Treatments
Cleanings
We encourage our patients to get their teeth cleaned on a regular basis. Most patients require cleanings 2 times a year. However, some patients only require a cleaning once a year, while others require cleanings 3 to 4 times a year. We will tailor your treatment to your hygiene needs. At your hygiene appointments we will exam all soft and hard tissues. An oral cancer exam, as well as, a periodontal exam are part of every regular cleaning appointment.
What is plaque? Many of the foods you eat cause the bacteria in your mouth to produce acids. Sugared foods, such as candy and cookies, are not the only culprits. Starches, such as bread, crackers, and cereal, also cause acids to form. If you snack often, you could be having acid attacks all day long. After many acid attacks, your teeth may decay. Plaque also produces substances that irritate the gums, making them red, tender or bleed easily. After a while, gums may pull away from the teeth. Pockets form and fill with more bacteria and pus. If the gums are not treated, the bone around the teeth can be destroyed. The teeth may become loose or have to be removed. In fact, periodontal (gum) disease is a main cause of tooth loss in adults. One way to prevent tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease is by eating a balanced diet and limiting the number of between-meal snacks. If you need a snack, choose nutritious foods such as raw vegetables, plain yogurt, cheese or a piece of fruit.
White composite fillings
(White Fillings / Silver Replacement)
Dr. Blanchard has been using tooth colored filling materials for many years. These composite resin materials are safe, strong, and extremely natural in appearance. Due to their ability to bond to the surface of the tooth, the restored tooth is much stronger than a tooth restored with silver/mercury fillings. Teeth restored with composite resin fillings tend to have less leakage, less recurrent decay, and less incidence of fracture.
The types of fillings are classified by surfaces affected.
- Class I - the chewing surface of back teeth*
- Class II - the chewing surface and one or more sides of a back tooth.
- Class III - the side along with the front and/or back of a front tooth.*
- Class IV - the biting edge of a front tooth.
- Class V - the tongue or cheek side of a back tooth, just above the gumline.
- Class VI - the tip of a cusp of a back tooth.
Crowns and Bridges
Porcelain Crowns
A porcelain crown is used to completely cover a weakened, damaged or cracked tooth above the gum line and protect it. Colored and shaped to match your own teeth, crowns can look and feel almost exactly like a natural tooth.
The process:
Soft, moldable material is used to make a precise "impression" of the tooth to be crowned and nearby teeth. A dental technician uses the impression to make the crown the exact height needed. A temporary crown made of plastic or metal is put over the tooth until the crown is made. When the porcelain crown is fitted, small adjustments are made to ensure you retain your natural bite.
Depending on the strength of the tooth underneath, with good dental hygiene a crown can last for many years.
Bridges
Dental bridges are appliances used to replace one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made out of three pieces that fit into the open space between teeth, "bridging" the gap. Most bridges are made of a pontic tooth (or false tooth), held together by two crowns (a "cap" that covers the tooth, approximating its normal size and shape). This combination is then attached (cemented) to the abutment teeth (the surrounding teeth on each side of the gap).
Dental Implants
For the replacement of missing teeth it is imperative that dental implants are considered. Whether replacing a single tooth or several teeth, implants may provide a more natural appearance and feel. Unlike conventional bridgework, implants can provide tooth replacement without the need to prepare adjacent teeth. The dental preparation of healthy teeth can undermine their integrity and lead to further problems later on. Additionally, implants also prevent the loss of bone in the area of the missing tooth. Immediately following the loss of a tooth the bone begins recede. Replacing the tooth with an implant restores function to the bone and prevents further loss of bone.
How the implant works: To replace a tooth with an implant, Dr. Blanchard places the implant in the bone in the position of the missing tooth root. This subsequently acts as an anchor to which a new crown is attached after the implant has undergone a healing period. Typically, the final restoration is placed by Dr. Blanchard four to six months after the placement of initial dental implants.
Periodontal Procedures
Endodontic Procedures
Pedodontic Treatment (Children)
Extractions and other Surgical Procedures
Veneers
Dental Veneers are thin shells that are custom crafted and bonded to the surface of the teeth. Although they can be fabricated from different materials. Dr Blanchard uses primarily porcelain, because of its durability and realistic appearance.
Veneers require minimal tooth preparation if any, compared to other cosmetic dental procedures. Veneers can achieve outstanding improvements in color, alignment, size discrepancies, and overall appearance.
To see what a difference veneers and cosmetic dentistry can make in a smile!
Whitening/Bleaching
Tooth whitening (or bleaching) has been part of Dr. Blanchard’s practice for over twenty years. It is a safe and effective way of removing discoloration and stains from the teeth. Dr. Blanchard offers two types of bleaching procedures. One is done completely in the office (known as "power bleaching").
Power Bleaching
Power bleaching involves the isolation of your teeth and the application of a very strong bleaching solution. The results are immediate. Some people can experience sensitivity afterward.
Take Home Tray System
The second type of bleaching provided by Dr. Blanchard, is the take home tray system which is dispensed and supervised by the office, but involves the home use of professional strength teeth whitening bleaching gels. These gels are used in a custom tray specially designed to fit your teeth.
Dr. Blanchard believes these systems provide complete and even cosmetic tooth whitening, while producing little or no sensitivity during and after treatment.
Bonding
Dr. Blanchard offers dental bonding as a quick yet beautiful alternative to porcelain veneers. The entirely painless procedure involves applying a thin coat of resin to damaged teeth to make them stronger and to correct discoloration.
Although not as durable as porcelain veneers, dental bonding can last for years and produces immediate results.
Partials and Complete Dentures
Teeth Recontouring
Shaping Teeth
Cosmetic contouring changes the shape of the teeth for a better smile. and is a simple way of adjusting the shape of irregular teeth to give them a more uniform appearance. Cosmetic contouring is a conservative procedure that quickly improves the appearance of fractured, worn or irregular teeth.
Cosmetic contouring is most useful in cases of slight to moderate overlapping of the front teeth, slight rotation of the front teeth, uneven wear, or teeth that don't have their biting and incising edges in harmony. Cosmetic contouring can often be done in one visit.
Cosmetic contouring may be used when the gum line is too low in order to make the teeth appear longer. It may be used when teeth are irregularly shaped or overlapping. With cosmetic contouring, the proportions of the teeth and the harmony of the smile can be restored.
Contouring can make smaller teeth appear larger or larger teeth look smaller. Cosmetic contouring can also be used to alter age related changes in the teeth. As a person gets older, the edges of the front teeth get flatter and the angles become more square. Dr. Blanchard can reshape such teeth so that they do not appear to be so square. In addition, cosmetic contouring is often combined with bleaching to improve the entire look and proportion of the teeth and smile.
Cosmetic contouring is quick, easy, painless and provides instant results.