Our Services
- Cleaning and Exams
- Resin Fillings
- Crowns
- Bridges
- Veneers
- Implants
- Teeth Whitening including ZOOM! Whitening
- Dentures and Partials
Cleaning and Exams
Preventative dental health is an important part of our practice. This includes periodontal charting, oral cancer screening, cavity detection, x-rays, cleaning, flossing and polishing teeth. This can usually be completed in one appointment. We recommend that our patients be seen every six months.
Resin Fillings
Studies have shown that resin fillings are healthier and provide patients with a more attractive smile. Because of this, Dr. Charapata uses resin, tooth colored filling material. In most cases you cannot see the filling once it is completed. Amalgam (silver) fillings are only used when a resin filling will not work.
Crowns
Also referred to as a cap, a crown is a protective covering placed over an existing tooth on all sides to permit room for the crown to fit all the way to the gum tissue. An impression is then taken of the tooth and sent to a dental lab to have the crown made. Depending on the patient and site in the mouth, crowns can me made of all porcelain, porcelain over gold or solid gold. Crowns are usually placed when a tooth is broken down or decayed to a point where a filling will not work. Some patients request crowns for cosmetic purposes when other options for enhancing their smile are not available or appropriate. In some cases, crowns can be used to open a patient’s bite or correct alignment of teeth.
Bridges
Bridges can be used to replace missing teeth. The teeth on each side of one or two missing teeth would be prepared for crowns. The lab would then make crowns for those teeth and solder a tooth or teeth in between to replace the missing ones. The bridge is then permanently cemented to abutments.
Veneers
Veneers are similar to crowns in that they are a covering for teeth. But they cover only the front and biting edge of the tooth. A veneer is a very thin layer of porcelain that is placed over an existing tooth. Veneers can be used to change the shape and or color of a tooth.
Implants
Implants are artificial tooth roots that are implanted into the patient’s bone. This is the anchor for the restoration that will be attached to it. Implants are a wonderful way to replace missing teeth. Once they are in place, implants work just like natural teeth. They can be used to replace one tooth, several teeth, or be used to support a full or partial denture.
Teeth Whitening including Zoom! Whitening
We offer two methods of teeth whitening. ZOOM! As seen on television’s Extreme Makeover. ZOOM! Can whiten your teeth up to 8 shades in just one appointment. A whitening gel is placed on your teeth and we shine a special light on the gel for about 20 minutes. This is done three times during the ZOOM! whitening procedure. You can expect a ZOOM! appointment to last about 2 hours.
The other whitening service that we offer is an at-home treatment that involves wearing custom made trays filled with a bleaching solution for a couple hours each day. This treatment can take 2 to 4 weeks to finish.
Dentures and Partials
Dentures and partials are prosthetics made to replace all or several missing teeth. Dentures are for patients who have lost teeth and for some reason are not candidates for implants. Impressions are taken of the full jaw and sent to the dental lab for a wax set-up. There are several appointments before the lab makes the final denture. Dentures and partials are made of a plastic base and either plastic or porcelain teeth. Dentures and partials are removable.