Deep cavities and cracks in teeth can allow bacteria to enter the pulp that nourishes the teeth, leading to irritation and infection. Eventually, the pulp may die, threatening the health of the surrounding tooth. In cases like these, our office will try to save the natural tooth with a root canal treatment.
At each check-up, your dentist looks for possible signs of infection. If root canal treatment is necessary, your dentist can perform the procedure. It is important that you receive treatment as soon as possible to prevent further infection and possible tooth loss.
Root canal treatments remove the dead or infected pulp through a small opening in the tooth. The root canals are sealed to prevent bacteria from reaching the bone, and the opening in the tooth is sealed with a filling or crown.
With a root canal you can keep your natural teeth and avoid a costly tooth replacement.
Losing a tooth is never a good experience, but sometimes it is the only option we have, to keep the integrity of our overall dental health. The reasons for tooth extraction include when a patient has a broken tooth that cannot be filled or crowned, a decayed tooth, or a problem that has caused extensive damage that can no longer be repaired. The process entails the removal of teeth from the sockets in the jawbone. It can be simple or surgical, depending on the tooth.
You will not know if you need an extraction until you visit your dentist. Extractions are often indicated when a tooth was damaged beyond repair by extensive decay or a fracture; baby teeth are present that impede on the growth of adult teeth or to make room for teeth alignment procedures. Tooth extraction is also performed when impacted teeth are causing pain or damage to adjacent teeth.
Wisdom tooth extraction is a surgical procedure to remove one or more wisdom teeth — the four permanent adult teeth located at the back corners of your mouth on the top and bottom.
If a wisdom tooth doesn’t have room to grow (impacted wisdom tooth), resulting in pain, infection or other dental problems, you’ll likely need to have it pulled. Wisdom tooth extraction may be done by a dentist or an oral surgeon.
To prevent potential future problems, some dentists and oral surgeons recommend wisdom tooth extraction even if impacted teeth aren’t currently causing problems.Tooth extraction near you is offered at Courtice Family dentistry. Schedule your consultation today!
Dental Veneers/Componeers are thin shells of porcelain that could improve and brighten your smile!
Veneers are fabricated in the laboratory and will be bonded to the tooth surface to cover a chipped or damaged tooth, discoloration, or spacing between your teeth.
Componeers are a new cosmetic procedure used to improve your smile in one appointment. Componeers are a great alternative to porcelain lab formed veneers. They are a prefabricated, very thin shell bonded to your tooth surface to cover chipped or worn enamel, stains, damaged, discolored, or misaligned teeth. Componeers look very natural, are quite durable, are cost effective and a great way to improve your smile.
If you are looking to improve your smile and want more information about Veneers/ Componeers please ask our experienced dental team.
We are always looking for technology that provides a safer and easier dental experience.
Dr. Vijay Singh is pleased to offer our patients dental digital imaging. Using state-of-the-art digital dental radiography from Schick Dental technologies, we can offer a faster, safer and easier x-ray diagnosis than ever before.
Using dental digital x-rays allows us to provide:
• Lower Radiation Exposure: Digital x-rays use 75-90% less radiation exposure than the conventional film-type dental x-ray
• Fast: The x-ray image appears instantly on our monitor, so we are not waiting for chemical processing of the x-ray film
• Fewer Chemicals: using digital radiography allows us to avoid the use of the caustic chemicals used to develop conventional dental film.
This is safer for our patients, our team, and is more environmentally friendly.
Tooth coloured fillings are dental fillings that restore and mimic the natural appearance of tooth structure.
In addition to restoring teeth that have fractured or decayed, tooth coloured fillings may also be used cosmetically to change the size, colour and shape of teeth. The most versatile and widely used tooth coloured filling today is composite resin filling.
Preventive sealants are applied to protect the deep grooves on molar teeth before they become decayed.
METAL BRACES – The goal of orthodontic treatment is the same for children, teenagers or adults – to straighten teeth so they look better and work better.
This goal is achieved using braces or clear aligners that put gentle pressure on your teeth to move them into the correct position over a period of months or years.
Traditional braces, made of either metal or ceramic, have been used for decades to straighten teeth. In recent years, advances in orthodontic treatment have resulted in braces that are low-profile, more comfortable and easier to care for.
How Braces Straighten Teeth
Braces apply continuous pressure to the teeth over a period of time, slowly moving them into their new, corrected positions.
As pressure is applied and the teeth move, the bone changes shape to accommodate the new positions of the teeth.
Nitrous Oxide is one way we cater to those patients who otherwise would be too anxious to come to the dentist.
A few things you should know when considering using nitrous oxide:
If your tooth is damaged but not lost, a crown can be used to restore its shape, appearance and function. You may need a crown if you have a root canal, a large filling in a tooth or a broken tooth.
If you have a broken or fractured tooth, you can prevent further damage with a crown. This also works for teeth that are discoloured and have evident decay. If it has come to a point where whitening treatments and repairs can no longer correct the appearance, you can bank on a crown to improve the look. Fractured fillings and large fillings can also be a sign that you need a crown to prevent further damage.
We provide three types of dental crowns near you, which include all-metal crowns, all-ceramic crowns, and porcelain-fused-to-metal-crowns. Your dentist checks and evaluates your teeth to determine which type of dental crown is ideal for you.
Metal crowns are typically made of gold and will last years if taken care of properly. Another benefit of metal crowns is that they do not wear down your natural teeth. They are ideal for those who struggle with teeth clenching, teeth grinding (bruxism) or need extra tooth strength to address the damage as it requires the least amount of tooth structure to be filed down. Gold crowns are known for their longevity, convenience, and durability. However, the gold colour does not look natural, particularly on front teeth.
All-ceramic crowns look the most natural. They are a metal-free option and do not require the presence of a metal core. Hence they have excellent aesthetics. However, they are brittle and may chip more easily. Because of this, they were not usually placed on back teeth. They also wear down the opposing natural teeth. But with the advances in materials and technology, Zirconia crowns are a good substitute for all-ceramic crowns as they are stronger and can be placed on the back teeth.
Porcelain fused to metal crowns have a more natural look and are typically stronger than composite or porcelain crowns. Another benefit is that they will not chip as easily as ceramic or porcelain crowns would. It is important to note that the metal may begin to show if your gums are thinner or they shrink.
Dental bridges in Waterloo are a fixed replacement of one or more missing teeth supported at each end by natural teeth or implants. The missing teeth are replaced by artificial teeth that are attached at each end to a crown or cap. They can be glued on the natural teeth, on the implant or screwed on the implant.
The different types of dental bridges are, traditional, implant-supported, resin bonded and cantilever. Here at Courtice Family Dentistry, we will recommend the most appropriate type depending on the location of the missing tooth (or teeth) and the condition of your teeth, mouth and gums.
Traditional dental bridges replace missing teeth with artificial teeth attached to crowns at each end which are glued to natural teeth.
If the teeth supporting the bridge don’t have sufficient tooth structure or bone support, implant bridges may be recommended in which the custom-made bridge is anchored to the dental implants. The dental implants are surgically placed into the jawbone and the bridge is glued or screwed on the implant.
Resin-Bonded Bridges: This type of dental bridge is also known as “Maryland Bridges” and is commonly used to replace the missing front teeth. Artificial teeth are fused together using metal bands and attached to the back of your teeth to give a discrete appearance.
Cantilever Bridges: This type of dental bridge is used only on one side of the missing tooth or teeth. Your dentist will anchor the artificial tooth over one or more of the surrounding natural teeth.
