Teeth cleaning (also known as prophylaxis, literally a preventive treatment of a disease) is a procedure for the removal of tartar (mineralized plaque) that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing, especially in areas that are difficult to reach in routine toothbrushing. It is often done by a dental hygienist.

Professional cleaning includes tooth scaling and tooth polishing and debridement if too much tartar has accumulated. This involves the use of various instruments or devices to loosen and remove deposits from the teeth. Typically after the cleaning is complete, the dentist will come and do a complete examination.

Local Anesthetic

Often called “freezing”, just like at your dentist office, is an anesthetic medication placed near the treatment site to numb the area. It does not alter your mood, awareness, or memory of the procedure, but it eliminates pain.

Laughing Gas

Also called, Nitrous Oxide is a form of conscious sedation. It used as a solution to decrease or eliminate anxiety and the worry about the pain involved in a dental procedure. The use of Nitrous oxide is a proven conscious sedation method that allows patients to go through pain free dentistry sometimes even without the use of needles. Nitrous oxide is a mild General Anaesthetic, and under it people tend to experience a state of euphoria, which is why Nitrous Oxide is called the laughing gas! We modulate the gas levels to manage the sedation so that you can have the most comfortable experience in an anxiety free dental environment.

Crowns are used to protect, strengthen and rebuild broken or weakened teeth. We use porcelain alone or in combination with zirconium or gold. We will discuss the best choice for your individual needs at your consultation.

Following preparation of your tooth a mould is sent to our master ceramist. Hand tinted porcelain is colour matched to your surrounding teeth. Our ceramist uses only the finest porcelain to produce natural looking teeth.

A bridge is used to replace single or multiple missing teeth. A crown is placed on the teeth on either side of the gap, forming a ‘bridge’. As with crowns, we either use porcelain on its own or combine it with zirconium or gold.

A mould of the prepared teeth is sent to our master ceramist, who will hand tint the porcelain to match the colour and shape of your surrounding teeth, using only the finest porcelain.

When having a crown or bridge done, many patients take the opportunity to whiten their surrounding teeth. The new teeth are matched to the whiter, brighter colour, producing a beautiful result.

Root canal therapy is a commonly used term for endodontic therapy or root canal therapy.

After the tooth is ¨numbed¨, a small opening is made into the pulp chamber. The canals are located and measured, so they can be cleansed and shaped using a series of hand files and engine-driven instruments. We also use the highest technology in apex localizors.

After the space is cleansed canal system is filled with gutta-percha and a dental sealer material is placed in the root canal space. This allows the bone and tissue around the root to repair and heal.

Most often, a crown is placed in order to protect the tooth, and if the tooth lacks sufficient tooth structure to hold the core build-up, a post may be placed inside.
A new restoration is almost always required following the root canal.

The number of visits necessary to complete a root canal will vary depending upon the degree of infection, the number of canals in the complexity of the procedure. We always strive to achieve the best possible result; therefore, your treatment may take one visit, or it may take more.

What is Dental Implant Treatment?

Think of dental implants as metal anchors, usually made of titanium, that are surgically placed into jawbone to hold permanent replacement teeth or dentures. Through a process called “osteointergration”, the jawbone actually attaches itself to the implant over time, providing tremendous stability.

A single implant can be made when adjacent teeth are healthy and in place. During surgery, each implant is placed within the jawbone to serve as an anchor for the post that will eventually support the replacement teeth. Generally from three to six months or more is then allowed for the bone tissue to grow around the implants and hold them securely in place.

Once the jawbone is firmly healed around the implants. The post protrudes through the gum-line and serves as an anchor for the replacement teeth. This short procedure usually requires only local anesthesia. After your gums have healed, the replacement teeth are securely attached to the post.

What are the benefits of Dental Implants?

Because dental implants are patterned after the structure of your natural teeth, they provide a highly stable support system for replacement teeth or dentures. Other benefits include:

A fixed bridge abutment or crown and bridge are often used when a crown can anchor the prosthesis in combination with an implant. Improved biting pressure.

Healthy teeth are able to absorb over 500 pounds of biting pressure per square inch. If you´re worn dentures for long time, that pressure may be diminished significantly, to one tenth that of natural teeth.

Dental implants can often restore the amount of pleasure that can be withstood to nearly the same level of healthy natural teeth.

Comfort and fit. Because your replacement teeth are anchored securely to the implants in your jawbone, they cant slip and slide like unsecured dentures can. When dentures aren’t secure enough, they often cause sores in dental implants eliminate these problems.

Longevity and reliability. With proper oral hygiene and care, scientifically tested and approved dental implants function remarkably like natural teeth, most people who get them experience a renewed sense of self-confidence once they realize they can again chew, talk, laugh and smile with confidence.

How do I know if I’m a good candidate for Dental Implants?

The permanent fixed denture is often an excellent alternative to removable dentures. If you face the loss of one or several teeth or if you’re dissatisfied with dentures or other options available to you, you may find that dental implants are right for you. Age is not typically a major factor: successful dental implants have been performed on young people as well as the elderly.

During your initial consultation, well help you decide.

In general, we look for the following characteristics:
• General good health.
• Healthy gums.
• Sufficient underlying jawbone to support the implants.
• And a good attitude to ensure that you follow through with vital oral hygiene habits.

What type of care is required for dental implants?

The care you give to your dental implants makes a tremendous difference in the overall satisfaction you experience, as well as the longevity of the implant it self. With proper oral hygiene habits-brushing, flossing and regular dental check-ups your implant will serve you well.

Sometimes wisdom teeth erupt and grown in with no problems. For many of us however, the development of wisdom teeth comes with a whole series of complications.

The most common complication is misalignment of the wisdom teeth. Misaligned wisdom teeth can be angled towards or away from the second molars. Poor alignment can cause crowding or even damage adjacent teeth, the jawbone or nerves. This is why sometimes it is necessary to remove wisdom teeth.

A lack of adequate bone or soft tissue can affect a smile’s aesthetics and create challenges in treating or health issues such as tooth loss and gum disease.
As such, bone or tissue grafting may be recommended in certain circumstances. This procedure involves taking bone or soft tissue from a donor site and attaching to the site of insufficient material.

Another problem addressed by grafting is receding gum tissue. This can occur as a result of periodontal disease. As it progresses, it exposes the underlying roots, making the teeth more sensitive. The effects of receding gums also include a longer appearance in the tooth, which can make the patient look older.

In gum grafting, the dentist uses surgical techniques to insert donor tissue at the graft site. Gum grafts can also benefit patients with unusually thin gum tissue.
Bone or tissue grafting is done in a simple outpatient procedure, and many patients find that sedation dentistry is sufficient for a comfortable experience.
Depending on your case, you may benefit from bone or tissue grafting as one component of the overall effort to restore a beautiful smile. Discuss this option thoroughly with your dentist to address any concerns in advance of the procedure.

A beautiful smile is just a phone call away. If you’re unhappy with your gummy smile, a simple ‘gum lift’ may be the answer. Your smile may be enhanced by simply recontouring the shape and height of your gums to show more tooth.

Snoring can actually be more than just a bothersome habit that annoys your sleeping partner. There are significant health risks that are associated with snoring, such as an increased likelihood of high blood pressure for the snorer and poor sleep for both the snorer and anyone else within hearing range.

Your dentist can help alleviate this problem with a revolutionary new dental device that slightly repositions your jaw and opens up obstructed airways.

A Snore Guard is a custom crafted mouth piece that is precisely fitted to the contours of your mouth. Separate upper and lower teeth trays are connected by S-shaped connectors that create the proper lower mandibular protrusion to clear blocked throat passages and virtually eliminate snoring.

Dental patients suffering from mild sleep apnea can obtain significant relief from disruptive snoring with this highly successful anti snoring device.

Mouthguards are durable appliances that fit over your teeth for protection. When worn during contact activities, mouthguards help protect against injuries to the teeth, jaw and areas in and around your mouth.

When there is an impact to your mouth or jaw, a mouthguard acts as a cushion that redistributes the force of the blow evenly. Studies show that properly fitted sport’s mouthguards when worn during an impact can prevent or lessen the severity of injuries such as concussion, neck injuries and other potentially severe injuries.

A mouthguard provides a barrier between your teeth and your mouth’s soft tissue. As a result, sport’s mouthguards help prevent damage to teeth as well as cuts to lips, gums, and other soft tissue in and around your mouth.

A night guard is plastic mouth piece worn at night to prevent damage to the teeth and jaw from Bruxism. Bruxism is the clenching or grinding of teeth, most commonly while sleeping.

Symptoms of Bruxism include:
• hypersensitive teeth
• aching jaw muscles
• headaches
• tooth wear
• damage and/or breakage of teeth and/or dental restorations
• a grinding noise during sleep, sometimes detected by a parent or partner

At Century Stone Dental we can provide you with a custom made night guard to alleviate the above symptoms.