Dental fillings are used to repair teeth that have been damaged due to decay, wear, or trauma. The damaged part of the tooth is removed and built back up with a filling material. In most cases this material will be the same color as your tooth.

Crowns are used to repair teeth that are damaged past the point of needing a simple filling, such as for teeth that are broken or have extensive decay. Crowns may also be preferred in some cases for cosmetic reasons. The process of getting a crown is typically done in 2 appointments with a temporary crown placed at the first appointment. The majority of crowns are made to match your teeth in color, however in some cases a gold crown may be recommended for a very back tooth.

A bridge is one option for replacement of a missing tooth when an implant is not desired. A fixed bridge is essentially where a crown is placed on the tooth to the left of the space and on the tooth to the right of the space, and there is a solid crown attached to both of these in the middle, which fills in the space above the gums where the missing tooth once was. It is all one piece and bonded in; it is not something you take in and out of the mouth.

If you have a missing tooth, one option for replacement is to get a dental implant. This is essentially a "screw" that is placed where the root of your tooth was located. After a period of healing, a crown with a special post will be made to fit into the implant. This is called the abutment and implant crown. The process to get the dental implant placed is done with a trained specialist and after they give the go-ahead, Dr. Chan will start the 2 appointment process to "finish" the implant and place the abutment and implant crown, so you can start using that tooth again. Typically these final appointments in our office are quick and no numbing is needed.

When a tooth becomes infected, this means that bacteria or trauma have caused the nerve inside the tooth to become damaged. The tooth may be very painful, such as when the infection has created an abscess (swelling) on your gums, or the tooth may not hurt at all, such as when there is a chronic infection or previous trauma that has caused the nerve cells to slowly die (necrosis).  The nerve will not repair itself and the root canal procedure is needed to remove the small nerve from inside of the tooth and the space the nerve was gets filled in. After a root canal is done on a back tooth, a crown will be recommended to further protect the tooth. A front tooth may only need a filling after a root canal, but Dr. Chan's recommendation will depend on how much of the tooth had been damaged from decay or trauma.

When all teeth on the top and/or bottom are lost or need to be removed due to severe bone loss from periodontal disease or tooth damage beyond repair, a denture may be made. A denture is a great option when the alternative is having no teeth. Dentures are hand crafted and take a few appointments before they are ready for you to use. 

A partial denture is a removable appliance used to replace one or more missing teeth in an arch (top teeth or bottom teeth).  "False teeth" are selected to match as close as possible to your remaining natural teeth and they sit in a frame that is either made of metal,  a flexible pink material, or denture acrylic. Similar to a denture, a partial will take a few appointments before it is ready for you to use.

Oral appliances include night guards, oral sleep appliances, athletic mouth guards, and retainers.