Various materials can be used for making dental bridges, including porcelain fused with metal and gold. The type and amount of reduction done to teeth that will be supporting the bridge can vary.

Bridge Materials

Porcelain bridges have the most natural appearance of all bridge materials, but do not offer as much strength as do metal bridges. This type is preferred for replacing front teeth.

Porcelain Fused With Metal

This type of bridge material is stronger than all porcelain bridges. They are typically used on back teeth.

Metal Bridges

The advantage to metal bridges is superior strength compared to other types of materials. They provide a better fit and more durability, but they do not have a natural appearance like other types.

The Procedure- What to Expect

The beginning part of a dental bridge procedure is determining whether a dental bridge is right for you. Patients are generally advised to get a bridge when one or more teeth are missing that impact their speech or appearance or are putting stress on teeth adjacent to the gap. They are also recommended in cases where trapped food could accelerate tooth decay.

Temporary Bridge

Following assessment, a temporary bridge will be fitted. The area will be numbed, then teeth on either side will be reduced and sculpted to make room for a new crown. An impression is made to create the crown. Then a temporary bridge is put into place.

Permanent Bridge

During a subsequent appointment, the temporary bridge is removed and the permanent bridge is fitted. The new bridge is checked for proper bite and permanently cemented into place.

Follow Up

Subsequent visits may be needed to ensure proper fit and comfort. If any adjustments are required, they will be done before the bridge is permanently cemented. If you take care of your dental bridge, it can last 15 years or more.

As with so many cancers, early detection is the best defense. Dentists play a critical role in this effort. There are a number of symptoms that might indicate oral cancer. These include:

- chronic hoarseness or sore throat
- difficulty swallowing or chewing
- numbness in the tongue or another area in the mouth
- the presence of a lump in the cheek
- swelling or difficulty moving the jaw
- lesion or sore in the mouth that doesn’t heal within a week or two
- red or white patch somewhere inside the mouth

These symptoms aren’t necessarily indications of cancer, but this is why it’s critical to see a dentist when they arise. Only a dentist can distinguish these symptoms as either an oral cancer or another, less critical condition.

The best way to help your dentist screen you for oral cancer is to visit your dentist regularly. This way, your dentist has a baseline of what your normal, healthy mouth is like. If you do suffer from any of the symptoms above, don’t wait for your semi-annual cleaning. Schedule an appointment immediately to get screened.

Your dentist has a number of tools to use in oral cancer screening. You’ll typically have a manual exam where your dentist will feel around you throat and mouth by hand. Your dentist is checking for swollen lymph nodes or hardened patches. Your dentist will also take x-rays and do a visual exam to find any loose teeth, red or white patches, ulcerations or lumps.

If your dentist does find something in your mouth that warrants a closer look, you may have a biopsy. Depending on the abnormality, there are different types of biopsies, either sloughing off cells with a brush, making a small incision, or using a fine needle.

Only biopsy results from a lab can definitively identify or rule out oral cancer. The survival rate can be quite high with early detection, so seeing a dentist early can truly be lifesaving.

All of the meat eaters out there can understand where this is headed. Teeth are there to chew food. This is especially true when one talks about back molars. Without a mouth full of teeth, it can very difficult to properly chew and process food. This is where the functionality begins. Implants today are strong enough to be used just like natural teeth. They can chew food with the same kind of effectiveness.

In addition to that, people should realize that it is not smart to leave holes in their mouth. Even holes that can’t be seen can have adverse effects. Teeth will always shift to fill a hole. This includes teeth moving from side to side and teeth moving vertically. Many people who have teeth pulled end up with the problem of “explosion.” When this occurs, the tooth directly above or below a pulled tooth will come out too far to try and fill the hole. Getting implants can stop this in its tracks.

All of the talk about functionality is great. It ignores the big reason to get implants. Your smile is such an important feature. If you want to make a great first impression, you will need to lean on your smile. Dental implants today look great. They can pass for natural teeth in most cases. Getting implants will give you the smile that you have been missing.

A dentist in general practice not only checks the condition of their patient’s teeth but gives them tips on how to brush, what kind of toothbrush to use, how to floss and other aspects of dental hygiene, including nutritional advice. Nowadays even a general dentist is skilled in many aspects of dental care. Many can do cosmetic procedures like veneers. They can fit their patients with braces, crowns, bridges, implants, dentures and partial dentures. They can perform oral surgery and root canal therapy. They can even help a patient give up smoking, as smoking is as detrimental to the health of the teeth and mouth as it is to everything else.

A dentist can also detect the first signs of periodontal disease, which is gradual, progressive and, at least at first, painless. Gingivitis, when the gums are inflamed and bleed easily, is the most common type of periodontal disease. If it’s untreated it can lead to periodontitis, where infected pockets form between the teeth and gums. Periodontitis can eventually destroy the bone supporting the teeth. This can result in the loss of even healthy teeth. In very bad cases of periodontitis, the infection has been known to travel to the heart and even damage the heart valves.

Most periodontal disease is caused when bacteria sticks to the teeth and gums in a film called plaque. Food particles cause the bacteria in this plaque to secrete acids and enzymes that irritate the gums, which is why it’s important that it be removed regularly. Periodontal disease can be stopped in its early stages, but tissue and bone that’s been destroyed almost never grows back. Even people who wear dentures must take care to make sure bacteria doesn’t injure their gums and their dentures.

A general dentist can also check for signs of oral cancer. Oral cancer is often found on the lips, the inside of the cheeks, the gums and the floor of the mouth. The patient might not even understand that these can be signs of oral cancer. The routine visit to the dentist may be life-saving.

Robinson, Harrah, Linton, Morgan, Konwick and Naik
Serving Our Community Since 1978

Quality Dental Care From People Who Care

Comprehensive Family Dentistry Including:
Cosmetic Dentistry • Teeth Whitening • Bonding & Porcelain Veneers
Crown and Bridge • Root Canal Therapy • Placement and Restoration of Implants
Partial and Complete Dentures • Implant Supported Dentures
Extractions • Emergencies • IV & Oral Sedation Dentistry

Vassey Dental Partners is committed to providing high quality dental care for the whole family. Pediatric dentistry focuses on the dental health of children. We see children starting at three (3) years of age through adulthood. We do see children younger than 3 years of age by special appointment or for emergency care.

The oral health of children is extremely important. Establishing a good oral health and preventive care routine creates good habits that will carry into adulthood. Children’s dental care is different from adult dental care. Pediatric dentistry has a unique set of challenges. A dentist must be experienced and well trained to examine and treat children, to identify problems and make children feel comfortable.

Why Primary Teeth (Baby Teeth) Are Important:
•Contribute to good nutrition by allowing children to chew properly
•Aid in speech development
•Lay a foundation for permanent teeth
•Instrumental in establishing good self esteem

Children often experience anxiety and fear when visiting the dentist. One way to combat this fear is to not be anxious yourself. Children learn by example and can often detect the emotions and anxiety of their parents or caretakers. For children who are especially anxious or uncooperative, we can administer nitrous oxide to calm the child, making them more comfortable and easier to treat.

Pediatric dentistry includes routine dental cleanings and fluoride treatment. Our doctors can provide tips and advice for parents on a range of oral health topics from brushing and flossing habits to diet recommendations, pacifier use and thumb sucking. As children grow into adolescents and young adults, they have other unique needs including wisdom teeth. We perform third molar (wisdom teeth) extractions. Both parents and teen-agers are more comfortable having these services done in our office under the care of their regular dentist. We also treat emergency situations like broken, fractured or missing teeth.

Children’s dental health is important to their long term dental health. If you have questions about pediatric dentistry or would like to schedule an appointment for your child, contact us today!

A lot of mouth and jaw pain can stem from clenching and grinding. Not only does this cause pain, but it can cause embarrassing tooth problems. It can harm the enamel of teeth, destroy a bite, cause cavities and cause spaces between teeth. The pain that stems from clenching and grinding can affect the mouth and the jaw. It can also cause headaches and nerve pain that radiates to the ears.

Mouth and jaw pain can also stem from preexisting issues, such as cavities, bite misalignment, tooth infection, spaces, wisdom tooth eruption, impacted wisdom teeth, broken teeth and gum issues. All of the above can cause pain and embarrassment. They can also be treated with restorative dentistry.

Restorative dentistry treatments that can help the abovementioned causes of mouth and jaw pain are numerous. Teeth with cavities can be filled. Infected teeth can be treated with root canals and crowns. Broken teeth can be treated with crowns and/or root canals – among other treatments that advance all the time. Tooth alignment can be treated with braces, bridges to fill missing teeth and more. Bites can be adjusted to relieve the pain from clenching and grinding. Extra teeth or wisdom teeth can be safely removed with a minimum of pain.

After the underlying causes of mouth and jaw pain are treated, dentists can perform cosmetic and maintenance procedures to make teeth look their best and stay their best. These treatments include whitening, veneers, cleanings, sealants and more. At home treatments in-between dentist appointments can ensure that teeth are kept healthy. However, mouth and jaw pain cannot typically be alleviated by brushing and flossing. Seeing a dentist is the best way to relieve mouth pain.

You may have a gap in your smile for several reasons, including tooth loss, decay and teeth that never grew in properly in the first place. When you are ready to change your appearance, we welcome you to contact our dental office for a free consultation regarding your situation. One of our skilled cosmetic dentists will take an impression of your teeth and then go over the various treatment options with you.

One of the most popular options for correcting a large space in the smile is with the use of porcelain veneers. This piece of dental equipment is a tiny, extremely thin piece of porcelain that Dr. Vassey or another dentist bonds to the front of your existing teeth. In addition to filling in the gap between teeth, porcelain veneers can also help to improve the appearance of teeth that are chipped, broken, discolored or uneven.

The ceramic used in creating porcelain veneers is intended to mimic the appearance of natural teeth as closely as possible. When light reflects your new porcelain veneers, they should be indistinguishable from your natural teeth. Prior to affixing your porcelain veneers, our dentists must remove a small amount of your tooth enamel in order to make room for them.

We provide you with a comprehensive exam prior to placing your new porcelain veneers. Besides taking an impression of your teeth and discussing treatment options, we also screen for tooth decay, periodontal disease and oral cancer. On your second visit, we discuss our findings with you and prepare a treatment plan. Your third visit involves being fitted with temporary veneers, while you receive your permanent porcelain veneers on your final visit.