Porcelain Crowns
Crowns are a cosmetic restoration used to improve your tooth’s shape or to strengthen a tooth. Crowns are most
often used for teeth that are broken, worn, or have portions destroyed by tooth decay. Crowns are “caps” cemented
onto an existing tooth, which fully cover the portion of your tooth above the gum line. In effect, the crown becomes
your tooth’s new outer surface. Crowns can be made of porcelain, metal, or both. Porcelain crowns are most often
preferred on the front teeth because they mimic the translucency of natural teeth and are very strong.
Crowns are often preferable to silver amalgam fillings. Unlike fillings which apply metal fillings directly into your mouth, a crown is fabricated away from your mouth. Your crown is created in a lab from a unique tooth impression which allows a dental laboratory technician to examine all aspects of your bite and jaw movements. Your crown is then sculpted just for you so that your bite and jaw movements function normally when the crown is placed.
At Dr. Kopp and Associates, we offer both porcelain and metal crowns depending on the aesthetic needs of the patient.
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Tooth Whitening
Tooth whitening can be the answer to achieving your bright white smile, and there are a
variety of products and procedures available to help you improve the look of yours. Many people are satisfied
with the sparkle they get from brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, flossing once a day, and the
regular cleanings at the dentist's office. However, if you decide you would like to go beyond this to make
your smile look brighter, you should investigate all of your options.
Schedule a visit with your dentist to learn whether whitening procedures would be effective for you. Whiteners do not correct all types of discoloration. For example, yellowish teeth will probably bleach well, brownish teeth may bleach less well, and grayish teeth may not bleach well at all. Likewise, whitening may not enhance your smile if you have had tooth-colored fillings or crowns. The whitener will not affect the color of these materials, and they will stand out in your newly whitened smile. In these cases, you do have other options such as porcelain veneers.
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Resin Bonded Bridges
A bridge may be used to replace missing teeth, help maintain the shape of your face, and alleviate
stress in your bite. A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth, looks great, and literally bridges the
gap where one or more teeth may have been. Your bridge can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of
these materials and is cemented onto surrounding teeth for support. The success of any bridge depends on its
foundation — the other teeth, gums, or bone to which it is attached. Therefore, it's very important to keep your
existing teeth, gums, and jaw healthy and strong.
Resin Bonded Bridges offer patients a conservative and highly aesthetic approach to replace one or two missing teeth. The adjacent teeth are not prepared as aggressively as with full crowns. Many patients seeking implants, but do not have room for the implant can opt for a resin bonded bridge. Resin bonded bridges are a highly aesthetic and conservative treatment option.
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Bonded White Fillings
Bonding or composite is a conservative way to repair slightly chipped, discolored, or crooked teeth.
During dental bonding, a white filling is placed on your tooth to improve its appearance. The filling “bonds” with
your tooth, and because it comes in a variety of tooth-colored shades it closely matches the appearance of your
natural teeth. Bonding is less expensive than other cosmetic treatments and usually can be completed in one visit to
our office. However, bonding can stain and may chip easier than other cosmetic treatments such as porcelain veneers.
If it does break or chip, tell your doctor. The bonding can generally be easily patched or repaired in one visit.
Composite (White) or tooth colored fillings offer a natural appearance and allow for a near perfect color match. Composite fillings are bonded to your natural tooth for increased stability. Composite fillings are preferred by many patients and doctors because the white color is much less noticeable than the silver amalgam fillings. Composite fillings can be used on front and back teeth depending on the location and extent of tooth decay. Newer dental fillings include ceramic and plastic compounds that mimic the appearance of natural teeth. These compounds, often called composite resins, are often used on the front teeth where a natural appearance is important. They can be used on the back of teeth depending on the location and extent of the tooth decay. Composite resins are usually a bit more costly than the older silver amalgam fillings, but there is a lot of research that supports composite fillings over mercury amalgam fillings.
The use of silver/mercury fillings is not as frequent in our dental practice. However, amalgam fillings are still utilized when it is felt it is the best long-term solution. It has been found that old silver fillings darken the teeth. In addition, some people have concerns with mercury contamination. Our recommendation is when old silver fillings need to be replaced, it is advisable to replace them with bonded white fillings. Your smile will immediately brighten up with the gray silver fillings being removed.
In the photograph at left, the front two teeth were restored with beautiful bonded white fillings.
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Partials and Dentures
Partials and dentures are a great alternative for the patient looking for a more cost-efficient restoration.
As seen at left, partials and dentures provide a beautiful aesthetic result with certain limitations depending
on the functional demands required by the patient.
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Natural-Looking Temporaries
Temporaries are often disregarded due to their short-term purpose.
Temporaries, as permanent restorations, should provide both beauty and function. At Dr. Kopp and Associates, we realize the importance of having natural-looking teeth throughout all stages of treatment.
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