Bridges
Bridges are made of false teeth, and are commonly used to replace one or more missing
teeth. The false teeth are known as pontics. Bridges can be permanent or removable.
If a patient has missing teeth, this can cause several problems that bridges can
help prevent, such as bad bite, gum disease or tooth decay. Also it can improve
your smile giving you a beautiful appearance that can last up to ten years or more
with the correct care.
Our Van Nuys dentists use three types of dental
bridges: Traditional bridges, Cantilever bridges and Maryland bonded bridges.
Traditional bridges as the name states, are the most common bridges dentists
use on patients. They are made up of a pontic (false tooth) in between two porcelain
crowns.
Cantilever Bridges are commonly used on front teeth when there is only one
tooth on the side of the missing tooth.
Maryland Bridges are made of a false tooth fused by a metal band. This type
of bridge is commonly used when there are front gaps.
There are different factors that may contribute to erosion, cracking and breaking
of your teeth, such as age, fillings
or tooth decay. In cosmetic dentistry, crowns are used to solve these kinds of problems.
Dental crowns cover the entire surface of the affected tooth adding strength, durability
and stability.
Basically, there are three types of crowns:
those made out of metal ideal for the back teeth; porcelain, recommended for front
teeth; and porcelain fused with metal that are strong and have a natural appearance.
Dental Crowns can help to improve the
appearance and health of your teeth, and they provide protection for future cracks
or tooth decay.
Fillings are materials our Van Nuys
dentist use to seal cavities after they clean out the decayed part of the tooth.
They are also used to repair broken or cracked teeth. Fillings protect, preserve
your teeth from expanding decay; they will also alleviate the teeth from any pain
associated with this decay.
Because of interest in cosmetics, composite fillings which are fillings made of
a resin material that match the color of your natural teeth are being used more
commonly instead of amalgam. Composite fillings
are also less sensitive to temperature changes.
Wisdom teeth, also known as third molars,
are the last teeth to erupt in your mouth. This generally occurs between the ages
of 17 and 25, a time of life that has been called the “Age of Wisdom.”
Van Nuys anthropologists note that the rough diet of early humans resulted in the
excessive wear of their teeth. Normal drifting of the teeth to compensate for this
wear ensured that space was available for most wisdom teeth to erupt by adolescence.
The modern diet, which is much softer than that of our ancestors, and the popularity
of orthodontic tooth straightening procedures produce a fuller dental arch, which
quite commonly doesn’t leave room for the wisdom teeth to erupt. This sets the stage
for problems to develop when the final four molars enter the mouth.
Root canal treatment (RCT) is an
attempt to save the tooth.
The core of the tooth has a hallow space filled with nerves, lymph and blood vessels
that provide nutrition to the tooth and sometimes repair the dentin layer from inside
the tooth. It is called the pulp of the tooth. When the pulp gets irreversibly damaged
or infected it can cause pain and further destruction to the tooth and surrounding
tissues. The inflammation of the pulp is called pulpitis. To prevent the tooth from
extraction Root Canal Treatment
can be done. It involves your Van Nuys dentist to open the pulp chamber of the tooth,
cleaning the chamber and root canals from inflamed tissue, disinfecting the area,
and sealing the canals with special Root Canal Sealer.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ), occurs when the joint that attaches the
upper jaw and lower jaw is not working properly. People with TMJ may have a clicking
sound when opening or closing their mouth impeding the correct functionality. This
syndrome can cause headaches, tooth sensibility, neck, shoulder and mandibular muscle
pain. Temporomandibular disorder affects the muscles that control chewing and the
articulation of the jaw. Visit our Van Nuys dentist if you are experiencing any
of the mentioned symptoms.
Oral surgery
Oral surgery is a procedure used by our dentists
in Glendale and Van Nuys to correct diseases, injuries
and defects in the head, neck, face, jaws and oral and maxillofacial tissue.
Some procedures are:
Impacted Teeth: Sometimes, wisdom teeth and any other teeth don't
emerge from the gum and become trapped under it. This causes pain, swelling and
sometimes infection of the gum tissue. Oral surgery is done to extract these teeth.
Tooth Loss: When someone loses a tooth due to an accident or infection,
dental implants can be placed to replace them. With this procedure, the patient
gets a tooth root implant in the jawbone which is used to anchor the tooth.
Jaw Related Problems: Oral surgery is often used to correct unequal
jaw growth, improve fit to dentures and temporomandibular joint disorders.
Canker Sore Elimination
Canker sore is an oral ulcer that appears alone or in clusters inside the mouth
and is very painful. It is caused by a break in the mucous membrane. They are small,
red with yellowish borders. Our Van Nuys dentist can help you get rid of a painfull canker
sore.
