Welcome to Avalon Dentistry!

Dental bridges literally bridge the gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of two crowns for the anchoring teeth (abutment teeth) on either side of the gap, and replacement teeth in between. These replacement teeth can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials. The material selection is determined by span of the bridge and/or location in the mouth. Dental bridges can be supported by natural teeth or implants.

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth above the gum line. The crown restores the tooth shape, size, strength, and improves its appearance.

A dental implant is a replacement for the root or roots of a tooth. Like tooth roots, dental implants are secured in the jawbone and are not visible once surgically placed. They are used to secure crowns (the parts of teeth seen in the mouth), bridgework, and dentures by a variety of means. Implants are made of titanium, which is a lightweight, strong and biocompatible metal that won't be rejected by the body.

Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain veneers or dental porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size, or length.

Dental veneers can be made from porcelain or from resin composite materials. Porcelain veneers resist stains better than resin veneers and better mimic the light reflecting properties of natural teeth. Resin veneers are thinner and require removal of less of the tooth surface before placement.

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth and surrounding tissues. Two types of dentures are available: complete and partial dentures. Complete dentures are used when all the teeth are missing, while partial dentures are used when some natural teeth remain.

To treat a cavity your dentist will remove the decayed portion of the tooth and then fill the area on the tooth where the decay was removed. Fillings are also used to repair cracked or broken teeth.

A removable partial denture or bridge consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, which is connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place in the mouth. These are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the jaw. A fixed (permanent) bridge replaces one or more teeth by placing crowns on the teeth on either side of the space and attaching artificial teeth to them. This “bridge” is then cemented into place.

In addition to filling in the spaces created by missing teeth, the partial denture prevents other teeth from changing position. A precision partial denture is removable and has internal attachments, rather than external clasps attaching to the adjacent crowns, yielding a more natural-looking appliance.

Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain veneers or dental porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size, and/or length.

Dental veneers can be made from porcelain or from resin composite materials. Porcelain veneers resist stains better than resin veneers and better mimic the light reflecting properties of natural teeth. Resin veneers are thinner and require removal of less of the tooth surface before placement.

Overdentures are replacement teeth retained by dental implants. They were developed to help both partial and fully edentulous (without teeth) patients regain a quality of life, which can diminish with missing teeth.

The whitening procedure involves custom-made trays filled with bleaching solution that fit firmly over teeth. Because your dentist supervises the procedure, a stronger prescription strength bleaching solution can be used than what's found in home kits. Your dentist may recommend doing the entire procedure in the office. In that case, a light or heat source may be used to speed up the process.

As an alternative, you may be fitted for custom-made whitening trays that can be used at home.