Our Clinic Services

Bonding is a popular method to enhance the aesthetics of your smile. Bonding can be used to correct cracks or gaps in teeth, as a filling after a cavity has been removed, or to cover up stains or discolored teeth. A composite resin is used on the affected tooth or teeth. It is molded and sculpted over an adhesive gel that is placed on the tooth. After the resin is applied. LED light is used to harden the resin, which is then polished to give you a fresh, new smile. Bonding is an obvious improvement over unsightly silver amalgam fillings. With the advancements in dental technology, bonding usually lasts for over 10 years. It is a safe, affordable, and attractive solution for many dental problems.

Dental bridges are a great way to replace missing teeth. Your existing teeth are used to literally create a bridge to cross the area where your tooth is missing. Bridges are made from gold, metal, alloys, or porcelain to ensure that they are durable. The process of creating a bridge begins by making abutments out of your existing teeth, which is where the bridge will be attached. The existing teeth are recontoured to provide a base for the bridge. After the abutments have been created, a mold is taken of the area which is sent to a dental lab. The lab is able to use the mold to create a bridge that will fit properly and feel as close to your natural teeth as possible. The bridge consists of two crowns on either end to place on the abutments and a pontic, which is the new tooth that replaces your missing tooth. We will place a temporary bridge on you while we wait for the lab to craft your permanent bridge. This will protect the abutments and the exposed gum areas while looking more appealing than having a missing tooth. When the permanent bridge is created, you will have a follow up visit to set the bridge. It will be placed on the abutments and the dentist will use an adhesive to make sure that the bridge is set. The bridge may take a little while to get used to, but after a few days it should feel like you have your teeth back again. You should eat soft foods for the first few days after having your bridge placed. After the initial phase, you will be able to eat whatever you want with no issues. If you are missing a tooth you should strongly consider having it replaced. In addition to the aesthetic problem of missing a tooth, it could also cause structural changes to your mouth and jaw, as well as making it difficult to eat or speak properly. Set up an appointment today to restore your smile.

Dental implants are a permanent and appealing solution to replace missing or extracted teeth. They are better than other alternatives like bridges because no additional teeth need to be altered to place the new tooth. The entire implant process is performed over the course of a few months. The first part of the process is to install the implant itself, by placing a screw into the jaw bone. An incision is made in the gum so that the implant can be inserted. Multiple implants can be placed at once if necessary. After the implants are placed, the gums are sutured. The implant must be allowed about 3-6months to heal, and during this time the jaw bone will form around the implant in a process called osseointegration. During this healing time you can have temporary crowns installed so that you can eat and speak normally and maintain a proper aesthetic appearance for you smile. After the implants have healed, it is time to place an abutment on the implant. The abutment serves as the base for your new tooth. Once this is placed, an impression of the abutment is taken and is used to create your permanent restoration. Some offices have an onsite lab to create the crown, but others will have to send it to an outside lab. Once the restoration is completed, you can return to the office, and we will attach the restoration permanently. Your smile will look like it used to, and after a short period of time, it will feel just like one of your own teeth.

Keeping our teeth at their whitest is a lot harder than it sounds. With all the coffee, wine, smoking and other foods that have the ability to stain our teeth on a daily basis, even proper maintenance sometimes leaves them a little lackluster. Teeth whitening is an excellent way to restore the natural color of your teeth or to make them even whiter than your natural color if you would like. Teeth whitening utilizes products that contain some form of hydrogen peroxide. The procedure can be done in our office or at home. In-office whitening allows us to use a more powerful whitening gel and a specialized light or laser that activates the gel and allows faster bleaching. For at-home whitening, we will take impressions of your upper and lower teeth to make custom mouthpieces that fit you. At home, you will fill each mouthpiece with a whitening gel that we provide. You will wear the mouthpiece for several hours every day. Many people achieve the level of whitening they want within a week or two. However, you may need to wear the mouthpiece for four weeks or longer.

While at our office, we make sure that you receive the highest level of service and ensure that our dental work is of the highest quality. To ensure that you maintain great oral health, this level of quality needs to extend into your personal oral hygiene routine. We can help you establish a dental hygiene routine that will keep your teeth healthy and white. If you have any questions about your current hygiene plan please ask us. Not only are your teeth important, your gums are essential to oral hygiene as well. We can provide periodontal cleanings and treatment, or refer you to one of our recommended specialists. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Veneers are an excellent way to redesign and reshape your entire mouth. Veneers are very thin ceramic shells that cover your existing tooth structure. In placing these new veneers on your teeth, you are able to fix the look of issues such as staining, cracked teeth, spaces, misaligned teeth, chipped teeth and many other issues. In terms of the process to place veneers, it is a process that takes approximately two to three visits. On the first visit, we will discuss the desired shape and look of the veneers. Once we have a plan in place, we will carefully prepare the teeth for veneers placement. The next step is to take an impression of the newly prepared teeth. The process of fabricating new veneers at the laboratory takes between 10-14 days. Whilst the veneers are being prepped, we will provide you with a beautiful temporary one to wear. When the veneers are made, we will make every effort to ensure that your new veneers feel just like your natural teeth. We will bond them into place to make sure that you can enjoy your new smile for a very long time!

Over time our teeth begin to weaken and become more susceptible to problems such as decay, cracks, discoloration, and others. If you feel your smile isn’t what it once was, crowns can help you recover your smile. If a tooth is decayed severely or seems weakened/cracked, a crown may be necessary to make sure that there are no additional problems with the tooth. In cases like this a filling or bonding will not be sufficient. Crowns can be made from porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or a full gold crown. To maintain a natural look and feel, a porcelain finished crown is best, as it can be matched to the shade of your other teeth. This will allow it to blend in and appear just like one of your natural teeth. The process of installing a crown takes 2-3 visits to our office. On the first visit the tooth will be reshaped by filling down the enamel so that the crown can be placed over it. You will be given a local anesthetic before this part of the procedure so that you do not experience any discomfort. Once the tooth has been reshaped, a mold will be taken of that tooth and the surrounding teeth. This mold will be sent to a dental lab so that your new crown can be made to fit comfortably in your teeth and blend in naturally to your surrounding teeth. Before leaving, your dentist will fit you with a temporary crown until your permanent crown is ready. The crown takes about 2-3 weeks to be made and returned to your dentist. At this time you will have another appointment to place and fit the permanent crown. You will again have a local anesthetic to numb the area, and the tooth will be set in place using a cement. When you look in the mirror, you will see your old smile again. Crowns are durable and will usually last about 10-15 years. You should care for it as you would any of your teeth with regular brushing and flossing. Call us today if you would like to learn more about how crowns can help restore your smile.

Endodontics is the dental specialty that deals with the nerves of the teeth. Root canal treatments are probably the most notorious procedure in dentistry and the most common procedure relating to endodontics. When a tooth becomes infected, it is usually related to the nerves in the root of the tooth. The infected nerves need to be removed. If left untreated, an infection can turn into an abscess, which is a much more serious problem that includes bone loss in the jaw. The area around the tooth is numbed with a local anesthetic to start the procedure. Dr. Bae will then drill down into the tooth to create an opening in the canal. He will then be able to remove infected tissue and clean the canal. After the infection has been removed, the space will be filled with a sealant called gutta percha. It is highly recommended that a tooth that has undergone a root canal treatment be fitted with a crown. This will improve the appearance of the tooth, and also make it much more likely for the root canal to be successful. “Root Canal Treatment” has become a scary term for dental patients to hear, but the benefits of the procedure and advances in dental technology have made it much less “scary”. Local anesthetics and proper pain medication allow the procedure to be performed with little to no pain in most cases. The procedure will also relieve you of the pain from the infection and allow you to enjoy all the foods you love without any pain from heat, cold, or biting too hard. If you are experiencing pain, consult us today.

Inlays and onlays are often referred to as partial crowns. They use the existing tooth as a base and fit the inlay or onlay onto the teeth. This is done to strengthen the tooth, restore its shape, and prevent further damage. An Inlay is done when there is no damage to the cusps of the tooth and the Inlay can be placed right on the tooth. An Onlay is used when the damage is a little more extensive. The decayed area of the tooth is first removed during the procedure. A mold of the tooth is then taken and sent to a dental lab. They create a restoration made from porcelain, gold or composite resin. The restoration takes about 2-3 weeks to make, so a temporary inlay or onlay will be placed on the tooth for that time. On your next visit, the inlay or onlay will be placed into your mouth and set with cement. Your tooth will look natural and you or anyone else won’t be able to tell the difference.

Dentures are replacement for missing teeth that can be removed and placed back in your mouth as you please. Depending on each individual patient case, they may receive full or partial denture. Full dentures are used when all of the natural teeth are removed from the mouth and replaced with a full set of dentures. There are two types of full dentures. Conventional Full Dentures – this is when all the removed teeth and tissue are given time to heal before the dentures are placed. It could take a few months for the entire tissue to heal completely, and during this time you will be without teeth. Immediate Full Denture- prior to having your teeth removed, your mouth is measured and dentures fitted. After removing your teeth, the dentures are immediately placed in your mouth. The benefit is that you do not have to spend any time without teeth. You will, however, need to have a follow up visit to refit your dentures because your jaw bone will slightly change shape as your mouth heels. The dentures will need to be tightened after your jaw bone has healed. Partial dentures are another option when not all of your teeth need to be removed. This is similar to a bridge, but it is not a permanent fixture in your mouth. Your dentures may take some time to get used to. The flesh colored base of the dentures is placed over your gums. Some people say that it feels bulky or that they don’t have enough room for their tongue. Other times the dentures might feel loose. These feelings will affect the way you eat and talk for a little while. Over time, your mouth becomes trained to eat and speak with your dentures and they will begin to feel more and more like your natural teeth. They may never feel perfectly comfortable, but it is much better than the alternative of not having teeth. Even though dentures are not real teeth, you should care for them like they are. You should brush them to remove plaque and food particles. After removing them, you should place them directly in room temperature water or a denture cleaning solution. Never use hot water because it could warp the dentures. Dentures are delicate, so make sure you are careful when handling them. Do not drop them and never try to adjust your dentures by yourself. You can ruin them, so you should always seek assistance from your dentist if they feel uncomfortable or loose.