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Services

Fillings

Tooth decay can result in dental pain and impact our quality of life. Once decay is removed, the missing tooth structure should be replaced with a filling to restore health and function.

The cavity is filled with a choice of:

  • composite resin (tooth colored or white fillings)

  • dental porcelain (tooth colored)

  • gold (precious metal)

  • dental amalgam (old fashioned silver)

  • glass ionomer (also tooth colored but for special cases)

 We shape the filling's surface to closely match your teeth's natural contours.  Your filled cavity should feel and function just like your natural tooth when we're done.  Usual dental hygiene combined with regular professional dental cleanings is all that is required to preserve your fillings and keep cavity causing bacteria at bay.  For those patients especially prone to dental decay, we recommend frequent application of concentrated fluoride varnishes to slow the progression of cavities. 

Gold Crowns, Inlays, Onlays, and Porcelain Fused to Metal Onlays

For more than 50 years porcelain fused to metal crowns and bridges (bridgework) have been the standards of care in restorative dentistry due to their strength and cosmetics. The metal substructure lends rigidity and precision fitting, while the porcelain overlay allows close matching of natural tooth shade. This type of restoration allows us to dependably restore severely broken down teeth, teeth with a root-canal, or a missing tooth area (i.e., bridgework).

Traditional gold crowns, inlays, and onlays are still a viable treatment alternative for the back molar teeth owing to their strength, durability, and precision fit. They remain the “Gold Standard” for restoring teeth.

 

Treatment Time:
Traditionally, two appointments are needed to make a crown. The first visit involves removing the broken or decayed parts of the tooth and shaping it for a crown. A provisional or temporary crown is provided until you return 2 weeks later for the crown fitting and cementation.

 

Patient Maintenance:
Crowns are designed to feel and function like real teeth; however, you should follow these simple guidelines to ensure many long years of service.

  • Chewing on peanut brittle, ice, hard or chewy candies is strongly discouraged to minimize the risk of dislodgement or fracture.

  • Regular oral hygiene at home, professional cleanings, and a diet low in refined sugars are imperative to prevent recurring tooth decay, and gum disease which can shorten the life of your crown.

 

Results of Treatment:
Restoration of tooth form, function, and look.

 

Average Range of Treatment Life Expectancy:

The average life of a crown is about 10 to 25 years. The primary factor in a crown prematurely failing is a poor fit. At The Hirshberg Dental Group, we insure success through vigorous inspection of our technicians work, and a policy of redoing any less than perfect work. Life expectancy is proportional to the original fit, recurring tooth decay, gum disease, and your oral hygiene.

 

Advantages:

  • Teeth can be lightened or whitened to match the shade of your natural teeth

  • Some realignment or straightening of teeth is possible

  • Dentists with "good hands" can improve shapes of teeth.

  • Crowned teeth are protected from fracture or breakage.

 

Other Considerations:

  • Depending on the health of the tooth prior to crowning, additional treatments, such as crown lengthening, or root-canal therapy, may be needed to ensure optimum success and longevity. 

  • Crowns are more expensive than fillings and take additional time to prepare.

Fillings
Gold Crowns, Inlays, Onlays

All-Ceramic Crowns, Inlays, and Onlays

To achieve the ultimate degree of esthetics and natural feel, an all-ceramic restoration (metal-free crown) is used to mimic the translucent qualities of enamel and bond directly to the underlying tooth for dependable retention and durability. This type of restoration can be used to replace an unsightly silver filling on a molar tooth, a front tooth with a root canal, and sometimes to replace a missing tooth area (i.e., bridgework).

Recent advances in dental porcelains have produced a remarkable product.  Ceramic crowns are positively outstanding for their natural appearance and long-lasting strength and durability. No longer do patients have to suffer with the unsightly dark blue/black lines around the margins of crowns or the opaqueness of the porcelain that tells everyone as soon as you smile that you've been "capped".

A ceramic crown can achieve the ultimate in tooth shape, size, and color. The final result is completely dependent upon your dentist's skill in shaping the underlying tooth, taking an accurate impression, and artistically creating the crowns with the ceramist.

These ceramic crowns are so "life-like" they are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth. These attractive restorations usually can be placed in one or two visits.

Porcelain Veneers

An innovative technology, CEREC® software allows us to digitally design all-ceramic crowns and porcelain veneers in one visit! We have the skills and training to produce CEREC® crowns with ultimate precision and reliability and proudly offer this metal-free alternative as proof of our commitment to the best modern dental technology.  As advanced CEREC® dentists, we can provide a smile preview before treatment starts using 3D imaging techniques, and with our extensive porcelain experience, produce highly customized cosmetic appearances.

 

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Are they for everyone? 
If a tooth needs a crown, then most often the answer is YES.  However, every treatment plan is individualized to meet each patient’s specific needs.

 

How long does it take?
99% are completed in one, 90 minute visit.

 

Would a white filling or silver filling work instead?
No.  A crown is indicated when a large percentage of the original tooth has been lost to decay and/or fracture. Fillings are appropriate when a tooth has a small cavity.

 

How much do they cost?
There is no difference in cost compared to a traditional crown.

 

Why does a tooth need a crown in the first place?
Old silver fillings are prone to breakage; some may have small fractures in the enamel which puts them at greater risk. Often, when an old silver filling is removed, those small enamel fractures extend deeper into the tooth. Internal cracks if left uncovered, can result in breakage of large tooth chunks. If your tooth is crowned or “capped,” it is protected from breakage.

 

Does a CEREC® crown work on a root-canal tooth?
Yes.  Root-canal teeth are very brittle.  Without a crown to protect it, you are 50% more likely to suffer a disastrous tooth fracture which may require gum surgery to restore, or necessitate tooth removal altogether!   A post and core for strength and retention can be incorporated into the CEREC®crown design for an all-in-one treatment of a root canal tooth.

 

Advantages:

  • Completed in one visit

  • Computer-assisted design makes for precise fitting

  • All Ceramic (porcelain) crown; more durable

  • Metal-free

  • Natural look and feel (same translucency as a natural tooth)

  • No need for a temporary crown

  • Immediate bonding allows limited tooth exposure and a healthier tooth

  • Single-visit appointment saves you time

  • Reduced carbon footprint by eliminating disposable dental materials

CEREC - One Visit All-Ceramic Crowns

CEREC
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