Healthy teeth are free from decay, and can chew a wide range of foods in a pain free and balanced oral environment. Healthy teeth are also supported by strong bones and gums. If something is amiss, dental treatment is usually needed to restore proper oral function. Some of the procedures Lillian Obucina, D.D.S.,P.C. offers to help achieve these oral health goals are:
Prophylaxis Treatments (Routine Cleanings) and Scaling and Root Planing (Deep Cleaning). Teeth will accumulate plaque, tartar buildup and stain even with a patient's good oral hygiene practices. If bacterial deposits are not professionally removed on a regular basis gingivitis and/or periodontal disease will develop and progress. At the extreme, left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss. Signs that this might be occurring are bleeding and swollen gums, and bad breath. To reverse and/or manage this disease process from additional destruction of supporting structures, a professional routine tooth cleaning and/or a scaling and root planning is required.
In some patients with advanced disease, even periodontal (gum) surgery may also be necessary. These cleaning and scaling procedures will remove the damaging bacterial deposits, and leave a clean tooth and root surface that the patient can better maintain with proper brushing, flossing and rinsing. Removal of these deposits can be accomplished individually, or in concert, by hand instruments, ultrasonic scalers and tooth polishing procedures. Dr. Obucina will evaluate the current health of your gums and discuss with you the treatment that will be necessary to promote the health of your gums and underlying bone support.
Removal of Caries and Tooth Restoration. Any number of things can lead to tooth decay – too many sweets, poor brushing, an old filling that chips or cracks and allows bacterial invasion into the tooth, and exposed inner tooth structures to acidic substances are just some of the possibilities. Once tooth decay is removed, a certain amount of tooth structure needs to be rebuilt so as to recreate the original tooth shape for proper chewing, and to cover up sensitive tooth structure. This is achieved through a variety of methods and materials. For the patients that desire, or require, a restoration that gives the illusion that nothing was done, the tooth may be rebuilt and restored with composite filling material, porcelain inlays, porcelain onlays, porcelain crowns, or porcelain veneers.
Some procedures may take just one office appointment, while others may take more than one visit. For patients that desire restorations of proven longevity, Dr. Obucina can restore their teeth with amalgam fillings, cast gold restorations, gold crowns or porcelain fused to gold alloy crowns. While these restorative materials are not as cosmetic in appearance, they deliver strength that, in some instances, cannot be matched by any other treatment modality.
Replacing Missing Teeth. It is vital to oral health to replace missing teeth. If a lost tooth is not replaced, chewing is compromised, and any remaining teeth are placed under a heavier load than they were intended to bear, putting them at risk of shifting and/or breaking themselves. Today, there are numerous options for tooth replacement. The only option that replaces both the missing tooth crown and tooth root, and also gives the greatest chewing strength, is an implant. While implants require both a surgical phase, and a restorative phase, and do take some time to complete, the outcome is the closest dentistry has available to replacing the entire tooth that was lost.
Other options are traditional fixed bridgework and/or partial or complete removable dentures. These latter options are more quickly accomplished, and still offer a patient excellent function and esthetics. Dr. Obucina will discuss all the available treatment options for your individual oral condition so you can decide what is the best treatment option for you.
Tooth Whitening can be achieved either at-home using professionally fabricated trays with professional strength solution, or in-office where the process is entirely performed by Dr. Obucina. At-home procedures take as little as an hour a day, and are just as effective at brightening teeth as in-office whitening procedures. The only drawback is that they do require patient compliance, and some time, before results occur.
In-office treatments are fast! They allow a patient to walk into the office with a dull or yellow smile, and walk out after one treatment session with a smile that is noticeably whiter and brighter! In office treatments are ideal when you want to make a good impression on a moment's notice!
By conservatively resurfacing anterior teeth with porcelain veneers (Lumineers®), a patient can whiten their teeth in a manner that does not allow shade regression over time, strengthen chipped or fractured tooth enamel, fill gaps in between teeth, reshape tooth anatomy to a more pleasing and attractive form, and create a more beautiful smile!
In many instances there is minimal to no drilling of enamel required in preparing the natural teeth for veneer placement. Usually, with otherwise healthy teeth and gums, only two appointments are required for veneer fabrication and delivery!
