Q&As

There are two main types of dental implants: endosteal and subperiosteal. An endosteal implant is the most common and involves your dentist placing a screw or other abutment in your jawbone surgically.

For a subperiosteal implant, your dentist ensures the framework posts protrude from your gums to support the implants. Subperiosteal implants are ideal for patients who have a minimal bone height or can't wear conventional dentures.  

Your dentist evaluates your gums to ensure they're strong enough to support the implant. Then they surgically insert a crown in place of the missing tooth.

We will create a mold of your teeth and jawbone to have the customized crown crafted in a laboratory.

After your gums heal from the placement of the post, you'll return for the placement of your crown. The entire process takes multiple visits and requires follow-ups.

A bridge, extraction, or dentures are potential alternatives to a dental implant. Your dentist can discuss your needs, desired outcome, and pricing to determine your situation's best course of action.

No two patients are the same, so the price varies. While it could be on the more expensive side, some insurers cover a portion of the expense nowadays.

After your provider installs an implant, you take care of it just as you would your regular teeth—brush and floss to prevent bacteria from accumulating on the implant, which could damage it.

Visit the office regularly for examinations and routine cleanings after you receive your implant. You can expect your dental implant to last a lifetime with proper care.

Your provider designs your Invisalign aligner tray to fit snugly over your teeth and exert a small but constant pressure that gradually pushes them towards a straighter position in your mouth. Over time, this continuous pressure causes your teeth to shift into their desired arrangement.

If this method sounds familiar, it's because it's the same basic principles on which traditional metal braces operate. The difference is that your Invisalign aligners accomplish this task with an added degree of comfort, convenience, and cosmetic appeal.

Invisalign effectively treats many different orthodontic conditions, including:

These are essentially the same conditions for which you would typically use metal braces, making Invisalign an exciting new alternative to the more traditional orthodontic systems.

Straight teeth and a properly aligned bite do much more than just make your smile look more cosmetically appealing; they also improve its function.

When your teeth or jaw are misaligned, it distributes the force in your bite unevenly, which can lead to excessive wear and tear in localized areas of your mouth. Uneven bite force can also cause pain in your jaw muscles and lead to TMJ disorder. Straightening your teeth makes your biting force more evenly distributed across your mouth, alleviating these symptoms.

Straight teeth are also easier to keep clean. If you have crooked or crowded teeth, there are simply more areas for plaque and debris to collect, and if you have particularly tricky nooks and crannies in your smile, it might be more challenging to remove that buildup, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. By straightening your teeth, you make it easier to stay healthy.

Invisalign's system of clear plastic aligners has several benefits over traditional metal braces, including:

Some signs and symptoms that indicate you might need a root canal include:

The earlier you seek treatment for tooth pain, the better the chance your dentist can save your tooth.

To find out if you're a good candidate for a root canal, your Center for Advanced Dentistry specialist asks about your symptoms and reviews your oral health history. They take dental X-rays and examine your teeth and gums. In the case of severe decay or trauma, an extraction might be the best option. For minor corrosion or tooth damage, your dentist might recommend a tooth-colored dental filling or crown instead of a root canal.

If a root canal is the best dental restoration procedure for you, your dentist can numb the treatment area so you don't feel any pain during the process. They make an opening in the top part of your tooth and remove the pulp or tissue in the inner tooth chamber.

Your provider cleans the canals, uses medication to get rid of bacteria, and fills root canals with specialized dental materials or a tiny post to support a crown. Crowns are like caps that fit over your teeth to protect them from future damage and decay. The team at Center for Advanced Dentistry creates custom, long-lasting crowns to give you the best result.

After a root canal, your tooth might feel a little sensitive for a few days. Take over-the-counter pain relievers as needed for relief. Care for your teeth at home by brushing twice a day and flossing your teeth daily. Call your dentist if a crown becomes loose or damaged and attend routine dental cleanings and exams every six months.

To find out if you're a good candidate for in-office or at-home teeth whitening, your dentist reviews your oral health history and desired outcome. They also complete a dental exam and might take dental X-rays if you're due for them. Your dentist tailors each tooth whitening treatment to your needs.

Teeth whitening treatments available at the Center for Advanced Dentistry include:

Proper at-home oral hygiene is the best way to keep your teeth white between dental visits. Brush your teeth at least two times daily, floss daily, and attend routine teeth cleanings with the Center for Advanced Dentistry experts.

Limit foods and drinks that stain, such as:

Despite your best efforts, staining can still occur over time. When it does, schedule a tooth whitening appointment at the Center for Advanced Dentistry by phone or online right away.

Many conditions can require an emergency dental care visit. These might include:

If your mouth is bleeding, try to stay calm and apply a sterile cloth to the cut to stop the bleeding. If you have swelling, you can also put a cold compress on the area to relieve your pain and decrease inflammation.

Pain in your mouth on any level calls for emergency attention. In all cases of concern, you should reach out to the Center for Advanced Dentistry to see your dentist for treatment immediately.

If your tooth gets knocked out, you need to take the following steps before arriving at the Center for Advanced Dentistry:

If you can't get your tooth in its socket, keep it moist by putting it in your mouth inside your cheek, or drop it in a glass of milk.

Be sure to call your dentist immediately after the incident for emergency dental care. You have better odds of saving your tooth if you get to your dentist quickly.

Signs and symptoms that might indicate you have sleep apnea include:

Getting a good night's sleep is vital for your overall health and wellness, which is why seeking treatment for sleep apnea is essential.

Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when your tongue gets stuck against the back of your throat and narrows or blocks your upper airway, causing breathing pauses or shallow breathing. Risk factors for developing it include:

If left untreated, sleep apnea can lead to cardiovascular or respiratory complications and unpleasant symptoms associated with the condition.

To determine if you have sleep apnea, your dentist reviews your symptoms and medical history. They examine your mouth, throat, and breathing and might recommend you complete home sleep tests to measure oxygen levels, heart rate, and airflow patterns while you sleep.

The dental experts at the Center for Advanced Dentistry can customize an oral appliance you wear at night to reduce or eliminate snoring and breathing problems. Oral appliances for sleep apnea are small, flexible mouthpieces. They properly position your upper and lower jaw to keep your airway open and give you a restful night's sleep.

A continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device is another sleep apnea treatment that uses air pressure, tubes, and a mask to push your tongue forward and open your airway during sleep. It can reduce snoring and prevent breathing problems.

You might choose porcelain or ceramic veneers if your natural teeth are:

Veneers are durable and long-lasting, offering the aesthetically pleasing smile you've longed for. They look and feel just like your natural teeth. Unlike other cosmetic procedures, your dentist has to remove only a tiny amount of enamel from your teeth before placing the veneers.

To find out if veneers are the proper aesthetic dental procedure for you, the specialists at the Center for Advanced Dentistry review your oral health history and desired outcome. They examine your teeth and gums and might take dental X-rays. Other cosmetic dentistry options include dental bonding, crowns, bridges, dental implants, and dentures.

Before veneer placement, your dentist cleans your teeth and removes old surface restorations. They take impressions of your prepared teeth and send the information to a dental lab, where technicians create custom-fit veneers.

When the veneers are ready, your provider uses special resins and a curing light to bond veneer shells to the front and sides of your teeth. Your dentist shapes and polishes the veneers to perfect your smile. The procedure is fast and painless but produces impressive cosmetic results.

To maintain the integrity of your new veneers, brush your teeth at least two times daily. Floss every day and avoid chewing on ice and other hard objects. Attend routine teeth cleanings and dental exams every six months. Call the Center for Advanced Dentistry team if your veneers get damaged or become loose.

Your provider may use a dental crown to fix or hold together parts of a cracked tooth. Dental crowns might be a good choice if your tooth is:

Additionally, a crown holds dental bridges together and covers dental implants.

Your permanent crown can be made of metal, stainless steel, porcelain-fused-to-metal, ceramic, zirconia, or a resin composite. The material depends upon your budget, the amount of sustained by your tooth, where the damage is, which tooth needs a crown, and other factors that your provider will discuss with you.

The first step to placing a crown involves your provider removing the outer layer of the tooth, along with any decay. They may need to perform a core buildup by inserting a post and covering it with a dental filling to create a surface to attach the crown.

Next, your dentist takes an impression and creates a temporary crown made of stainless steel or acrylic-based material as a protective covering until your permanent crown arrives from the laboratory.

Approximately two weeks later, you'll come back to the office to have the permanent crown cemented to the tooth, so you're able to resume smiling once again.

The procedure is relatively painless, and your dentist takes all the necessary precautions to make sure you're comfortable during the process.

After the procedure, you may experience some sensitivity, but it's minimal and should subside over time.