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Tooth decay at the gum line, caused by bacteria is a common dental problem encountered by patients over 40. We are proud to offer a new breakthrough preventive treatment to reduce your risk of root surface decay. This new prescription drug is called Prevora and it is applied topically in our dental office. Prevora is a clear painless antibacterial coating that we apply to the teeth using a special brush. Root decay is a difficult disease to control. It tends to spread from tooth to tooth, and fillings for these types of cavities may only last 2-3 years. This is a disease worth preventing because it is also linked to other health issues, such as heart disease. Prevora is approved by Health Canada, and has the Seal of Recognition of the Canadian Dental Association. It is safe and effective. At your next preventive care visit, your dental hygienist will assess your specific risk factors for root cavities. Prevora’s antibacterial treatment plan includes 4 applications over 8 weeks, then a single application every 6 to 9 months until you are out of risk of tooth decay. If you are at risk, we will be excited to offer this new treatment to you. Please ask your dental hygienist at your next personal preventive care visit. |
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For those that are interested in the ultimate perfect smile Dr. Korody is an expert with the CEREC 3D restoration system. The CEREC system is remarkable in that it allows Dr. Korody to design and build new teeth that will, with exacting precision, fit into your existing teeth. The new tooth can be an exact model of the old tooth or it can be fashioned to fill gaps, or fit in a way that your natural teeth did not. The new tooth can also be colored to whiten your smile, or colored exactly match your existing complement of teeth. All of this can be accomplished within a single visit. Ask Dr. Korody if the CEREC 3D restoration system can help improve your smile |
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Dental Implants and Blister |
A dental implant is required when teeth are so damaged that they require complete replacement. The replacement is called a restoration and dental implants replace your damaged tooth with an artificial tooth that looks almost identical. Dental implants can be used to replace single or groups of teeth.
A typical implant consists of a titanium screw (resembling a tooth root) with a roughened or smooth surface. The very first implants were made out of commercially pure titanium, however since it was discovered that a titanium-vanadium alloy would hold the bone as well as commercially pure titanium, more and more implants were made out of alloy due to its better tensile strength.
Implant surgery is performed as an outpatient under general anesthesia (if several implants are to be placed) or with local anesthesia (for simple cases) by the dentist. An increasing number of cosmetic dentists are also placing implants in relatively simple cases. In straight forward cases patients can be implanted and restored in a single surgery. In such cases a provisional prosthetic tooth or crown is shaped to avoid the force of the bite transferring to the implant while it integrates with the bone. |
Teeth whitening
In most cases, the natural colour of teeth is within a range of light greyish-yellow shades. Teeth naturally darken with age and their appearance can be affected by the accumulation of surface stains acquired from the use of tobacco products and the consumption of certain foods or drinks.
In addition, the perception of the colour of teeth is severely affected by skin tone and make-up. Independent of the real colour of their teeth, people with darker skin or who use dark makeup will look like they have brighter teeth.
Although teeth are not naturally meant to be completely white, many Canadians want a brighter smile. Responding to this desire, a wide range of "whitening" options has become available to consumers. These products fall into two main categories: surface whiteners and bleaches.
It should be noted that claims related to tooth whitening are seen as cosmetic in nature by Health Canada. These claims must be accurate, so as not to mislead the public. However, the regulator tolerates some puffery or exaggeration. As a consequence, the results of whitening treatment may not be as convincing as consumers originally expected.
Surface Whiteners
These products use special abrasives to improve the product's ability to remove surface stains. Most products in this category are either toothpastes or chewing gums. Because the special abrasives in these whitening products are often only finer versions of what is used in regular toothpastes, they are unlikely to cause excessive tooth wear. However, the effectiveness of these products is limited to surface stains and should not be used as a substitute for professional cleaning.
Bleaches
Most bleaching products are peroxide-based and are actually capable of altering the colours of the tooth itself. However, not all tooth discolourations respond to tooth-bleaching treatments. Individuals contemplating tooth-bleaching should consult with a dentist to determine the cause of the tooth discolouration and to determine whether a bleaching treatment will have the desired result. This step is especially important for patients with fillings, root canal treatments, crowns and/or with extremely dark stains on the anterior teeth.
A number of different bleaching techniques and products are available to patients. Your dentist will use one of these two methods to whiten your teeth:
* Vital bleaching is done on "living" teeth and can be used to whiten your teeth if they have become stained by food or tobacco, or if they have become dark with age.
* Non-vital bleaching is bleaching done on teeth that are no longer "alive." If your tooth has changed colour because of a root canal, non-vital bleaching can lighten your tooth from the inside out.
There are three methods for bleaching teeth. The method that will work best for you depends on the number of teeth that need to be bleached, and on how badly they are stained (or discoloured).
Your dentist may suggest:
1. Putting a special bleach on your stained teeth and using heat (or heat and light) to start the bleaching action; or
2. Wearing a custom-made mouthguard filled with a special bleach for part of each day; or
3. Brushing with a special bleach mixed in toothpaste.
Bleaching should be done only under a dentist's care. Tooth-bleaching under controlled dental office conditions may be safe and effective, but the new in-office vital tooth-bleaching techniques, particularly those using laser and lights, have undergone little scientific assessment.
Home-use tooth-bleaching systems are available to the general public, either from a dentist or from various retail outlets. Clinical studies support the safety and effectiveness of home-use bleaching gels when used appropriately. Tooth sensitivity and irritation to soft tissues can occur during bleaching treatment, but these effects are transient. Yet the effects of long-term tooth-bleaching are unknown and need to be researched, especially since the effect is not permanent and many individuals end up undergoing periodic bleaching treatments. |
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Since you have been asking…………. Dr. Korody is very excited to now offer a chairside light assisted whitening procedure. Allow us to introduce Zoom2 . With Zoom whitening your appointment will be 2 hours in length and you will leave with a noticeably whiter and brighter smile. Our Zoom2 procedure is proven to produce an average change of 8 shades of whitening and is most effective on yellow and brown stained teeth. Please call us anytime and book your whitening appointment with one of our dental hygienists. |
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Porcelain Veneers for smile makeovers
Dental veneers have long been used to create the ultimate smile makeover, with this treatment it is possible to transform crooked, stained, damaged and badly worn teeth into a brand new straight white smile. There are a wide variety of situations where dental veneers can be used:
Stained Teeth - badly stained teeth that cannot be improved by teeth whitening can greatly be improved by dental veneers, which function to cover and "hide" any existing stains on your natural teeth.
Damaged Teeth - teeth that have either become badly worn with excessive grinding, by carbonated drinks, or have been chipped or broken in an accident can benefit from veneers. A small chip on a tooth can quickly be repaired with composite bonding or "composite veneers" which are one and the same thing. A single damaged tooth can easily be repaired with a single porcelain veneer that has the same characteristics and colour to match your surrounding teeth so that it looks natural.
Gaps - spaces or gaps (diastimas) between your teeth can be easily closed using dental veneers giving you a more uniform looking smile.
Crooked teeth - although veneers are not the ideal treatment choice for crooked teeth and from a point of view of preserving your natural teeth structure orthodontics or invisalign braces would probably a better solution. However, treatments can take up to a year or longer with braces. For teeth that are not severely crooked veneers placed over their front surface will give a straight and perfectly aligned looking smile. For this type of treatment many people refer to veneers as "instant orthodontics" since you get a similar end result in a fraction of the time.
What is the procedure of having dental veneers fitted?
1. The first part of any dental procedure is the initial consultation and examination so that the dentist can get a feel for what you want and understand your needs and concerns. The dentist should explain the treatment procedure to you including an accurate guide to the likely costs of your treatment.
2. Before your veneers are designed your dentist will need to reshape and prepare the front surfaces of your teeth so that they can accommodate the veneers. The first stage is to numb the teeth and gums with a local anesthetic so that you do not feel anything during the procedure.
3. Using a special tool called a burr (a dental drill or file) a tiny amount of the front surface of your teeth will be shaved off. The amount removed should be equivalent to the thickness of the veneer that will sit over the top of the tooth.
4. Next an impression or mould (copy) of your teeth is taken. A special dental "putty" is placed into your mouth on a tray and pushed into your teeth so that it takes an imprint of your teeth, similar to how you would leave a footprint in sand.
5. This "impression" or mould of your teeth is then sent to a dental laboratory. The laboratory use the impression to cast an accurate model of your teeth which is used as a guide to fabricate your new veneers, this process can take between one to three weeks.
6. whilst you are waiting for your veneers to be fabricated your dentist you may be fitted with some temporary veneers to protect your prepared teeth. Not all dentists will offer temporary veneers.
7. On your second appointment your dentist will fit your new veneers to your teeth. First the dentist may just sit the teeth over your teeth to see how they look with your smile and he or she may need to trim or adjust the veneer.
8. Next your teeth will be thoroughly cleaned and the front surfaces etched (roughened) with a special acid gel so that they provide a good surface for the dental cement to stick to.
9. The veneers are then cemented into place and a special curing light is used to activate the dental cement so that it permanently bonds the veneer to the front surface of your prepared tooth. If there is any excess cement it is usually trimmed away and polished to leave a beautiful and natural looking restoration.
At the Dental-Studio Dr. Korody can use the CEREC system to create your veneers in the same visit. |
LUMINEERS are a special type of ultra-thin (comparable to a contact lens) veneers by CERINATE. Just like traditional veneers, Lumineers can reshape your smile for that perfect smile makeover. They can cover gaps between teeth and enhance the appearance of worn down and discoloured teeth.
Lumineers are made from a special patented cerinate porcelain that is very strong but much thinner than traditional laboratory fabricated veneers. Their thickness is comparable to contact lenses, and so are often called contact lenses for your teeth. The main advantage of these ultra thin veneers is that minimal tooth preparation is required i.e very little, if any of your natural tooth structure needs to be removed (shaved or ground) prior to bonding the lumineers over your natural teeth. As a result the procedure is often reversible since your natural tooth structure is left intact unlike traditional veneers where a significant amount of your teeth structure may need to be removed. |
Porcelain Crowns and Caps
Dental crowns are restorations that protect damaged, cracked or broken down teeth. A crown strengthens your existing damaged tooth so as to preserve its functionality. Dental crowns are also commonly known as caps because a crown sits over your existing tooth covering the entire outer surface analogous to how a baseball cap would cover your head.
Why May I needs Crowns?
* If your tooth has undergone significant decay and there is not enough tooth structure remaining to support a filling or an inlay and maintain functionality.
* If a large portion of your tooth has fractured and it cannot be built up using traditional composite bonding techniques .
* If you have a large cavity and opt for the additional protection a crown offers to your tooth over a large composite filling or an inlay.
* If you have had a dental implant to replace a missing tooth, a crown will be fitted to the abutment of the titanium implant.
* Following root canal treatment a crown is often needed to strengthen the tooth.
* If you grind your teeth and have a poor diet, acid erosion may reduce your teeth to a point where the only option available is to crown them.
* For cosmetic reasons to improve the aesthetics of your smile, you may opt for all porcelain cosmetic crowns.
Are dental crowns always the best option?
Crowns should not be the first treatment of choice just to improve the aesthetics of your teeth, because a dentist needs to grind a significant portion of the original tooth away. Less invasive alternatives include veneers or dental bonding. Crowns are required when the strength of the tooth supporting the restoration is compromised since veneers and dental bonding restorations are only as strong as the supporting tooth.
What materials can crowns be made from?
In modern day dentistry there is a wide variety of dental materials to choose from. Some crowns are made from full gold, where as others are made from an alloy of metals fused to a porcelain outer shell. After time, crowns that are made from a combination of metal fused to porcelain can begin to show dark gum lines that are not aesthetically attractive. All porcelain or ceramic crowns are the best choice for a natural cosmetic look. There are many different brands and types of porcelain crowns and the variation between the costs of dental crowns at different dental practices may well reflect the quality of the materials used.
What does the procedure of having dental crowns fitted involve ?
Once you have had a consultation with your dentists and discussed all the treatment options, your dentist will prepare the tooth ready to be crowned. The first stage is to clean the tooth, remove any decay and reshape it using a burr (a special dental drill for shaping teeth) under local anesthesia. The shape of the prepared tooth is usually tapered to allow the crown sit comfortably over the top of it. Once the tooth is prepared an impression (mould) of your teeth will be taken using a special “dental putty”. This impression is sent to a dental laboratory who will use the impression of the prepared tooth as a guide to fabricate the new crown to the exact specification of the dentist and to fit perfectly. It usually takes between two to three weeks for a laboratory technician to custom fabricate your new crown. During this time your dentist will fit you with a temporary crown to cover and protect your prepared tooth.
On your second visit your dentist will remove the temporary crown, and roughen the outer surface of your prepared tooth with a special etching acid to give the dental cement a good surface to bond to. Your dentist will sit the crown over your tooth to see if it fits with your smile correctly and is the right colour match and shape. Once you are both happy with the restoration and how it looks, your dentist will cement the crown firmly into place. |
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Invisalign Invisible Braces |
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Invisalign is a series of clear, removable teeth aligners that both orthodontists and dentists use as an alternative to traditional metal dental braces. The Invisalign braces aren't invisible, but are much less visible and obtrusive than the traditional metal braces. |
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Smile Gallery is being constructed, check back soon to see how we're improving smiles in the Niagara Region. |
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