Dental Procedures

This section is designed to help our patients better understand what the various procedures are and how they benefit them. With that in mind, we have dedicated this section of our web site towards providing definitions, explanations and insight as to the procedures and concepts behind why they are done. 

Amalgams
Silver fillings have been around for about 160 years. They are the metal type of fillings and have proven to hold up for years and are an easily placed filling material. Typically, they are also the least expensive. They Cause teeth to break when they are too big, due to excessive expansion and contraction.

Composites
Composite, or white plastic fillings, are used when aesthetics is a concern. Currently the materials used for composites are virtually as strong as silver fillings. They do excellently in the grooves, and dramatically lower the development of cavities. Composites are typically placed in the cavities in the front teeth. We now use a special light which hardens or "cures" the material, allowing us more time to form the material and make sure the colour is just right prior to the material setting.

Crowns and Bridges
Crowns are placed over a tooth when a large portion of the tooth is lost or decayed or has broken off. Usually, when a filling is more than half of the size of the tooth, the tooth is weakened. If the filling would comprise a significant portion of the tooth, often the tooth can fracture under the stresses of chewing and therefore, placing a crown over the tooth protects the chewing surface and prevents that from happening. Crowns that are white sometimes called "caps" are made of porcelain and are usually placed in areas of aesthetic concern. Gold crowns might be placed in the molar region or when there is heavy grinding that might damage the opposing teeth. A bridge is generally placed when a tooth is missing and there are teeth on either side to support a connecting piece to restore function and aesthetics to the area.

Dentures
Dentures are false teeth. They are typically made from impressions (moulds) that are taken of the inside of the mouth and they are made of a type of plastic or porcelain that duplicates the shape, size and function of the teeth. When only some teeth are replaced, it is called a "partial denture". 

Implants
We are fully qualified to place dental implants, simply put, are typically titanium posts that are imbedded into the jawbone and then plastic or porcelain teeth are placed over the portion of the implant that sticks out of the gums. They usually take several months to complete since the bone must fuse to the posts before any kind of pressure can be put on the implant itself. 

Micro-abrasion
A new area of dentistry has evolved, primarily from a new technique using a mini-sand blaster which sprays a focused high pressure spray of aluminium oxide. We can actually do small fillings and remove old composite fillings quite easily and comfortably, often without any anaesthetic using this instrument. 

Root Canals
A root canal is typically done whenever the decay or injury to the tooth invades the inner part of the tooth where the pulp is. This is where the nerve and the blood supply are located. When a root canal is done, the inner portion of the pulp is removed, along with any infection that may have invaded the inside walls of the tooth. Then a sealer material is placed with a rubbery plastic to fill the hole so that new infection can't get into the tooth. Generally, by removing the nerve and blood supply to the tooth, it can potentially weaken a tooth and therefore, it is common to protect the integrity of the tooth by placing a crown over the tooth. 

Surgical Extractions & oral surgery
No need to travel out of town to have this treatment. The vast majority of wisdom teeth or other surgical extractions can be performed at our clinic with or without intravenous sedation