Dental Technology at Dublin Smiles

In addition to making dentistry more efficient and interesting for us, advancements in dental technology also make more comfortable and convenient care possible for patients. New technologies and ever-improving dental treatment methods give patients more choices, too, many times more affordably than ever before.

• Digital X-rays & Panoramic X-rays
  

  Digital x-rays are comfortable for you and they are faster than traditional x-rays, with the images available to be enlarged and viewed on a computer or TV screen within seconds. Digital x-rays are also safe. They can even be used during pregnancy, and some studies cite that they emit up to 90% less radiation! With no chemical processing needed, digital x-rays are a good choice for you and the environment.

  X-rays, also known as radiographs, are commonly used in dental exams of patients of all ages. Panoramic x-rays, which are taken every five to seven years and show the entire mouth, are particularly revealing diagnostic tools. Many problems with teeth and the surrounding tissues cannot be seen by the naked eye. An x-ray is needed to reveal:

  • Small areas of decay between teeth or below existing restorations (fillings)
  • Deep cavities
  • Infections that can develop in the mouth bones
  • Deep gum disease
  • Abscesses or cysts
  • Developmental abnormalities
  • Some types of tumors
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• Digital Photographs with Our Intraoral Camera

  Like digital x-rays, digital photographs with our intraoral camera are a diagnostic and patient education tool we think you will appreciate. Using the camera, we can give you a “tour” of your mouth on a TV or computer screen. This shows you what we see, guiding you through your diagnosis and treatment options.

  On our end, the camera allows us to visualize more and diagnose issues we might not have been able to see without the up-close view that the intraoral camera gives us.

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• Dental Sealants
  

  Proper oral hygiene is essential for preventing cavities, but toothbrushes cannot always reach down into the deepest crevices of teeth. Dental sealants can compensate for this. The resin sealant material bonds into the grooves of teeth, creating a barrier against food particles, plaque, and acidic food and drink. Sealants can last up to 10 years before needing to be replaced, and children and adults alike can benefit from their protection.

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• Fluoride Treatments
  

  Plaque wears away at tooth enamel in a process called demineralization. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that can promote remineralization of enamel, which works to strengthen teeth and protect them against decay. Children with newly-erupted permanent teeth can benefit greatly from fluoride exposure, but adults should make sure their teeth come in contact with it too. The safe and easy way is to use fluoride toothpaste. If we recommend more intense fluoride treatment, there are a number of gels, rinses, and in-office procedures that can do the job.

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• Drug-Free Headache Prevention
  

  Traditional theories have linked tension-type headaches (TTH) to muscle contraction and tightness in the jaw, scalp, neck, and shoulders. NTI (or Nocioceptive Trigeminal Inhibitor) is an innovation in headache treatment that prevents intense clenching and teeth grinding, also called bruxism, so your jaw and head muscles can relax. The NTI device is a small and comfortable FDA-approved mouthpiece that fits securely on either your upper or lower front teeth while you sleep. It creates exclusive contact between your incisors (the eight teeth in the front of your mouth with straight edges) and prevents your molars from touching or grinding, which stops your pain at its source without drugs. We want to help you find relief! Visit NTI’s website to learn more.

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• Sleep Apnea Treatment
  

  If you or someone you share a room with suffers from snoring that cannot be attributed to allergies, a sinus infection, or the common cold, that snoring could indicate a more serious condition. During sleep, the muscles in the mouth, jaw, and throat naturally relax. However, for the millions of Americans who have obstructive sleep apnea, these muscles become so relaxed that they collapse and obstruct the airway, making it difficult to breathe. The decreased flow of oxygen caused by sleep apnea usually results in sudden, repeated awakenings throughout the night and an overall poor quality of sleep. Excess weight around the neck can also compress the airway, disrupting normal breathing and sleeping patterns.

  Beyond the snoring and all those restless nights, the effects of obstructive sleep apnea can pose a number of serious health risks. Sleep apnea has been linked to an increased risk of stroke, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, so it is important to recognize and treat symptoms before the condition worsens. Inquire about other signs and symptoms of sleep apnea when you visit us. We want to help you get the rest you deserve!

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• Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings
  

  Composite fillings, often called “composites” or “filled resins,” are a mixture of quartz or glass filler in a resin medium that makes a tooth-colored dental filling. The material is cured with a special light and the surface is shaped and polished, so the end result is a virtually undetectable restoration that feels natural in your mouth. Composites are strong and durable. Additionally, because these fillings are bonded to teeth instead of mechanically held in place, the process is more conservative in relation to tooth structure and therefore more healthy natural tooth is able to remain. This results in smaller fillings.

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• Dental Crowns

  Dental crowns are often called caps. They cover teeth to restore them to their appropriate shape and size after large fillings, fractures, or weakening forces such as intense grinding. In all of these cases, crowns not only cover teeth but also provide added support. They can be used to attach bridges, cover dental implants, restore seriously discolored or misshapen teeth, and even as a preventive measure to protect a tooth in danger of breaking. Crowns can be made of all-porcelain (ceramic) material, porcelain fused to metal, and gold alloys (high noble). Each of these restorative materials has its advantages and disadvantages, so we will discuss your options and empower you to make the ultimate decision on material for your crown. After all, it is going in your mouth!

  If a tooth is so decayed or damaged that it needs to be removed, the best alternatives to crowns are bridges or dental implants because they replace teeth.

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• Dental Implant Restorations
  

  A dental implant is a small titanium post that serves as a replacement for the root portion of a missing natural tooth, and a dental implant restoration is the replacement tooth that goes on top of the post. Dental implants can be placed in both the upper and lower jaws and, thanks to the biocompatible properties of titanium, they fuse with the jaw bone to become a solid anchor for replacement teeth. Implants can be used as solutions for replacing single or multiple missing teeth, and there are a number of reasons to consider them. Without the root structure of a natural tooth present, the jawbone can shrink and cause bone loss. Not only is bone loss unhealthy, but jawbone shrinkage can also make you look older than you are. Best of all, dental implants function like natural teeth, so you can chew, talk, smile, and laugh with confidence again!

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• Digital Imaging Smile Makeover Preview Software

  If you dream of a beautiful smile but have lived with teeth you are unhappy with for so long that you cannot visualize them looking different, we have digital imaging that does the trick! This smile makeover preview software shows you how fabulous your new and improved smile could look, before we even begin treatment. How does it work, you ask? First, we will take some digital photographs. To show you the possibilities for your smile, we will digitally manipulate the images to virtually conduct the dental treatment plan we recommend. It is quite remarkable what can be done with this imaging software. Teeth can be whitened and straightened, their shape can be changed, and missing teeth can even be filled in, all in just a few mouse clicks!

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• Porcelain Veneers
  

  For a dramatic smile makeover, porcelain veneers can totally change the appearance of your teeth to give you the smile of your dreams! Veneers are thin, custom-made casings applied to the front side of teeth to change their shape, color, or general appearance in practically any way you desire. After consulting with you about your treatment options and showing you digital smile preview images, one of our doctors will create a model based on the smile makeover look of your choice. We will send the model to a dental technician in a lab who will then make your actual veneers with durable, tooth-colored materials that will look and feel natural in your mouth.

  When veneers are applied, a small amount of tooth enamel usually needs to be removed to fit the veneers onto the teeth. For this reason, veneers are typically an irreversible treatment so it is important to be prepared for a permanent improvement in the look and feel of your smile!

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• Lumineers® System Veneers
  

  Lumineers® are an alternative to traditional veneers. With Lumineers, less shaping preparation is needed to apply the veneers to teeth, so there is usually no need for shots! Lumineers are fast, too, commonly taking only a few visits. Additionally, Lumineers are reversible so if you are ready for a smile makeover but perhaps not one quite as permanent as traditional veneers, then Lumineers could be exactly what you have in mind.

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• Invisalign® Teeth Straightening – Watch a Video!
  
  

  If you are dissatisfied with the position of your teeth but do not want to spend years wearing conventional metal braces, consider Invisalign®—the clear alternative to metal braces. With a series of clear aligners that are switched out approximately every two weeks, Invisalign repositions teeth step by step. The biocompatible thermoplastic aligners are comfortable for the sensitive tissues of your gums and cheeks, and patients really appreciate the ability to remove them when eating, brushing, and flossing. Click “PLAY” in the image above and to the left to choose from video stories about real patients whose lives have been changed by Invisalign! In order to view the video window, you will need pop-ups enabled.

  Invisalign’s transparent aligners are so subtle that people probably will not notice you are wearing braces. What they will notice is your straight smile afterwards! Contact us to schedule a complimentary consultation with one of our doctors so we can create a custom Invisalign plan for your individual orthodontic needs!

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• Deep Bleaching™
  

  Deep Bleaching™ is widely recognized as the most effective teeth whitening system available today. It provides a solution to unpredictable whitening results and acute tooth sensitivity, both of which are common with other bleaching systems. In addition, Deep Bleaching has been shown to whiten tetracycline-stained teeth in a short time. Tetracycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribed for use against many bacterial infections and even to treat acne. One of its side effects is that it can cause permanent stains to teeth. Since tetracycline stains are often dark and deep in teeth, they do not respond very well to most whitening techniques so porcelain veneers are many dentists’ corrective treatment of choice. Deep Bleaching offers another option to try first.

  The Deep Bleaching process involves two in-office whitening sessions several days apart with custom bleaching trays worn at home (at night) between the two in-office visits. The bleaching trays fit closely at the gumline to create a seal that keeps the special bleaching gel in the tray. As you sleep wearing the trays, the bleaching goes deeper and deeper through the layers of stain (hence “deep bleaching”), which allows the final in-office whitening session to reach levels of white you probably never thought possible.

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• Opalescence® Boost Teeth Whitening
  

  Opalescence® Boost is a one-hour, one-visit whitening system that is great for busy patients! Boost uses a chemically activated formula of bleach that whitens teeth effectively without the bothersome ultraviolet rays or heat of a whitening light. On top of that, Boost’s unique formula contains fluoride and potassium nitrate to help strengthen enamel, increase your teeth’s defense against cavities, and minimize the sensitivity often caused by teeth whitening.

  The Boost system also features a syringe-to-syringe mixing technique that ensures both a fresh and an evenly mixed bleaching product. Don’t be alarmed by the red color of the bleach solution! It eases placement and removal by showing exactly where the bleach is on your teeth, but the color does not affect the level of whiteness that can be achieved.

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• Home Whitening with Custom Trays

  Take-home whitening trays are custom made to fit your mouth and enable you to whiten your teeth in the convenience of your own home. The whitening gel given is made from a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide, which allows it to remain safely on your teeth longer (sometimes overnight). Take-home whitening can achieve the same stain-free look as Boost whitening, it just takes a little longer.

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• More Comfort & Less Time with Isolite®
  

  The Isolite® System is a small addition to our practice that can make a BIG difference in your dental experiences. It has a light to illuminate your mouth from the inside, so treatments are shadowless and more efficient. This means you spend less time in the dental chair! The Isolite promotes comfort, as well, by allowing you to rest your jaw during treatment. In addition, it completely eliminates the need for cotton rolls and rinse breaks. Come in and experience the difference!

Before and after photos are representative of treatments discussed, but not actual patients of Dublin Smiles.