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TRUSTED RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY SERVICES

Improve the Look and Performance of Your Teeth

Are you experiencing failing teeth? If you are, you have options for restoring your smile and confidence. Visit Oak Ridge Family Dental for a FREE initial consultation and learn how our certified dentists can improve the performance and appearance of your teeth!

Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy repairs and saves a tooth that has been infected due to a deep cavity or crack. It involves removing the pulp and the nerves of the tooth and cleaning the infected area. The pulp and nerve aren’t important to a tooth’s health and function after the tooth has fully emerged from the gums. 

 

If the treatment is not performed, pus builds up at the root tip and the infection can spread to the surrounding bone. This leads to pain, swelling, and extraction of the tooth.  

 

You need a root canal for the following:

  • Severe tooth pain while chewing

  • Tooth pain wakes you up at night

  • Teeth are highly sensitive to hot or cold, with the sensitivity lingering for some time

  • Discoloration or darkening of the tooth

  • Swollen gums in the area of the infected tooth

Treatment begins by making an opening in the pulp chamber through the crown of the tooth. Once the pulp is removed, the root canal is thoroughly cleaned. 

 

If the dentist decides to complete the root canal therapy in multiple visits, a temporary filling is placed to protect the tooth. 

 

When you return, the dentist will remove the temporary filling, reclean the root canal and pulp chamber, and place a permanent filling and / or crown over the tooth. 

 

Root canal therapy has a high rate of success. Many teeth undergoing the procedure can be saved to last a lifetime. The crown or filling placed at the completion of the procedure makes it unnoticeable. 

Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is a restoration procedure in which a tooth-colored resin is bonded to a tooth and cured with ultraviolet light. Bonding is faster and cheaper than veneers or crowns and is a good option when it comes to small cosmetic improvements. 

 

Unlike veneers and crowns, bonding can be done within a single office visit. The procedure removes less tooth enamel compared to veneers and crowns. However, bonding doesn’t last as long as other forms of restoration and it is less resistant to stains. It’s used for small cosmetic touch-ups rather than major restorations. 

The bonding procedure takes 30 to 60 minutes per tooth. The dentist determines exactly what color your teeth are and selects a resin that blends naturally. 

 

Then the dentist will prepare the tooth so that the bonding material will adhere easily. This involves roughening the surface of the affected tooth and applying a liquid conditioner. 

 

Next, the dentist will apply the resin to the tooth and cure it in place using an ultraviolet light. 

 

Finally, the dentist will apply the finishing touches by shaping and polishing the resin for a good fit.

Dental Implants

Dental implants are growing in popularity as replacements for missing teeth. Titanium supports are surgically fused with your jawbone to act as an anchor for natural-looking false teeth. Dental implants are not only used for individual tooth replacement, but they can be used instead of dentures to replace multiple teeth. Only Dr. Ryan will place the implants at our Oak Ridge Office. 

 

Advantages of dental implants include:

  • Very natural appearance

  • Fusion into your jaw make them very stable and comfortable compared to dentures

  • Last for a lifetime

Disadvantages of dental implants include: 

  • An expensive and major financial investment

  • Time-consuming process requiring visits to the dentist

  • The surgery has a 5% failure rate

Your dentist will be able to tell you which of the 3 types of implants are right for you: 

  • The root form implant, the most common type, uses a screw shaped like the root of a tooth

  • A plate form implant features a flat, long shape and is better suited for a narrow jawbone

  • Subperiosteal implants are used when there’s not enough bone for the root form or plate form implant

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells that cover the front surface of your tooth to improve its appearance. Made of tooth-colored materials, veneers improve the color of teeth that have been worn down or stained. Veneers can also be used to improve the shape or size of the tooth. 

 

There are 2 common types of veneers. 

 

Porcelain veneers are more durable and stain resistant. The properties of the material create a very natural look. 

 

Unlike porcelain veneers, composite resin veneers are not made in a laboratory. Instead, they are applied directly to the teeth. They typically have a shorter life span and are less expensive.

 

Talk to your dentist about getting dental veneers if:

  • Your teeth are stained or discolored 

  • Your teeth are crooked or misshapen

  • Your teeth have spaces between them

  • Your teeth are broken or chipped

Two dentist visits are all you need for porcelain veneers. At the first visit, your tooth is trimmed to accommodate the bonded veneer. Then an impression is taken of your tooth and sent to the lab to make the veneer. You may receive a temporary veneer, depending on how much of your tooth structure was removed. The temporary veneer will protect your tooth while the permanent veneer is prepared in the lab. 

 

At the second visit, the temporary veneer is removed. The new veneer is checked for fit. Adjustments are made before the porcelain veneers are bonded to your teeth. Once you and the dentist are satisfied with the look and feel of the veneer, it will be bonded to your tooth.

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