We are pleased to offer the following services:
BRIDGES
Is having a big, unattractive gap in your mouth from missing teeth keeping you from greeting people with a nice smile? A full set of functional teeth is crucial to your dental and oral health, speech and appearance. If you’re missing one or more teeth, chewing becomes more difficult, and you’re more susceptible to gum disease, speech disorders and a misshapen face.
A bridge replaces missing teeth with natural-looking, artificial teeth. The types of bridges are:
- Fixed and removable bridges. These attach artificial teeth to the adjoining healthy teeth with crowns.
- Implant bridge. This attaches artificial teeth under the gum tissue or directly to the jaw.
Stanhope Family Dentistry can help you determine the best bridge option for your mouth to improve your dental health and restore your happy smile.
CLEANINGS
Regularly scheduled professional cleanings are critical to maintaining a healthy mouth and beautiful smile. During your cleaning appointment, the hygienist will examine your mouth and perform the following procedures:
- Remove plaque. Plaque is a sticky film containing bacteria that attack tooth enamel and eventually cause cavities. The bacteria also produce toxins that inflame the gums, leading to periodontal disease.
- Remove tartar. Plaque left on teeth over time hardens and becomes calculus (tartar). It can only be removed with dental tools. Tartar can cause gums to bleed, leading to periodontal disease.
- Polish teeth. This final step removes minor stains and any remaining plaque, making teeth their whitest and brightest!
For most people, Stanhope Family Dental recommends a professional cleaning every six months to keep your teeth and gums healthy and strong.
COSMETIC DENTISTRY
What message is your smile sending? Consider these “smile” stats from a 2012 PR Newswire survey:
- The #1 thing people notice when meeting someone is their smile.
- 77% of women think crooked teeth are a bigger turn-off than a receding hairline.
- 78% of Americans perceive adults with crooked teeth as unsuccessful.
Plenty of studies show that bad teeth can affect income, job promotions, hiring decisions and dating, and even cause people to distrust or move away from someone with bad teeth.
Straightening or reshaping teeth, filling in gaps, correcting bites, whitening discolored teeth…using the newest treatments and technology, Stanhope Family Dentistry can completely transform your dental health and your appearance, and give you a confident smile.
CROWNS
A crown is a cap placed over the entire tooth surface to restore its shape, size, strength and /or appearance. Crowns are used:
- To attach a bridge
- When a filling is too large for the tooth to support
- To protect a cracked or broken tooth
- To cover a tooth with a root canal
- For cosmetic enhancement
Porcelain crowns. Today’s technology creates crowns made of porcelain that are natural looking in shape and color, leave no black edge at the gum line and can last 20-30 years.
Metal crowns. Crowns made of gold, silver or porcelain over metal, the standard for crowns for many years, are still occasionally used.
Stanhope Family Dentistry strives to make crowns that look and feel like the real thing – a “natural” and bright smile.
EXTRACTIONS
The removal of single teeth may be necessary to maintain the health of your remaining teeth and mouth. After evaluating all options and doing as much as possible to save a tooth, extraction may be your best or only option. The most common reasons for extractions are:
- Periodontal disease
- Severe decay
- Badly broken tooth, beyond repair
- Poorly positioned teeth
After determining that extraction is necessary, Stanhope Family Dentistry will discuss options with you for replacing the extracted tooth. Having a gap in your teeth can cause the teeth and jaw to shift, creating problems with chewing and dental health.
The long-term health of your mouth depends on the health of each tooth. Stanhope Family Dentistry will oversee your recovery and help you retain a smile full of vitality and joy.
IMPLANTS
Modern dentistry offers a great way to correct the problem of missing teeth: dental implants. Implants are tiny titanium posts placed into the jaw bone to provide a foundation for replacement teeth. Used instead of conventional crowns and dentures, dental implant technology can help preserve jaw bone strength while giving more comfort and a natural-looking smile.
Usually, the dental implant process has three steps:
- The implant is surgically implanted into the jaw bone.
- Over a period of time the jaw bone actually heals painlessly around the implant to hold it strongly in place.
- A customized tooth, designed with the right size, shape and color to blend in with other teeth, is placed on the implant.
Visit Stanhope Family Dentistry to discover whether dental implants can replace your missing teeth, overcome existing denture problems, and rediscover comfort and confidence when eating, speaking and smiling!
INVISALIGN®
When the chewing surfaces of back teeth are damaged due to decay, breaks, fractures, or have old fillings that need to be replaced, an inlay or onlay is often the recommended repair. Inlays and onlays typically require less tooth be removed, making them an ideal alternative to silver fillings and crowns.
An onlay is used to repair a tooth when the chewing cusps have been affected. Otherwise, inlays and onlays are basically the same:
- Custom-made of composite materials (gentle to opposing teeth, prone to more wear and discoloration), gold (strongest, most expensive, not natural-looking), or tooth-colored porcelain (most natural-looking, wear well)
- Permanently cemented into the tooth
- Highly durable and long-lasting
After evaluating the damaged tooth, Stanhope Family Dentistry will help you make the best decision for your budget and your mouth – and give you a long-lasting, joyful smile.
ORAL CANCER SCREENING
Usually detectable and curable, oral cancer can affect lips, cheek lining, gums, tongue, floor and roof of the mouth, and back toward the throat. About 30,000 new cases of oral cancer are found each year. Your dentist stands as your first line of detection and defense against this disease.
Always report to your dentist if you discover any of these possible signs:
- Sores that bleed easily or do not heal
- Lumps or spots that are thick or hard
- Persistently rough or crusted areas
- Numbness, pain or tenderness that may be new or persisting
Your dentist also needs to know if you notice problems chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving any part of your mouth or tongue. Stanhope Family Dentistry routinely screens for oral cancer as part of every checkup or cleaning.
ROOT CANAL THERAPY
Historically, root canals have gotten a bad rap, but the good news is that advances in dental technology have made it much less painful and “scary,” with more than a 95% success rate.
When a tooth becomes infected or abscessed, severely decayed or injured, or a nerve is damaged, you may need a root canal. Symptoms of infection include:
- Painful chewing
- Heat/cold sensitivity
- Tooth discoloration
- Gum swelling, tenderness
- Or no symptoms; only a dental exam will discover it
Left untreated, a root canal infection can cause swelling in the face or neck, tooth loss, and infection draining into the gums, cheek or skin. The only alternative to a root canal is having the tooth extracted and replaced with a bridge, implant, or partial denture – far more expensive and time-consuming than a root canal.
Stanhope Family Dentistry can help you determine the best way to save your tooth and your smile.
VENEERS
Call us today to learn more!