What Kinds of Treatment and Services Do You Offer?
WHAT IS CEREC?
CEREC is a 3D imaging and CAD/CAM technology for restoring damaged teeth. This restoration can be completed in a single visit to the dentist's office by milling a crown out of a block porcelain/composite which is then bonded to the damaged tooth . It fixes integrity and esthetics problems you may have with a tooth; a broken tooth, pain when biting and cold sensitivity, all while keeping your teeth looking natural. The restoration is metal-free, and the high-grade ceramic material is compatible with the natural tissue found in your mouth.
THE CEREC PROCESS
During your appointment, you and Dr. Spainhower will discuss the details of the procedure and he will answer any questions you may have. Doc will first trim the tooth to the approperite size, then apply a thin layer of white powder onto your tooth and will use a special 3D imaging camera to take a photo of your tooth. Using CEREC's proprietary software, your restoration will be designed according to your tooth's appropriate form and function. Then, CEREC will use a milling chamber with diamond burs to create your restoration out of a piece of ceramic. Finally, the ceramic restoration is bonded to your tooth using state-of-the-art adhesive dentistry.
WHY CHOOSE CEREC?
CEREC is a 3D imaging and CAD/CAM technology for restoring damaged teeth. This restoration can be completed in a single visit to the dentist's office by milling a crown out of a block porcelain/composite which is then bonded to the damaged tooth . It fixes integrity and esthetics problems you may have with a tooth; a broken tooth, pain when biting and cold sensitivity, all while keeping your teeth looking natural. The restoration is metal-free, and the high-grade ceramic material is compatible with the natural tissue found in your mouth.
THE CEREC PROCESS
During your appointment, you and Dr. Spainhower will discuss the details of the procedure and he will answer any questions you may have. Doc will first trim the tooth to the approperite size, then apply a thin layer of white powder onto your tooth and will use a special 3D imaging camera to take a photo of your tooth. Using CEREC's proprietary software, your restoration will be designed according to your tooth's appropriate form and function. Then, CEREC will use a milling chamber with diamond burs to create your restoration out of a piece of ceramic. Finally, the ceramic restoration is bonded to your tooth using state-of-the-art adhesive dentistry.
WHY CHOOSE CEREC?
- There are many advantages of using CEREC over traditional crown technology.
- Time: Our posterior CEREC crowns are made in one visit, saving you considerable time away from your job and family.
- Comfort: With CEREC, there is no need for a temporary crown, or the need to be numb multiple times, eliminating significant potential discomfort.
- Aesthetics: The strong, tooth-colored ceramic materials of CEREC restore your teeth to their natural strength, beauty, and function, and closely match the composition of your natural tooth structure.
- Strength: Milled ceramic is stronger than the traditional method of layering and pressing, so your smile will stay beautiful for years!
WHITENING
Patient: "Doctor, I have yellow teeth, what do I do?"
Dentist: "Wear a brown tie..."
Over time, teeth gradually yellow in color. If you drink coffee, tea or red wine, or if you smoke, your teeth will become even more stained and discolored.
With today's variety of smile whitening methods and technologies, your smile can easily be whitened in a number of ways.
At this time there are several options:
1. At home bleaching using over the counter strips or paint on gel.
2. Take home prescription bleaching gel with custom fabricated trays.
3. Waiting room whitener using the custom trays.
4. In office bleaching utilizing high power lights and bleaching gel.
5. A combination of the above methods.
Faced with these many different options patients seem confused on their best choice. This letter will attempt to provide enough information for you to select the option best suited for your needs. For any option to be most effective, you will need to have had a cleaning within the past 6 months.
Options to consider for teeth whitening:
1) Over the counter strips or paint-ons. Two weeks of Crest Whitestrips can be purchased for about $35. They will get your teeth 3-4 shades whiter. Depending on your needs, that might be adequate. Whitestrips contain 4% carbomide solution (the active ingredient in many whitening products), compared with the 15-20% concentration from a dental office. The Whitestrips’ whitening effect is believed to fade about a half shade every six months so you will need to re-do strips every 12-18 months. A professional treatment may last up to about four years. If you purchase over the counter products stick with Crest or Colgate or any product which is approved by the American Dental Association. Some products are cosmetically approved, but not dentally, thus we cannot be assured of their dental safety.
2) Bleaching trays constructed in the dental office to be taken home. Advantages are supervision and help from the dental office if variables occur such as sensitivity, too slow to whiten, et cetera. When whitening is complete the patient has trays for future whitening and some studies suggest this method of whitening has the longest effect of 4+ years. Bleaching trays can be worn overnight or 30-40 minutes per day for most efficient bleaching. If your teeth begin to become more sensitive, decrease the time and frequency until comfortable. Excellent results can be obtained in on average of 6-14 days per arch (upper or lower). Cost is $97.50 for one arch or $195 both, which is recommended, and payable at the time of service. Sufficient bleaching gel is included in the kit for most patients’ bleaching needs; however, additional gel is occasionally required and costs about $38. At the first appointment we will take impressions for your custom trays. Your trays are usually available for you to stop-in and pick up the next afternoon.
3) Opalescence Quick. This method of bleaching has recently become available for patients who wish to have a whitening jumpstart or a touch-up. It also involves two appointments. The first is to take the impressions for the custom fabricated trays. The second appointment will require approximately 30 minutes with the majority of the time in the waiting room. The active ingredient in the Opalescence Quick is 45% carbamide peroxide. The cost for this method would be $271. This includes the custom trays, the 30 minute office visit, and take-home bleach. If further treatments are desired or if the patient already has custom trays, the visit would cost $76.
4) In office Whitening. I looked for many years to find a safe, and effective chair-side whitening system that I was comfortable using on our patients. We have chosen the Rembrandt Sapphire System. Rembrandt's system is very effective. The key element of the Rembrandt system is the Sapphire Light Crystal, a high intensity curing light with an arch shaped crystal attached which allows us to whiten upper and lower arches at the same time. The process involves using a high intensity dental light to promote the quick and deep release of the teeth whitening agent next to the teeth. This reduces the time required to whiten the teeth to merely 60 – 120 minutes in the dental chair. Due to the concentrated approach in-office teeth bleaching produces truly dazzling results. The in-office procedure is completely safe and has been well-tested by thousands of dentists. The results of this process can be dramatic, up to 8 to 10 shades brighter teeth in one to two hours of treatment; however the initial results will diminish a shade or two over the first couple of days. This procedure should be combined with the take home trays to allow you the freedom to touch up anytime you feel like, although studies indicate your whitening will likely not diminish for 2-5 years.
Bleaching gel does not whiten tooth colored fillings, bonding, or crowns. Once your teeth are lightened to their final shade, you may decide to have any discolored areas re-treated with new crowns, fillings or bonding to fully show off your new smile.
Studies indicate you will retain 90% of the whitening after one year and 65% at three years.
Please call the office if you have further questions and one of our staff members can provide you with needed answers.
Patient: "Doctor, I have yellow teeth, what do I do?"
Dentist: "Wear a brown tie..."
Over time, teeth gradually yellow in color. If you drink coffee, tea or red wine, or if you smoke, your teeth will become even more stained and discolored.
With today's variety of smile whitening methods and technologies, your smile can easily be whitened in a number of ways.
At this time there are several options:
1. At home bleaching using over the counter strips or paint on gel.
2. Take home prescription bleaching gel with custom fabricated trays.
3. Waiting room whitener using the custom trays.
4. In office bleaching utilizing high power lights and bleaching gel.
5. A combination of the above methods.
Faced with these many different options patients seem confused on their best choice. This letter will attempt to provide enough information for you to select the option best suited for your needs. For any option to be most effective, you will need to have had a cleaning within the past 6 months.
Options to consider for teeth whitening:
1) Over the counter strips or paint-ons. Two weeks of Crest Whitestrips can be purchased for about $35. They will get your teeth 3-4 shades whiter. Depending on your needs, that might be adequate. Whitestrips contain 4% carbomide solution (the active ingredient in many whitening products), compared with the 15-20% concentration from a dental office. The Whitestrips’ whitening effect is believed to fade about a half shade every six months so you will need to re-do strips every 12-18 months. A professional treatment may last up to about four years. If you purchase over the counter products stick with Crest or Colgate or any product which is approved by the American Dental Association. Some products are cosmetically approved, but not dentally, thus we cannot be assured of their dental safety.
2) Bleaching trays constructed in the dental office to be taken home. Advantages are supervision and help from the dental office if variables occur such as sensitivity, too slow to whiten, et cetera. When whitening is complete the patient has trays for future whitening and some studies suggest this method of whitening has the longest effect of 4+ years. Bleaching trays can be worn overnight or 30-40 minutes per day for most efficient bleaching. If your teeth begin to become more sensitive, decrease the time and frequency until comfortable. Excellent results can be obtained in on average of 6-14 days per arch (upper or lower). Cost is $97.50 for one arch or $195 both, which is recommended, and payable at the time of service. Sufficient bleaching gel is included in the kit for most patients’ bleaching needs; however, additional gel is occasionally required and costs about $38. At the first appointment we will take impressions for your custom trays. Your trays are usually available for you to stop-in and pick up the next afternoon.
3) Opalescence Quick. This method of bleaching has recently become available for patients who wish to have a whitening jumpstart or a touch-up. It also involves two appointments. The first is to take the impressions for the custom fabricated trays. The second appointment will require approximately 30 minutes with the majority of the time in the waiting room. The active ingredient in the Opalescence Quick is 45% carbamide peroxide. The cost for this method would be $271. This includes the custom trays, the 30 minute office visit, and take-home bleach. If further treatments are desired or if the patient already has custom trays, the visit would cost $76.
4) In office Whitening. I looked for many years to find a safe, and effective chair-side whitening system that I was comfortable using on our patients. We have chosen the Rembrandt Sapphire System. Rembrandt's system is very effective. The key element of the Rembrandt system is the Sapphire Light Crystal, a high intensity curing light with an arch shaped crystal attached which allows us to whiten upper and lower arches at the same time. The process involves using a high intensity dental light to promote the quick and deep release of the teeth whitening agent next to the teeth. This reduces the time required to whiten the teeth to merely 60 – 120 minutes in the dental chair. Due to the concentrated approach in-office teeth bleaching produces truly dazzling results. The in-office procedure is completely safe and has been well-tested by thousands of dentists. The results of this process can be dramatic, up to 8 to 10 shades brighter teeth in one to two hours of treatment; however the initial results will diminish a shade or two over the first couple of days. This procedure should be combined with the take home trays to allow you the freedom to touch up anytime you feel like, although studies indicate your whitening will likely not diminish for 2-5 years.
Bleaching gel does not whiten tooth colored fillings, bonding, or crowns. Once your teeth are lightened to their final shade, you may decide to have any discolored areas re-treated with new crowns, fillings or bonding to fully show off your new smile.
Studies indicate you will retain 90% of the whitening after one year and 65% at three years.
Please call the office if you have further questions and one of our staff members can provide you with needed answers.
How is the easiest way to floss?
Answer: any combination of tools to get stir up the plaque between the teeth. As long as you do it every 24 hours. See videos below for tools and ideas on what may work best for you.
Videos:
1 minute flossing technique
Proxibrush cleaners
Soft picks
Gross but exemplifies why we recommend routine cleanings
TePe EasyPick
Care for braces
Contain the mess in the shower
H2Oral irrigator
Answer: any combination of tools to get stir up the plaque between the teeth. As long as you do it every 24 hours. See videos below for tools and ideas on what may work best for you.
Videos:
1 minute flossing technique
Proxibrush cleaners
Soft picks
Gross but exemplifies why we recommend routine cleanings
TePe EasyPick
Care for braces
Contain the mess in the shower
H2Oral irrigator