PORCELAIN VENEERS:

A veneer is a thin shell of porcelain or plastic that is bonded to a tooth to improve its color and shape.  A veneer generally covers only the front and top of the tooth.  Veneers can be used to close spaces between the teeth, lengthen small or misshapen teeth, or whiten stained or dark teeth.  When teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, veneers can protect them from damage and restore their original appearance.

How do we restore teeth with veneers?
It takes two or more appointments to restore teeth with veneers.  During the first appointment we shape and roughen the teeth.  We then take impressions of your teeth, which we use to make precise working models of your  mouth.  It's on these models that we artistically craft veneers to fit the prepared teeth. 

During the second appointment we clean and polish the prepared teeth.  Then we use an adhesive to bond the veneers to the teeth.  A harmless, high-intensity light harden the adhesive.  Once in place, the veneers virtually become part of the teeth.  You can use them like you would your own teeth because the bond is extremely strong.  The final result is beautiful and natural-looking teeth.

all-porcelain crowns:

A tooth-colored crown may be made of both porcelain and metal, or, thanks to newly available technology, it may be made entirely of porcelain.

Metal and porcelain crowns
In the past, porcelain crowns were always built upon a metal core. That was the only way they could have enough strength to withstand the tremendous biting forces that are exerted on all of your teeth. That metal core is what creates the dark blue line at the edge of many crowns.

The benefits of all-porcelain crowns
Recent breakthroughs in adhesives, combined with the development of stronger porcelain materials, allow us to make crowns entirely out of porcelain.  All-porcelain crowns maintain a translucency that makes them hard to tell from natural teeth. Without metal, the problem of a dark line at the edge of the gums is eliminated. This allows us to place the edge of the crown above the gum line, and that's healthier for your tooth and gums.

When you want to improve your smile, all-porcelain crowns are a beautiful and natural-looking choice.

PORCELAIN FILLINGS:

New tooth-colored options:
Dental research has resulted in the development of new tooth-colored materials that are not only durable and long lasting, but attractive as well.  These materials, porcelain and composite resin, provide an attractive, natural look while at the same time restoring strength and durability to your tooth.

Both porcelain and composite resin are bonded directly to the tooth, restoring it to near its original strength and function.  Both can be custom-colored to precisely match your teeth, so when porcelain or resin fillings are replaced, they're extremely natural looking.  This can really  make a difference in your appearance, especially if the restoration is visible when you smile.

More advantages of white restorations:
When we place an amalgam filling, we have to remove extra healthy tooth structure, just so the filling will stay in place.  When we restore your tooth with composite resin, we need to remove only the decayed portion because the bond anchors the material tightly in place.  This means you retain more healthy tooth structure.

Also, because white filings are bonded to your tooth, they add strength to the tooth.

So if you are looking for an attractive and effective option for restoring one or more decayed teeth, be sure to ask us about the latest choices in white restorative materials.

BONDING:

With bonding, we can close spaces between teeth, lengthen small or misshapen teeth, or whiten stained or dark teeth.  We can shape and color a single tooth or improve your entire smile.  When teeth are chipped or beginning to wear, bonding can protect them from damage and restore their original looks.

The Procedure
Bonding your teeth with a material called resin requires just one appointment.  First, we roughen and prepare the teeth and apply a conditioning gel.  Then we place the resin, sculpt it to the desired shape, and harden it with a harmless, high-intensity light.

Once in place, bonded restorations are very strong.  Bonding can drastically improve your smile -- the final result is beautiful and natural looking teeth.

Tooth Whitening:

Over time, your teeth darken as minerals penetrate their outer enamel layer.  This darkening can be caused by foods and beverages that stain, such as coffee, colas, tea, red wine, or berries.  Tobacco products, like cigarettes, cigars, and chewing tobacco, can cause teeth to take on a yellowish brown hue.  And the natural aging process can also cause your teeth to darken.

We can prescribe a home whitening system that will safely lighten these stains, giving you a whiter, brighter smile.  A specially formulated whitening gel, designed to be highly effective, yet safe, gently forces oxygen through the enamel of your teeth.  The process virtually erases stains and brightens your teeth, without damaging your tooth enamel or your gums.

Designing Your Whitening System:
First, we thoroughly examine your teeth and your mouth to make sure at-home whitening is an appropriate option for you.  We then take impressions of your teeth, and use the impressions to make models of your teeth.  Using these models, we make a personalized whitening tray that first tightly over your teeth, allowing us to achieve optimum results.

At home, you'll fill the tray with the whitening gel and place the tray over your teeth, keeping it in place for several hours each day.  You can wear the whitening trays while you sleep, or if you prefer, you can wear them as you go about your day.  Typically, you'll being to see results in two or three weeks.

We'll monitor your progress on a regular basis, ensuring that your gums are not becoming irritated and your teeth are whitening as desired. When the process is complete, your smile will be noticeable whiter and brighter.

Maintaining Your New Whiter Smile:
Let us know if you experience some sensitivity during or following the whitening process.  This is normal, and should subside shortly.  We can suggest toothpaste that will alleviate the sensitivity.

Avoid food and beverages that stain, like coffee, cola, tea, berries and red wine, or brush with water after consuming them.

See us periodically for touch-ups to remove new stains.

Single Tooth Implants:

Why replace a missing tooth?
When you lose a tooth, the biting forces change on the teeth next to the space, causing them to shift.  Opposing teeth may even begin to extrude out of the socket, which means they too could eventually be lost.

As your bite changes, it gets more difficult to chew your food, and you may suffer damage to your jaw joint.  It's also much harder to clean teeth that have shifted; harmful plaque and tartar collect in the new hard-to-reach places created by the shifting, causing tooth decay and periodontal disease.

For all these reasons, it's critical that we replace a lost tooth. An excellent option for replacing a missing tooth is an artificial tooth secured by a dental implant. Implants are titanium cylinders that are surgically placed in your jaw to serve as artificial tooth roots. Attaching a replacement tooth to an implant allows us to avoid placing a bridge. Bridges require that we prepare the adjacent natural teeth, and that weakens them substantially.

Benefits of Implants
An implant and crown is practically indistinguishable from your natural teeth, and it fits so securely that you won't even notice it when you chew and speak. When we place an implant, it's not necessary for us to alter the structure of the adjacent teeth, so their strength and integrity is maintained. Also, an implant replaces the roots of a missing tooth, which helps to lessen the bone loss that occurs when a tooth is missing. In essence, an implant is the next best thing to your natural tooth.

Do implants work for everyone?
Start-to-finish, the procedure may require several months to complete because it can take about four to six months for the implant to fuse to your bone tissue through a process called osseointegration. An implant won't work for you if you aren't in good general health. Your gums and jaw bone must be healthy enough to support the implant, and you must be meticulous about your daily homecare routine. You'll also need to visit us up to four times a year for cleanings.

We won't recommend an implant if you suffer from a chronic illness such as diabetes, as this can interfere with healing. And if you're a smoker, you may not be a good candidate for an implant.

Smokers are at greater risk for gum disease, and gum disease weakens the bone and soft tissue needed to support the implant.  If you're interested in replacing a missing tooth with an implant, we will perform a thorough evaluation to determine whether your health and lifestyle make you a good candidate for this kind of restoration.

root canal:

The visible exterior layer of a tooth is called the enamel. Beneath the enamel is another hard layer, called the dentin. The dentin surrounds a small chamber at the center of the tooth that contains the pulp. Tooth pulp is a soft tissue made up of nerves, arteries, and veins. The pulp extends from the pulp chamber down through narrow channels, called the root canals, to the tips of the roots.

How did my tooth become infected?
The two most common causes of infection in the pulp are deep cavities and fractured or broken teeth. Both expose the pulp to bacteria that live in saliva.  These bacteria, which are always present in your mouth, can cause an infection that can kill the pulp. Without treatment, the pus from the infection can eventually gather down at the root tip and pass into the jaw bone, causing an abscess (a pus pocket). The abscess can then damage the bone that surrounds the tooth. The resulting pressure inside the bone and ligaments surrounding the tooth can cause excruciating pain, and left untreated, can even be life threatening.

Symptoms vary
You may have realized that you had an infected tooth because it was sensitive to hot and cold, was swollen and painful, or had given you a bad taste in your mouth. On the other hand, you may have been completely unaware that you had an infection because you experienced no symptoms at all.

Root canal treatment
An infected tooth will never heal on its own, and as it gets worse, it will continue to be a source of infection that depletes your immune system, which can affect your entire body. Years ago, your only option would be for us to extract the tooth. But today, we can remove the infection with root canal treatment, and save your tooth.

DENTAL X-RAYS - Dental Radiography:

The computer era has brought us an exciting new technology called digital radiography.  With this technology, we use computerized equipment and software to capture x-ray images of your mouth and teeth. We do this by exposing a small sensor or plate that feeds the image into a computer.

The advantages of digital radiography
Digital radiography has many advantages over traditional dental x-rays:

• It's faster.

• It's safer, with no chemical development and less radiation.

• We can view images instantly.

• We can enhance images to improve viewing.

• Images can be stored electronically and emailed to specialists and insurance companies.

Taking x-rays is faster because the sensor is merely moved from tooth to tooth, and your x-ray can be seen on a computer monitor just moments after exposure.  There's no waiting for chemical development, as with film packets.  It's also faster because the x-rays are available within moments on the computer monitor, with no development step in between.

The lack of chemicals also makes digital x-rays safer for the environment.  Digital radiography is safe for you, too. Because the unit is so sensitive, the amount of x-ray radiation is up to 80% less than with conventional x-rays.

Digital x-ray technology enables more efficient diagnosis and treatment because it provides a large, easy-to-see image, and it allows us to make adjustments and see details in the x-ray images.  The digital x-rays can then become part of your dental record and be easily emailed to specialists and insurance companies.

With digital radiography, we can offer you faster and safer diagnosis and dental treatment.

new dental laser treatment:

Gives Patients Something to Smile About

Imagine looking forward to your next dental visit. Thanks to the latest in dental technology--laser treatment--that's the case for patients at Dental Boutique. With advanced laser technology, more and more patients have "Something to Smile About" when they visit the dentist.

Laser technology, utilized in ophthalmology, neurosurgery, and dermatology for decades, is now being applied in individual dental offices as well. Lasers are introducing dental practitioners--and patients--to a new world of techniques and procedures.

"Dental lasers are actually less painful compared to traditional instruments and methods. "The laser cuts and coagulates blood at the same time, making it much more precise than a scalpel. Procedures are done more quickly and efficiently, so patients end up spending less time in the chair. And since the laser stops bleeding and minimizes tissue damage, the laser enhances patient recovery. We think our patients are really going to love it."

Lasers are currently used for a variety of dental procedures. For cosmetic work, it is an excellent tool for gum sculpting, providing a more even, pleasing look for many patients; and for whitening teeth, with instantaneous results. The laser is also particularly effective when added to deep cleaning treatments of periodontal problems and gingivitis. In oral surgeries, the laser allows faster, more precise incisions with less post-operative pain and discomfort.

The laser is just what the doctor ordered for all ages--and even around braces. In addition, Dr. Klein holds a Class II certification in laser dentistry and has had extensive training in the techniques and benefits of this exciting new technology.

Making dentistry more efficient and precise, the laser brings perfect, beautiful smiles to patients all over the world.

diagnodent:

DlAGNOdent is an advanced laser technology that helps us find tooth decay.  We use it along with visual examination, dental explorers, and x-rays.  Visual examination and dental explorers are often useful for finding decay on  the surfaces of teeth.  We may also use x-rays to help us find advanced decay and decay between teeth. We add DlAGNOdent to help us locate decay that's hidden inside the tooth where visual examination, explorers, and x-rays can't find it.

How does DlAGNOdent work?
The tip of the DlAGNOdent hand piece scans your teeth with harmless pulses of laser light.  When the laser reaches decay under the surface of the tooth, the decay emits a fluorescent light.  This fluorescent light bounces back to the sensor, and is translated into an audible signal and a digital readout. In general, the higher the number, the greater the amount of decay in the tooth.  With DlAGNOdent, we can more accurately and reliably find decay in its earliest stages, before it causes more widespread damage.  This early detectionenables us to provide treatment before your tooth is at risk of more extensive and expensive treatment.  Your restorations will be smaller and less costly, and you'll be able to retain more of your own natural, healthy tooth.

intra-oral camera:

An intraoral camera is a highly advanced innovation in dentistry that allows us to get a close-up view inside your mouth.

The intraoral camera hand piece is approximately the size and shape of a dental mirror. It has a built-in light source, so it gives us easy-to-see video and still pictures.

We can zoom in on one tooth or give you a video tour of your entire mouth.  The images are displayed on a television or computer monitor, so you'll be able to see problems such as worn or broken fillings, cracked teeth, plaque deposits, cavities next to fillings, gum disease, or excessive wear. And after we've treated your dental condition, the intraoral camera lets you see, up close, your beautiful, healthy teeth and gums.

Images captured with an intraoral camera can often be printed out for you to take home or for us to store with your dental record.  They can also be sent to specialists and insurance companies.

You can see what we see
The intraoral camera allows you to be an active partner in your dental treatment by enabling you to see what we see inside your mouth.  With a clear understanding of your dental conditions, you'll be able to make treatment decisions with confidence.