming acids that attack the tooth enamel. Each time a child drinks liquids containing sugar, acids attack the teeth for about 20 minutes. When awake, saliva carries away the liquid. During sleep, the saliva flow significantly decreases and liquids pool around the child’s teeth for long periods, covering the teeth in acids.
Infant's New Teeth
Your child's primary, or “baby,” teeth play a very important role in their dental development. Without their "baby" teeth, a child cannot chew food properly and has difficulty speaking clearly. Primary teeth are vital to development of the jaws and for guiding the permanent (secondary) teeth into place when they replace the primary teeth around age 6.
Since primary teeth guide the permanent teeth into place, infants with missing primary teeth or infants who prematurely lose primary teeth may require a space maintainer, a device used to hold the natural space open. Without a maintainer, the teeth can tilt toward the empty space and cause permanent teeth to come in crooked. Missing teeth should always be mentioned to your family dentist. The way your child cares for his/her primary teeth plays a critical role in how he/she treats the permanent teeth. Children and adults are equally susceptible to plaque and gum problems—hence, the need for regular care and dental check-ups.
A Child's First Dental Visit
A child’s first dental visit should be scheduled around his/her first birthday. The most important part of the visit is getting to know and becoming comfortable with a doctor and his staff. A pleasant, comfortable first visit builds trust and helps put the child at ease during future dental visits. If possible, allow the child to sit in a parent’s lap in the exam room. Children should be encouraged to discuss any fears or anxiety they feel about coming to the dentist.
Why Baby Teeth are Important
Primary teeth are important for several reasons. Foremost, good teeth allow a child to eat and maintain good nutrition. Healthy teeth allow for clear pronunciation and speech habits. The self-image that healthy teeth give a child is immeasurable. Primary teeth also guide eruption of the permanent teeth.
Good Diet and Healthy Teeth
The teeth, bones and soft tissue of the mouth require a healthy, well-balanced diet. A variety of foods from the five food groups helps minimize (and avoid) cavities and other dental problems. Most snacks that children eat cause cavities, so children should only receive healthy foods like vegetables, low-fat yogurt and cheeses, which promote strong teeth.
Preventing Baby Bottle Tooth Decay
Tooth decay in infants can be minimized or totally prevented by not allowing sleeping infants to breast or bottle-feed. Infants that need a bottle to comfortably fall asleep should be given a water-filled bottle or a pacifier. Our office is dedicated to fighting baby bottle tooth decay. Let us know if you notice any signs of decay or anything unusual in your child’s mouth.
Infant Tooth Eruption
A child’s teeth actually start forming before birth. As early as 4 months of age, the primary or “baby” teeth push through the gums—the lower front teeth are first, then the upper front teeth. The remainder of the 20 "baby" teeth typically come in by age 3, but the place and order varies.
Permanent teeth begin coming in around age 6, starting with the first molars and lower front teeth. This process continues until around age 21. Adults have 28 permanent teeth—32 including the wisdom teeth.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Teeth Whitening
Your smiles says more about you than any other physical feature; it's the first thing other people notice. Imagine the difference a whiter smile could make for you.
Why choose professional whitening instead of over-the-counter products?
Teaming up with your dentist is the best way to get the whitening results you want. Your dentist knows your oral health and can make recommendations that will allow you to get the best results in a time frame that works for you. Your dentist can also help you understand how the whitening process works, monitor your progress, and treat any sensitivity issues that may arise.
Here at Darr Dentistry we offer two types of bleaching procedures, in-office whitening and take home whitening.
The in-office BOOST system by Opalescence is a powerful whitening solution that whitens your smile immediately. The gel is chemically activated rather than light activated, meaning it begins working on its own at the time it is placed on your teeth. After a one-hour appointment you'll leave with a whiter brighter smile!
Opalescence take-home whitening gel offers professional results in a customized whitening treatment you can do in the comfort of your own home. Available in a range of formulations and flavors, Opalescence take-home whitening gel is delivered via custom-made trays, further tailoring the treatment to your smile. Opalescence take-home whitening gel is available only through a licensed dental professional.
Composite Bonding
Bonding is a common solution for:
- Fixing or repairing chipped or cracked teeth
- Reducing unsightly gaps or spaces between teeth
- Hiding discoloration or faded areas on the tooth’s surface
Often, composite bonding is used to improve the appearance of your teeth and enhance your smile by a cosmetic dentist. As the name indicates, composite material, either a plastic or resin, is bonded to an existing tooth. Unlike veneers or crowns, composite bonding removes little, if any, of the original tooth. Composite bonding has many advantages:
- It is a quick process, which typically lasts less than one hour.
- It does not reduce the tooth’s original structure and is relatively inexpensive.
- Composite resins come in many different shades and provide better matching of shades to the natural color of your teeth.
- Composite bonds, however, are not as durable and long-lasting as veneers and crowns and may need to be re-touched or replaced in the future.
Composite bonds stain more easily and therefore require proper care and regular cleaning. In order to ensure the longest possible duration of the bonding, composites should be brushed and flossed daily. Common staining elements include coffee, tea, tobacco, foods and candy.
CEREC Same Day Crowns
Traditional crowns can sometimes take up to a month to be make at an off site dental laboratory, with the latest in dental technology you don't have to wait anymore! CEREC same-day technology allows the team at Darr Dentistry to take digital impressions of your teeth and fabricate your new crown right in the office while you wait.
CEREC vs. Traditional Crowns
CEREC Same-Day Crowns
- Same-day service. You can stay in the dentist’s chair while everything is completed.
- Digital impressions are comfortable.
- Nine years later, patients report a 95.5 percent success rate.
- Eighteen years later, patients report an 84 percent success rate.
Traditional Dental Crowns
- Several visits to the dentist’s office are needed to complete the process.
- There are several materials that can be used for these types of crowns.
- Multiple ways exist to create traditional crowns.
- Traditional impressions can be quite uncomfortable.
- Traditional crowns have an average lifespan of only ten years.
CEREC technology has literally transformed modern dentistry. Our patients can have complex restorative dental care completed in just one day, even within a couple of hours; versus having the same procedure spread out over long periods of time, or several appointments.
Straumann Dental Implants
A dental implant is a small post-like device made of titanium or titanium zirconium.
Dental implants are surgically placed in the jaw bone to replace missing tooth roots. Once healed, dental implants act as a base to anchor the visible portion of the artificial tooth – ranging from individual crowns, multi-tooth bridges, or full-arch dental prostheses.A dental implant is the only solution that replaces the missing tooth root, offering important benefits:
- Feels and looks like a natural tooth
- Helps prevent and minimize bone loss
- Helps preserve surrounding, healthy teeth
- Improves appearance
The decision to replace missing teeth with dental implants is an excellent investment in your oral health and appearance. There are many advantages when you choose dental implant treatment over a conventional method for tooth replacement:
A beautiful, natural-looking solution - Most similar to natural teeth, dental implants are designed to be a reliable, stable, and natural-looking restorative solution.
Prevent and minimize bone loss – Implants transmit chewing forces to the jaw bones, helping to maintain your bone and facial structure. Without teeth your bone may resorb resulting in shifting teeth and loss of facial structure.
Preserve surrounding teeth - When an implant is inserted in place of a missing tooth, adjacent health teeth are not damaged. With a conventional bridge, neighboring teeth must be ground down to support
Comfort - With dental implants, palatal plates used with conventional dentures are unnecessary. Patients who replace all of their teeth with dental implants can feel more comfortable talking, smiling and eating.
Proven Quality - With a long history of providing reliable, high quality dental implants, Straumann is one of the best choices for your dental implants. The Straumann® Dental Implant System is scientifically based and one of the most commonly used systems.
Post Implant Care
Although proper oral hygiene is always recommended for maintaining good dental health, it is especially important when a patient has received a dental implant. Bacteria can attack sensitive areas in the mouth when teeth and gums are not properly cleaned, thus causing gums to swell and jaw bones to gradually recede. Recession of the jawbone will weaken implants and eventually make it necessary for the implant to be removed. Patients are advised to visit their dentists at least twice a year to ensure the health of their teeth and implants. Dental implants can last for decades when given proper care.
Joint Pain and TMJ
TMJ/TMD
The “Temporomandibular Joint,” more commonly referred to as the “jaw joint,” assists in the basic opening and closing movements of the jaw. Unfortunately, this joint is a common area for recurring pain. Although conventional wisdom suggests that “popping” sounds in the jaw indicates a TMJ dysfunction, this is not always true. Many times, your jaw is functioning properly even if a “popping” sound is present when chewing or talking.
We offer a TMJ exam that evaluates the joint tissue in the “hinge” of the jaw. Possible problems include swelling, deterioration of the joint tissue or damaged joint tissue, which cushions the jaw bones during the opening and closing movement of the mouth. Common pain relievers and cold compresses can provide temporary relief for most cases of TMJ. For more serious cases of TMJ, we will recommend alternate treatments. Often, we will suggest using a mouthguard to relieve teeth grinding. In some cases, we will instruct you to use orthodontic appliances or retainers to alleviate discomfort or redirect positioning of the TMJ joint. For the most severe cases of TMJ, we may recommend certain invasive procedures.
Bruxism, Clenching, and Grinding
What is Bruxism?
Bruxism is a medical term for involuntary clenching or grinding of your teeth at night. This is a common occurrence for many people and can lead to very serious dental and neuromuscular problems, such as:
- Wearing, loosening, or breaking of teeth
- Receding gums
- Jaw muscle soreness
- Headaches
- Earaches
What is Clenching?
Clenching is tightly holding your top and bottom teeth together, especially the back teeth. Clenching puts pressure on the muscles, tissues, teeth, and other structures around your jaw.
What is Grinding?
Grinding is sliding your teeth back and forth from side to side. Over time this can wear down the enamel on your teeth. Grinding can be noisy enough to bother your sleeping partner. Contact your dentist today to see if you're bruxing!
Causes
- The exact causes are not medically known, but possible causes include:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Disruptive Sleep Patterns
- Improper Alignment of Teeth
UltraFlex Night Guards
The best way to prevent bruxism is to wear an UltraFlex night guard made by your dentist. Wearing a night guard while you sleep helps to protect your teeth from clenching and grinding. Properly made, flexible night guards protect your teeth as they move both side to side and front to back. If night guards are not fitted correctly it can result in jaw pain, tooth soreness, gum irritation, or even tooth movement. Therefore, inexpensive drugstore night guards are NOT recommended.
UltraFlex night guards are made from custom molds of you teeth so it fits perfectly. Unlike traditional hard acrylic night guards, UltraFlex is flexible which makes it very comfortable to wear.
UltraFlex Night Guards are Ideal for:
- Bruxism
- Protecting your natural teeth
- Protecting implant restorations
- Protecting dental restorations such as crowns and bridges.
Ask any team member today to see if an UltraFlex night guard is right for you!
Endodontics (Root Canals)
Root Canal Therapy
We are proud to offer our patients the latest in root canal therapy. A root canal is a procedure that extracts decayed pulp from the central part of the tooth, reshapes the canal and replaces it with strengthened filler. A common misconception is that a root canal is a painful procedure. Actually, root canals are similar to having a cavity filled, producing minimal pain. There are a number of reasons a root canal may be necessary, including:
- Inflamed/infected tooth pulp
- Severe sensitivity to hot and cold elements
- Tooth decay
- Chipped or broken tooth
- Blow to the tooth
- Swelling or tenderness near the infected tooth
- Repeated dental procedures on a tooth
When left untreated, these problems can lead to severe tooth decay reaching the root of the tooth, causing extensive damage to the tooth structure. When the damage goes beyond what can be treated with a filling, we can perform a root canal to preserve the tooth and retain its original integrity.
The root canal procedure involves the following steps:
- The patient undergoes local anesthesia.
- A dental dam is used to isolate the tooth.
- The tooth is opened by the dentist to allow for removal of infected or dead dental pulp.
- The tooth is comprehensively cleaned, including any cracks and canals.
- With special tools, the dentist reshapes the canals.
- The tooth is filled again with cutting edge biocompatible filling material.
- A temporary filling is used to cover the access opening
- Following a recovery period, the patient will return for the placement of a permanent restoration.
We will work with each patient individually to discuss the details of your treatment and any possible alternatives. Our top priority is to provide you with the highest standard of care.
Periodontics (Gum Disease)
Periodontics
The term “periodontal” means “around the tooth.” Therefore, a periodontal disease affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Gum, or periodontal, disease can cause inflammation, tooth loss and bone damage. The infection starts when the gums become inflamed due to bacteria in plaque, a sticky, colorless film that forms on your teeth. While this is often the main cause of periodontal disease, other factors can also be attributed to affecting the health of the gums and bone, including:
- Smoking or Tobacco Use
- Stress
- Genetics
- Pregnancy
- Medications
- Diabetes
- Poor Nutrition
Periodontal disease comes in many forms. Gingivitis is perhaps the mildest form of gum disease. While the gums become red, swollen and bleed easily, there is very little to no discomfort associated at this stage of the disease. Through a good oral hygiene regimen and treatment from your dentist, the results of gingivitis can be reversed.Periodontitis is another form of periodontal disease and can be aggressive or chronic. Aggressive periodontitis displays rapid bone destruction and attachment loss in clinically healthy patients. Chronic periodontitis is one of the most common forms of periodontal disease and is frequently seen in adults. The stages progress slowly and can be recognized by gum recession and pocket formation.
Treatment and Prevention
In certain cases, periodontal surgery may be recommended to treat periodontal disease when non-surgical treatment is ineffective. We may advise procedures such as pocket reduction, soft tissue grafts or bone regeneration to treat periodontal disease. If a tooth has been lost due to periodontal disease, dental implants are always an option for permanent tooth replacement.Good oral hygiene and regular visits with your dentist and periodontist can prevent periodontal disease. Daily brushing and flossing can keep plaque to a minimum and, in conjunction with professional cleanings 2-4 times a year, can keep your teeth healthy for life.