The health of your mouth affects more than the beauty of your smile. When decay and damage occur, our restorative options include mercury-free and metal-free fillings and we use BPA-free materials and resins, as well as innovative diagnostic technology to promote a safer, healthier office environment for everyone. We believe we can preserve the aesthetics of your smile, help maintain or improve your health, and restore function to your bite.
We offer the following restorative dental treatments:
Fillings | Cavities
We offer “Tooth–colored fillings” or “white fillings” that are designed to match the color of your natural teeth. These composite resin fillings can be used for the treatment of a new cavity or to replace your old amalgam, silver or dark fillings. This type of composite filling treats the cavity and strengthens your tooth to maintain or restore the healthy and youthful appearance of your smile
Broken Tooth Repair | Fracture | Cracked Tooth
Treatment for a broken or chipped tooth will depend on how severely it is damaged. The repair can usually be done simply during an office visit, if a small piece of enamel has broken off. However, a badly damaged or broken tooth may require a more lengthy and costly procedure.
Dental Onlays
An onlay allows us to restore your tooth, from damage or a cavity, without removing any healthy tooth structure instead of placing a crown. A dental inlay is made outside the mouth and typically made of gold or porcelain.
Porcelain Crowns
A dental crown is a type of dental restoration that completely covers a tooth or dental implant and is often needed to treat a large cavity, a tooth that has cracks, is severely broken down, or has had a root canal. It is typically bonded to the tooth from porcelain and improves the strength or appearance of teeth.
Dental Implants and Restorations
Dental implants offer a permanent replacement for missing teeth and an effective solution that will look and feel as natural as your original teeth. Implants are different than dentures. We like to explain dental implants as artificial roots that can be permanently placed on the patient’s jawbone. As the gum tissue and bone grow around the dental implant, they become a permanent anchor. The natural-looking ceramic restorations can be made by Dr. Snow. This gives our patients a natural-looking result that is attractive, yet maintains bone, prevents teeth from changing positions and helps improve chewing. We highly suggest dental implants, If you are looking for an alternative to dentures.
Dentures
Not only is oral health affected when a person loses teeth, so is their self-confidence. Dentures can restore the way our patients talk, eat, and smile with confidence. The look, function and feel of natural teeth are how we strive to design our patients’ dentures.
Dentures and partial dentures are removable appliances that replace teeth when implants and bridges are not an option. They can be supported by remaining healthy teeth, implants, or they can replace all teeth.
Full dentures are complete rows of prosthetic teeth for both your upper and lower jaw, affixed to gum-colored bases. Patients typically use natural suction or adhesives to keep their dentures in place; however, sometimes lower dentures can slip easily. If you wear dentures for a long time, your gum ridges can wear down, which also increases slippage. Another way you can effectively keep your dentures in place is through implant supported dentures.
You may need full dentures or just dentures for one arch; upper or lower. Below are types of dentures that we offer:
- Partial Dentures | Fixed | Removable
When you have healthy remaining teeth, Dr. Snow may suggest a partial denture to close the gaps in your smile. Partials contain as many prosthetic teeth that are necessary to fill in the spaces left by missing teeth. Partials can be secured to hidden clasps or dental implants and, unlike a bridge, they are removable. These custom crafted restorations are fabricated with the highest-quality materials and attention to detail to ensure a comfortable fit and beautiful aesthetics.
A Dental bridge is a fixed dental restoration used to replace a missing tooth by joining an artificial tooth permanently to adjacent teeth or dental implants. Types of dental bridges may vary, depending upon how they are fabricated and the way they anchor to the adjacent teeth.
- Implant-Supported Dentures
Dentures secured and supported by dental implants are one of the most reliable options for replacing a partial or full set of teeth. With this treatment, dentures are essentially locked into place by implants, which can deliver unparalleled denture stability and functionality.
TMJ | Clenching
The temporomandibular joints, or often referred to as “TMJ”, are the jaw muscles and joints that make it possible to open and close your mouth. Located on each side of your head, the TMJ work together when you speak, chew or swallow and include muscles, ligaments and the jawbone. They also control the lower jaw (mandible) as it moves forward, backward and side to side.
Signs and symptoms of TMJ disorders may include:
- Headaches
- Tenderness or pain of your jaw
- Aching pain around and in your ear
- Aching facial pain
- Discomfort or difficulty while chewing
- Locking of the joint, making it difficult to open or close your mouth
- Grating or clicking sounds in the jaw joints
- Ringing in the ears or earaches
Diagnosis is an important step before treatment. Consult with Dr. Snow to determine if you are suffering from TMJ syndrome. Part of the dental examination includes checking the muscles and joints for clicking, popping, tenderness or difficulty moving.
TMJ disorders can also cause a grating sensation or clicking sound when you chew or open your mouth. If you are not experiencing pain or limited movement with your jaw clicking, you probably don’t need treatment for a TMJ disorder. However, if left untreated, the TMJ symptoms increase in number and severity as you get older.
Possible causes of TMJ disorders include:
- Arthritis
- Dislocation
- Injury
- Tooth and jaw alignment
- Stress and teeth grinding
What should I do if I suspect TMJ Syndrome?
Bite problems associated with the alignment of the jaws, muscles and teeth cause the majority of TMJ disorders. By adjusting your bite (the way your teeth come together), many times we can properly align the teeth, muscles and jaws to be in the most comfortable positions. This alignment correction will often reduce or eliminate your TMJ symptoms.
TMJ disorders can afflict people of all ages, patients under 40 are more susceptible and it occurs more frequently in women. A diagnosis by Dr. Snow is important in order to determine the best course of treatment.
