Bone Grafting and PRF
Oftentimes, a ridge preservation bone graft replaces a tooth root at the time of extraction. Healing time after a bone graft treatment varies from four to six months, depending on the site and conditions.
Platelet-rich fibrin or PRF is often used to decrease healing time and increase results. Phlebotomy is performed and PRF is isolated through centrifuging. PRF contains the patients growth factors and cells that work to fight infection.
Root Canal Therapy
If tooth decay is deep and involves the pulp space, then bacteria within the tooth will result in an abscess. Root canal therapy or RCT can resolve the bacteria and stabilize the tooth.
In most situations in which a root canal is necessary, a core is inserted into the center of the tooth along with a crown placed overtop of the tooth. Both procedures restore and stabilize the affected tooth as part of the RCT.
Dental Implants
If a tooth is unable to be restored and an extraction is inevitable, replacing the tooth with an implant is recommended for long term stability. Otherwise disuse atrophy of the bone will occur and can jeopardize the adjacent teeth.
Similar to the titanium used for hip or other joint replacements, dental implants are titanium posts that adhere to bone and heal. They prevent disuse atrophy of bone after suffering from any type of tooth loss.
Dental implants to not decay, and prostheses may be attached if necessary. This includes individual crowns or multi-tooth bridges, and even dentures. Implants are especially helpful to stabilize lower complete dentures that patients can’t otherwise wear or lack the ability to chew with.
Oral Surgery
In order to treat problems related to both soft and hard tissues within the mouth and jaw region, oral surgery is an option.
Poling Family Dental Care of Pittsburgh delivers top care when it comes to all dental procedures and oral surgeries alike.
Oral surgery includes surgical procedures such as dental implant surgery, bone grafting, TMJ surgery, and more.
Restorative Dentistry
If a tooth is in need of a filling in order to replace the portion that a cavity or tooth decay destroyed, tooth-colored restorations that match your shade are used.
If teeth whitening is being considered, whitening should precede the filling procedure, so the shade match is ideal.ß
If a filling is too large or cracks exist in the remaining enamel, crowns or veneers my be recommended.
TMJ and Bite Issues
Grinding teeth and clenching the jaw causes discomfort in the jaw joint or pain in the surrounding muscles. These excessive forces can result in muscle fatigue and accelerated degeneration of the jaw joint.
In some cases of TMJ, the degeneration can progress to debilitating pain. Early diagnosis and treatment are paramount to slowing the progression.
In some mild cases, a bite splint worn at night my be all that is necessary to resolve symptoms and progression of TMJ.
Moderate to severe cases of bite issues or TMJ require further diagnosis and patient intervention.
Esthetic Treatments
The Philips Zoom in-office teeth whitening procedure is extremely effective and can whiten teeth up to six shades.
Take-home teeth whitening is also available and include custom whitening trays. The take-home whitening method tends to take more time, however similar tooth whitening results can be achieved.
Invisalign Clear Orthodontic Aligners
Invisalign clear orthodontic aligners are useful not only for esthetics but also to treat malocclusion.
Invisalign is discreet and a great option for those who do not wish to use traditional braces with brackets and wires for teeth straightening purposes.
Additionally, Invisalign clear aligners are used for tweaking alignment prior to esthetic restorations such as veneers to maximize the esthetic outcome.
