Treatments & Procedures
While
Dr. Jansen does not provide surgery, he oversees the surgical process.
He will recommend a surgeon or work with your surgeon. Dr. Jansen will
provide surgical implant guides after doing extensive diagnostic procedures
and meeting with the surgeon to review the surgical plan. Some implant
guides are developed with computer assistance with input from Dr. Jansen
and your surgeon. If needed, Dr. Jansen can be present during the surgical
placement of the implants.
Today’s dental implants are typically made
of titanium and may be parallel-sided or tapered and may or may not have
threads. These fixtures are placed into the jawbone and allowed to heal
until they are "integrated" into the bone. Dental implants
may be used to replace one, many or all of a patient’s teeth. Dental
implants are artificial tooth roots that hold crowns/caps or bridges.
To replace failing or missing teeth, dental implants are very predictable
(over 95% success), lifelong solutions. Dental implants have many advantages.
Dental implants have many advantages:
- Preserve existing bone
- Prevent bone atrophy (loss)
- Prevent the preparation of neighboring teeth
for a bridge
- Last for a long time
- Are fixed (cannot be removed)
- Look, feel and act like natural teeth
- Improve your ability to chew
- May retain dentures & subsequently improve function (i.e., speech,
eating)
- Make you feel whole again
Depending on your particular case, we may able to perform the following
services:
- Place implants on the day of tooth removal ("immediate implant")
- Give you a temporary cap on the implant on the day of implant placement ("immediate temporization").
• Esthetic
Dentistry and Smile Design
Today we
are fortunate to have techniques available to completely restore your
teeth to health and function. Working with your orthodontist periodontist
and/or oral surgeon, we can create a beautiful smile. Depending on the
need, a vast range of treatment options are available to you including
dental implants, orthodontics, gum grafting, crown lengthening and all
porcelain crowns. Many patients are interested not only in restoring
teeth, but also in improving the appearance of their smile. Prosthodontists
are the dental specialists who, long ago, determined what constitutes
a pleasing smile. Teeth whitening, reshaping natural teeth, bonding of
tooth-colored material to teeth and porcelain veneers are procedures
commonly used to modify a smile.
For any patient missing a tooth it is important
to understand the options they have to replace the missing tooth or teeth.
There are five choices a patient has to replace or not replace a missing
tooth or teeth.
1. Do nothing at all
While not always a good option, at times patients do not want to replace
a tooth. This may create problems in the future and should be discussed
with a dentist or Prosthodontist. These problems could involve movement
of adjacent teeth to the missing tooth or movement of the opposing
tooth which can make replacement in the future more difficult.
2. Orthodontics
An Orthodontist is a dental specialist who corrects irregularities of the
teeth primarily through the use of braces and or a retainer. At times
an orthodontist can be consulted with and teeth can be moved to replace
the missing tooth or teeth teeth can be moved to replace the missing
tooth or teeth.
4. A bridge or fixed partial denture (see definition below)
5. An implant and crown (see definition below)
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• Reconstructive Dentistry
- The practice or process of restoring a person’s teeth, gums and jaw or any combination of these in an otherwise normal mouth with dental implant supported caps/crowns, bridges, removable partial dentures and dentures. Replacing teeth is also possible with implant-supported full bridges or implant-supported dentures. Patients are able to preserve their natural bite with implants and achieve more comfort and stability than with conventional dentures. screw or cylinder and is placed into the jaw. Over the period of 2-6 months, the implant and jawbone bond together to provide an anchor for the crown. An abutment is used as an extension to complete the foundation for the new tooth to be attached.
• Caps/Crowns
- Crowns cover or "cap" a tooth to restore the normal function and appearance of the tooth. Crowns may be made as all metal, porcelain fused to metal or all-ceramic (porcelain). Crowns are indicated for teeth with very large fillings, teeth that have had a root canal, fractured teeth and misshapen and/or discolored teeth.
- Traditional methods to replace a missing tooth or teeth include the fabrication of a bridge. To replace a missing tooth with a bridge, at least one tooth on either side of the empty space of the missing tooth must be prepared for a crown. A false tooth is then joined to the crown(s) and the entire structure is cemented to the prepared teeth. A patient cannot remove the bridge and special aids are available to keep it clean.
- Many patients are missing certain teeth because the teeth never developed or may be misshapen. A prosthodontist can determine the best way to replace and/or restore these teeth. Other patients exhibit teeth with poorly developed tooth structure throughout the mouth and require a prosthodontist’s expertise in restoring these teeth to proper form and function.
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When a patient no longer has any natural teeth complete dentures are the traditional method to restore function and appearance. Many patients experience difficulty wearing conventional dentures because of poor stability and decreased chewing function. The use of dental implants to improve the stability and retention of dentures is becoming quite popular.
-
When there are multiple missing teeth, weak anchor teeth or no posterior teeth to anchor on, a removable partial denture is used to replace teeth. These restorations typically are made of a metal framework and a plastic base with teeth. They must be removed for daily cleaning and at night.
- An immediate denture is placed immediately upon tooth removal. Many times the teeth are is such poor condition that they cannot be saved. Diagnostic procedures are done and a complete denture is fabricated prior to the patient’s teeth being removed. The immediate denture prosthesis is delivered to the surgeon removing the teeth and placed immediately upon tooth removal. At no time should the patient be without teeth. The patient will return to Dr. Jansen’s office for adjustments the same day the tooth removal is done in the surgeon’s office, if necessary. 24 hours after surgery, Dr. Jansen removes the denture to clean and make necessary adjustments.
- Porcelain veneers are used to modify the shape and color of teeth. Veneers are thin shells of porcelain etched and then bonded to the enamel of the teeth. Tooth preparation is necessary to avoid over bulking of the tooth but it is limited to the enamel and usually involves only a few surfaces of the tooth.
• Teeth Whitening
-
Many products are now available for patients to whiten their teeth. These products include commercially available strips, custom fabricated trays with a beaching gel or bleaching in a dental office using UV light or laser as the catalyst.
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Often patients who grind their teeth at night are unaware of their habit but the forces exerted on both the teeth and the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) can be quite destructive. A custom-made night guard can protect the teeth and relieve pressure on the TMJ.
• TMJ/TMD
- Dr. Jansen works with other specialists in this area who only deal in TMD and Facial pain. Many patients use this acronym to refer to the painful symptoms related to Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction or TMJ symptoms. Symptoms may include pain in the joint itself, pain in the muscles of mastication (chewing) and limited movement of the lower jaw.
- Dr. Jansen has a professional colleague who is in the practice twice a month who specializes in sleep apnea. This colleague interfaces with the sleep centers to offer alternatives to conventional treatment. Sleep apnea refers to a temporary cessation of breathing while sleeping. Many times the airway is obstructed by the patient’s anatomy, and the placement of a specially designed night guard that repositions the lower jaw can improve the airflow.
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Preventive Dentistry
Routine Teeth Cleanings/Dental Hygiene
- At least once a year you should schedule a dental cleaning. During this visit, one of our dental hygienists will remove plaque from your teeth. Hygienists focus especially on places your toothbrush can't reach such as underneath the gum line and in-between teeth. After cleaning we will apply fluoride to help protect your teeth once you leave the office. Fluoride is a relatively recent but important advancement in dental and oral health. Studies consistently show that a moderate and consistent exposure of teeth to fluoride helps strengthen and rebuild tooth structure and also helps prevent future decay. If you are due for a dental cleaning, please contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Tooth Decay Prevention
- Tooth decay is a progressive disease resulting in the interaction of bacteria that naturally occur on the teeth and sugars in the everyday diet. Sugar causes a reaction in the bacteria, causing it to produce acids that break down the mineral in teeth, forming a cavity. Dentists remove the decay and fill the tooth using a variety of fillings, restoring the tooth to a healthy state. Nerve damage can result from severe decay and may require a crown (a crown is like a large filling that can cap a tooth, making it stronger or covering it). Avoiding unnecessary decay simply requires strict adherence to a dental hygiene regimen: brushing and flossing twice a day, regular dental check-ups, diet control and fluoride treatment. Practicing good hygiene avoids unhealthy teeth and costly treatment.
