Services
(Click on the links below for description of our services)
- Cosmetic Dentistry
- Tooth Colored Restorations
- Crowns
- Veneers
- Bleaching
- Invisalign
- Cerec 3D (single visit same day crowns)
- Root Canals
- Implant Restorations
- Implant Dentures
- Dentures
- Partial Dentures
- Preventative Oral Healthcare
- Periodontal (gum disease) Treatment
Cosmetic Dentistry
We offer several solutions that will enable us to correct imperfections in the appearance of your smile. Being unhappy or dissatisfied with your smile should be a thing of the past. The color, alignment and spacing, as well as regularity of the teeth, are the characteristics that give the overall appearance of a beautiful, healthy smile.
At Dr. Lauren L. Timmons’s office, a variety of cosmetic options are offered. Some of these options are whitening, smile design, recontouring the shape of the teeth, veneers, and all ceramic/porcelain crowns. No more dark, metal around the margins of your crowns!
Tooth Colored Restorations
A dental restoration is a material that has been placed in a prepared tooth to restore function and morphology, when tooth structure has been lost due to decay or fracture (generally because of extensive decay, which weakens the tooth, or external trauma), or to improve the esthetics of the tooth. Dental restorations may be fabricated out of a variety of materials, namely amalgam (dark or silver in color) or composite (white/tooth colored fillings), which are mostly preferred today.
Crowns
Crowns are full coverage restorations that are used to cover a tooth that is likely to break or is too broken down to be restored with a filling. They are most common after root canal treatment or when a large filling wears out. The larger the cavity that has to be treated, the more likely a crown will be needed. Even after a filling is put in a large cavity, the tooth can likely break. Keep in mind that the jaw muscles are the strongest in the human body and teeth are subjected to tremendous pressures. Crowns are placed over the weakened tooth, providing strength and protecting the tooth against breakage. An already broken or cracked tooth is far more serious and much more difficult to treat. Crowns help prevent this as well as making a nice smile.
Our crowns are made in the office and delivered during the same visit.
Veneers
Veneers are a dental procedure in which a covering is placed over the outside (visible area) of the tooth/teeth.
As with our crowns, your porcelain veneers can be made and completed in one visit, offering an instant improvement to your smile.
Bleaching (“Whitening”)
Teeth “whitening” is a common procedure in general dentistry but most especially in the field of cosmetic dentistry. Many people consider “white” teeth to be an attractive feature of a smile, offering a more youthful appearance, often taking “years” off of your age. Children’s deciduous teeth are generally whiter than the adult teeth that follow. As a person ages the adult teeth often increase in value–that is to say, they become darker. This darkening can be due to changes in the mineral structure of the tooth, as the enamel becomes less porous. Teeth can also become stained by bacterial pigments, tobacco, sodas, etc.
A typical course of bleaching can produce dramatic improvements in the appearance of your age or the cosmetic appearance of most stained teeth. However, some stains do not respond to bleaching.
Invisalign
Invisalign is a method of orthodontic therapy promoted as an “invisible” way of straightening teeth without using traditional braces. Instead, it uses a series of clear aligners, that gradually and sequentially move the teeth to their desired positions. (Click on the icon above for more information)
Cerec 3D (offers single visit same day crowns)
CEREC is a dental restoration product that allows the dentist to produce your crown or veneer, using a variety of computer assisted technologies including 3D photography and CAD/CAM. The restoration can, in most cases, be performed in a single sitting with the patient (there is no traditional two visit crown appointment requiring more injections, gooey impression(s) and having to wear a temporary crown for two weeks. You get this accomplished in a single visit!). The cavity is first photographed and stored as a three dimensional digital model and software is then used to extrapolate the approximate restoration shape. The practitioner then refines that model using 3D CAD GUI software. When the model is complete, a milling machine carves the actual restoration out of a ceramic block using diamond head cutters under computer control. This results in natural impeccable esthetics, which blends in so well with neighboring teeth, that often the patient cannot tell. When complete, the restoration is permanently bonded to the tooth using a resin.
(Click on the icon above for more information)
Root Canals
Root canal treatment (also referred to as root canal therapy or endodontic therapy) is made necessary when a cavity is allowed, through neglect, to reach all the way to this pulp. (Regular cleanings and checkups can help prevent and detect problems early). On some occasions, deep restorations or trauma to a tooth may cause the nerve to be damaged to the point that it needs root canal therapy, as well. Once this occurs, the pulp becomes infected, and can even extend through the root tip and begin to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is an abscess). By the time the pulp is infected it must be treated and cannot heal on its own. This can even weaken the entire immune system. This can be dangerous, not to mention very painful. Symptoms that the pulp has become infected may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, pain to biting or pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth. In some cases no symptoms are apparent and the person is unaware of any problem until a checkup.
A root canal is then performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the canals of the tooth. The only other treatment would be to extract the tooth and you always want to retain as many of your natural teeth as possible. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) are filled in to prevent any further infection. Usually a core build-up and crown is recommended for restoring a tooth that has had root canal therapy since the tooth is considered “dead” and becomes brittle and easy to break.
Implant Restorations
Dental implants are a great option to replace missing teeth. In this procedure, a small titanium shaft is surgically implanted into the bone and allowed to set/heal. The bone grows around it forming a tight connection, which slows or stops the bone loss that occurs when the root of a natural tooth is missing. Once the implant is firmly set in the mouth, the dentist then works to attach the replacement tooth onto the top of the shaft. This permanent solution has the advantage over bridge work as it does not stress the surrounding teeth for support. Should the tooth/teeth wear out, another can simply be replaced on the shaft.
Implants can also be used as support as part of an implant bridge. This is an alternative to partial dentures and has several advantages. First, there is no adjustment period to acclimatize the patient who, once the work is done, only feels teeth, not metal supports intruding into the mouth. Second, this slows the bone loss occasioned by missing teeth. Third, there is no discomfort or difficulty in eating. And finally, the patient does not have to remove the partial in and out from the mouth.
We also offer mini dental implants. These implants are about half the diameter of traditional implants are used, mainly, to stabilize lower dentures (lower dentures can become difficult to retain due to bone loss, over time, and a lack of suction you get with upper dentures). In this scenario, implants can be placed in one appointment and be utilized immediately.
Implant Dentures
A dental implant is an artificial tooth root replacement and is used in prosthetic dentistry. There are several types. The most widely accepted and successful is the osseointegrated implant, based on the discovery by Professor Per-Ingvar Brånemark, that titanium could be successfully incorporated into bone when osteoblasts grow on and into the rough surface of the implanted titanium. This forms a structural and functional connection between the living bone and the implant. Implant dentures are an excellent option for those with substantial bones loss.
Dentures
There are different types of dentures, but they share their common function. They replace teeth that have become loose or had to be extracted due to bone loss. When bone loss around the roots of the tooth/teeth is great enough to loosen them or let them fall out, it’s time for dentures. Relax. No one enjoys losing their natural teeth, but you are still able to eat and talk regularly.
The entire mouth is examined and a determination is made as to which teeth will have to be removed, and which will remain. The loose teeth are then extracted. Dentures are fitted to go over or around whatever teeth remain in the mouth, depending on the type. There is an adjustment period after dentures are placed in the mouth, and it can take some getting used to. But once accustomed to the dentures, all the normal functionality and appearance return and one just carries on as usual. Often implants can used to further stabilize the dentures
Partial Dentures
Partial Dentures are like dentures, except healthy teeth can be left in the mouth and the artificial teeth can be built around them. The outcome is a beautiful smile.
Preventative Oral Healthcare
Focusing on the prosperity of your teeth, smile and oral hygiene. Cleanings, checkups, X-rays, and other procedures may prevent problems from occurring in the future. Evidence continues to mount that maintaining good oral hygiene is good for your heart!
Periodontal (gum disease) Treatment
The gums, ligaments, and bone around the teeth form the foundation. All of these structures are referred to as the periodontium. When the periodontium is not healthy, it jeopardizes the teeth just as a bad foundation would threaten the stability of a house. Signs of unhealthy periodontium (gum disease) may be as follows: gums that are red and bleed easily, persistent bad breath, gums that are pulled away from the tooth, loose teeth, and changes in the position or bite of the teeth. Any of these signs may mean something is wrong. With the proper care, it may be possible to return them to a healthy state. This is where appropriate gum treatment comes in. If you’re having a problem, come in and see us so we can take care of it right away. The treatment usually involves a deep cleaning or root planing performed under a local anesthetic, along with local antibiotic agents. If the gum disease gets too severe it may need to be treated through surgery or extraction. Therefore, it is important to seek treatment at the first sign of a problem.
