Porcelain infused Crown
A dental crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" that is placed over a tooth, covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance. The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line. Why Is a Dental Crown Needed? A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:
- To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
- To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
- To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of tooth left
- To hold a dental bridge in place
- To cover misshapen or severely discoloured teeth
- To cover a dental implant
Veneer
Dental veneers have long been used to create the ultimate smile makeover. With this treatment, it's possible to transform crooked, stained, damaged or badly worn teeth into a brand new, straight, white smile, as seen on many of the Hollywood stars.
Veneers are wafer-thin laminates or shells of tooth-coloured material (which can be either porcelain, ceramic or composite bonding material). They are cemented to the front surface of teeth to improve their cosmetic appearance. Many dentists use the analogy that dental veneers are for your teeth what false fingernails are for your hands.
Lumineer
The main difference between a Veneer and Lumineer is that Lumineers are made from special patented porcelain that is very strong but much thinner than traditional laboratory-fabricated veneers. Their thickness is comparable to contact lenses. The main advantage of these ultra-thin veneers is that minimal tooth preparation is required. In other words, very little - if any - of your natural tooth structure needs to be removed through shaving or grinding 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 tooth structure may need to be removed
Bridge
Losing a tooth through an accident or injury or as a result of decay can be very traumatic. It can affect the way you look and the way you speak, as well as compromising your ability to chew. Furthermore, the gap left by the missing tooth can strain the teeth on either side causing them to lean into the gap, trapping food debris and causing further decay.
To improve appearance and function, and to prevent further damage, we recommend a dental bridge to fill the gap. The new tooth connects to the two remaining healthy teeth on each side
Dentures
This is a plate with a number of false teeth on it. It may be all plastic or metal and plastic. Both types may have clips (clasps), which fit around the natural teeth. Sometimes these clips may show when you smile or open your mouth. The teeth on the denture are usually made of plastic, very occasionally porcelain. The teeth are chosen to match the shape, size and colour of your natural teeth. Plastic partial dentures are less expensive to make than bridges. But even when they are designed very carefully, they can damage the teeth they fit against.
Dental Implant
People lose teeth all the time, either through trauma or due to decay, gum disease or old age. Whatever the reason for losing your teeth, they need to be replaced, both for aesthetic and functional reasons. Dental implants are now becoming a more popular treatment to replace missing teeth, as they provide a longer-term solution, slow down bone loss and preserve nearby healthy tooth tissue.
A dental implant is an artificial substitute/replacement for the root portion of your natural tooth and is anchored into a pre-drilled socket in your jaw-bone to support a crown, bridge or secure a denture firmly in place. Implants are made from titanium, a material that is well tolerated by bone and integrates easily with bone tissue. During the placement of a dental implant, the goal is to achieve a close contact between the outer surface of the implant and the surrounding bone tissue so they can fuse together (osseointegration), creating a stable support for the new teeth.
Inlay/Onlay
If a cavity in a tooth is particularly large, your dentist may suggest an inlay instead of having a regular filling. In very large cavities you need a material that is going to 'bond' to your remaining tooth structure rather than just filling in the hole.
An Inlay is specifically designed in a laboratory to ensure it fits the cavity of your tooth like a filling. The exception is that the materials and glues involved in this procedure are far superior to anything your dentist can do on the spot, and are custom made for you.