Sinus Augmentation

Sinus Augmentation

Loss of posterior teeth may result in excessive forces being placed on your remaining teeth.  Fortunately, the use of dental implants and crowns allow you to replace these missing teeth.  However, the position of the sinus in the upper posterior areas may be too low for proper placement of dental implants.

A simple procedure allows the sinus floor to be repositioned, creating enough space to properly place an implant.  Various grafting materials are used to encourage your bone to grow more quickly into the area, helping to stabilize the dental implant. Replace with your own bone in this area the grafting material as it grows into the area.

Under certain conditions, an even simpler procedure can be utilized.  When possible, the bone remaining under the sinus floor is gently “pushed up”, thus lifting the floor of the “dropped” sinus.  Bone replacement materials are then placed beneath this lifted bone.  Once again the bone materials are replaced as your body grow new bone into this area.

Sinus augmentation procedures are highly predictable, with studies reporting over 95% success.  Following sufficient healing of a sinus augmentation (6-10 months), implants are placed in a predictable and successful manner.  It is important to realize that if the sinus augmentation procedure does not result in enough bone for implant placement, additional bone may be regenerated through a second sinus augmentation procedure at the time of implant placement.

Root Canal Therapy

Root Canal Therapy

When an infection has reached the nerve that runs through your tooth root, root canal therapy removes the diseased nerve, cleanses the canal, and fills it to stop the infection. Root canal therapy can extend the life of an unhealthy tooth that would otherwise need to be extracted. Root canal therapy can save teeth that might otherwise have been lost, keeping your smile in tip top shape. 

Root canal therapy is an excellent solution when a tooth has become damaged, deeply decayed, or when the nerve inside of the tooth has become infected. When the nerve has become exposed or infected, the issue can only be resolved through a root canal procedure or a tooth extraction. During a root canal procedure, the tooth is numbed, the infected nerve tissue is removed, and the interior of the tooth is filled with a sterile restorative material. This procedure eliminates the infection while preserving the outer structure of the tooth. 

Dentures As Teeth Replacement Options

Dentures As Teeth Replacement Options

Dentures are a replacement for missing teeth that can be removed and put back into your mouth as you please.  Depending on each individual patient case, they may receive full or partial dentures.  Full dentures are used when all of the natural teeth are removed from the mouth and replaced with a full set of dentures.  There are two types of full dentures.

Conventional Full Dentures. This is when all the teeth are removed and the tissue is given time to heal before the dentures are placed.  It could take a few months for the gum tissue to heal completely, and during this time you will be without teeth.

Immediate Full Dentures. Prior to having your teeth removed, your dentist takes measurements and has dentures fitted for your mouth.  After removing the teeth, the dentures are immediately placed in your mouth.  The benefit is that you do not have to spend any time without teeth.  You will, however, need to have a follow up visit to refit your dentures because the jaw bone will slightly change shape as your mouth heels.  The dentures will need to be tightened after the jaw bone has healed.

Partial dentures are another option when not all of your teeth need to be removed.  This is similar to a bridge, but it is not a permanent fixture in your mouth.

Your dentures may take some time to get used to.  The flesh colored base of the dentures is placed over your gums.  Some people say that it feels bulky or that they don’t have enough room for their tongue.  Other times the dentures might feel loose.  These feelings will affect the way you eat and talk for a little while.  Over time, your mouth becomes trained to eat and speak with your dentures and they begin to feel more and more like your natural teeth.  They may never feel perfectly comfortable, but it is much better than the alternative of not having teeth.

Zoom Teeth Whitening

Thanks to the Zoom! Professional whitening system, Dr. Hatcher is able to provide his patients with the best in the business! Zoom! whitening is a popular system for a good reason—it works! Patients can enjoy the benefit of a whiter, brighter smile in as little as one hour in a painless, comfortable way.

The process of Zoom! whitening is simple. First, patients will schedule a consultation appointment to determine whether they are a candidate for this particular whitening treatment. Patients with restorations in their smile may need to have their restorations replaced if they plan on having a whitening treatment. The porcelain materials used in restorations will not change shade or react to the whitening bleaches. Once patients are found to be a good candidate, they will schedule a future appointment for their whitening.

Types of Oral Surgery

Types of Oral Surgery

Wisdom tooth extraction. The most common type of oral surgery is that of wisdom tooth extraction. Patients who have wisdom teeth that are impacted and causing pain will benefit from their removal, as well as patients who have had orthodontic work done to improve their smiles and do not want their wisdom teeth to misalign the teeth in their dental arch.

Implant dentistry. Dental implants are a wonderful cosmetic restoration that can be used to replace missing teeth. They require a surgical procedure in which a small metal rod is implanted into the jawbone, which functions in the same way as a natural tooth root. A dental crown is used to cover the implant and give it the appearance and functionality of a tooth, restoring both the patient’s chewing and biting efficiency as well as his or her smile.

Gum and bone grafting. Gum grafting and bone grafting are also types of oral surgery. Bone grafting can be used to restructure the bone as preparation for dental implants, while gum grafting can be done to restore a smile after periodontal disease or to reshape the gum line.

Are You a Candidate for Porcelain Veneers

Are You a Candidate for Porcelain Veneers

You may be in need of porcelain veneers if you are experiencing one of the following:

Discoloration. Over time, the enamel of your teeth can become dull, yellow, or discolored. Sometimes, teeth whitening cannot reach deeper intrinsic stains, but porcelain veneers can cover the discoloration.

Gaps. Unsightly gaps between your teeth can be quickly hidden by porcelain veneers, which have the ability to create the appearance of a uniform length, shape, and spacing of your teeth.

Root Canal Symptoms

Symptoms that Root Canal Therapy May Be Needed

• Severe toothache pain upon chewing or application of pressure
• Prolonged sensitivity/pain to heat or cold temperatures (after the hot or cold has been removed)
• Discoloration (a darkening) of the tooth
• Swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums
• A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums
• Sometimes no symptoms are present

Many tooth problems involve infections that spread to the pulp, which is the inner chamber of the tooth containing blood vessels, nerves and other tissues. When the infection becomes worse, it can begin affecting the roots. A traumatic injury to a tooth can also compromise the pulp, leading to similar problems.

A diseased inner tooth brings a host of problems including pain and sensitivity as the first indications of a problem.  However, inside a spreading infection can cause small pockets of pus to develop, which can lead to an abscess. 

Dreading Going to the Dentist Due to Dental Fear

Dreading Going to the Dentist Due to Dental Fear

Relax; you're in great hands - Nearly 50% of the population feels nervous or uncomfortable about going to the dentist or having dental procedures done. Apprehensive patients ofter avoid dental care, leading to advanced disease and even more extensive treatment.

What would you say if you were told it is possible to get all your dentistry done in a few short visits and not remember any of it? Well, it is now possible to sleep through your appointment! For many who have let the health of their mouth decline because of fear or anxiety, we can now sedate you to get you through all procedures. With the use of a small pill one hour prior to the appointment, your anxiety can be lifted away, and the noise of the procedure and awareness is completely removed.

The doctors at Family First Dental Center understand the importance of helping our patients feel relaxed and comfortable during dental procedures.

Conscious Sedation provides a safe, effective way to alleviate dental anxiety. It’s perfect for patients who have:

    Dental Anxiety
    Difficulty getting numb
    Very sensitive teeth
    Discomfort with needles
    Little free time

No more neglecting yourself, or dreading your appointments. This is one of the greatest innovations for patients. Finally, you can feel confident in the health and appearance of your smile. So why put off what no longer has to be dreaded?

When Tooth Removal is Necessary

When Tooth Removal is Necessary

While our team always attempts to save natural teeth, there are certain situations where that is not possible. Some of the common reasons patients need to undergo tooth extraction include:

• Trauma/injury – a blow sustained to teeth can often crack or fracture them in such a way that it’s impossible to retain the remaining structure.
• Disease/decay – while we will attempt root canal, antibiotics, and other procedures to remove infection and decay, when teeth are significantly weakened or infection begins to spread to surrounding teeth, extraction is necessary.
• Orthodontic crowding – before braces or other orthodontic treatment can begin, some patients need to have one or more teeth removed to prevent crowding and allow teeth to properly align.
• Impacted teeth – teeth that are unable to erupt due to the angle they develop, crowding, or other issues, may need to be extracted to prevent them from misaligning other teeth, decaying, or causing infection. This is most common with third molars (wisdom teeth).
• Wisdom Teeth Extractions – The most commonly extracted teeth are wisdom teeth. This third set of molars was an evolutionary development from a time when the human species had a much coarser, dentally destructive diet. By the late teens and early twenties, people were often missing several of their molars, and the tertiary set was necessary. With better understanding of dental health and less damaging diets, most people do not need their third set of molars, and this set of teeth is the most commonly extracted.