Sealants

Almost half of all children and adolescents in the United States have had cavities in their permanent teeth.  Most tooth decay in children and teenagers occurs on the chewing surfaces of molars, where the pits and grooves tend to trap food and bacteria.  Bear Creek Dental wants to help you protect your children’s teeth with sealants, a preventative measure used to preserve the teeth and tooth enamel.

Molars first come in at around 5-7 years of age, with a second set coming in between the ages of 11-14. It is best to have a sealant placed when the molars first come in to ensure they are protected early.  Dental sealants are applied to surfaces of these back teeth much like paint. The plastic resin fills any pits and grooves on the surface and hardens. Now the surface is protected from bits of food being stuck, so bacteria cannot multiply and cause decay.  Sealants also protect tooth enamel from plaque and acids, and can effectively prevent cavities for up to ten years. If you think anyone in your family would benefit from a dental sealant, our dentists can determine if you are eligible and start preserving your teeth!

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.

Cosmetic Periodontal Surgery

Everyone wants to make a great first impression with a nice smile.  At Bear Creek Dental we know that the overall look of your smile includes your gums.  Even patients with teeth in good condition feel like their gums keep them from enjoying their best smile.  Bear Creek Dental offers cosmetic periodontal surgery so that any patient can have their perfect smile.

Cosmetic periodontal surgery is an elaborate way of saying sculpting the gum line.  Patients with a gummy smile, uneven gum line, or elongated teeth often ask what can be done to achieve the look they want.  To correct these issues, cosmetic periodontal surgery can include removing excess gum tissue and exposing more of the tooth, placing soft tissue grafts to extend the gum line, or both.

Soft tissue grafts are typically harvested from the roof of the patient’s mouth.  This tissue is then placed where gums have receded to create a balance in the amount of tooth versus gum that is exposed.  In areas when excess gum tissue is hiding teeth, the gum tissue is removed to achieve the same balance.  The result is an even, stunning smile!  If you think your smile would benefit from cosmetic periodontal surgery, please contact us.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.

Getting Dentures

Dentures are the most famous kind of prosthodontic (prosthetic tooth). Though other options, such as implants, now exist for individual teeth, there are situations in which it is best for a patient to have a removable appliance. Getting dentures is a big decision, but Bear Creek Dental is dedicated to helping patients get maximum satisfaction from their treatments.

Partial dentures are like removable bridges. They replace the front teeth and clasp onto the teeth on either side. Installing them requires reshaping of the teeth being clasped unless they are supported by implants. Full dentures require the extraction of all the teeth in the arch. The denture will replace all of them and be either implanted or suctioned to a patient’s mouth.

Before their teeth are extracted, patients will have an impression made of their bites. This will be the basis for the immediate dentures they use in between the extractions and the second set of dentures they get, which will be based on an impression taken of their mouths a few months later. The second impression and denture set are necessary because the removal of teeth roots causes the patient’s jaw to change shape. After the dentures are placed, the patient’s jaw will continue to lose bone matter, which is why the dentures must be refitted periodically.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.

 

Inlays and Onlays

For nearly every problem a patient could have with their teeth, there is a restorative option which is both cosmetically pleasing and will get them back to chewing without pain. One specialized type of restoration is the partial crown. Also known as inlays or onlays, partial crowns repair the chewing and grinding surfaces of the molars and premolars.

The chewing teeth are distinguished by their large surfaces. The raised bits, called cusps, are separated by indentations which are often a trap for plaque. An inlay, the smaller of the partial crowns, covers an indentation like a permanent sealant. Onlays replace cusps along with indentations. Any decay a patient has experienced must be drilled away before an impression of the patient’s mouth can be made.

Once an impression is made, a dental laboratory can use it to mill a custom-fitted partial crown from porcelain. (Ceramics are the most popular restoration material in modern times, although glass resins and gold are sometimes used.) During a return visit, the partial crown may be cemented in place, completing the restoration process. Standard oral hygiene will remain necessary.

Bear Creek Dental is located at Unit 201 10015 102 Ave, Grande Prairie, Alberta, T8v 0z8, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 780-539-0404 or visit BearCreekDental.CA.