Hebron Smiles, Adnan Saleem, DMD, Cameron Hamidi, DDS, MPH, Blanca Lemus, DDS, Anas Athar, Orthodontist, and team (the “Practice”) provides the following information to you related to your treatment.
YOUR TREATMENT PLAN
A comprehensive dental examination has been completed to determine the current condition of your teeth and gums. Based on this exam and discussions with you, the Practice has recommended and presented to you a custom-designed treatment plan (“Treatment Plan”). The purpose of this Treatment Plan is to improve the health, function, and/or appearance of your teeth and gums. Your Treatment Plan involves one or a combination of the following (perhaps along with other recommended dental procedures): veneers, crowns, bonding, fillings, inlays, onlays, tooth whitening, root canal therapy, gum or tooth contouring. Below are summary descriptions of some of these procedures. You may have also been shown photographs of the recommended procedures for you, heard the Practice’s explanations, and/or seen multimedia presentations illustrating the primary procedures proposed for your Treatment Plan.
DESCRIPTIONS OF CERTAIN DENTAL PROCEDURES
Porcelain Veneers are shells of porcelain that are bonded to the teeth. They typically require some roughening or reduction of the outer tooth structure. The Practice will endeavor to minimize the tooth reduction necessary under the circumstances to achieve the desired aesthetic and functional results. At a later visit, the veneers are bonded onto the prepared teeth. The veneers may be designed and fabricated in a variety of shapes and sizes to modify the appearance and function of teeth, including a V-shape that covers the front and backside of the teeth (for example, when opening a bite).
Crowns are life-like looking tooth restorations made out of porcelain or porcelain plus other materials. A crown covers the entire tooth structure. Typically, more tooth structure is removed to prepare for a crown placement than for a veneer. Crowns may be recommended for teeth requiring additional support due to a loss of healthy tooth structure.
Bonding/ Filling is a term that is commonly used to refer to the placement of composite resins on teeth. Bonding can be used to make a tooth-colored filling for small cavities and repair broken or chipped tooth surfaces. It can also be used to close spaces between teeth.
Inlays or Onlays may be the recommended treatment when individual back teeth are broken down but retain enough healthy tooth structure to allow for the restoration of certain voids in the tooth structure. The tooth is prepared much like a normal filling or a short crown. The restoration material is custom fabricated out of composite resins, porcelain, or porcelain and gold and bonded into the void.
A Bridge is a replacement made for missing teeth. It is composed primarily out of porcelain, which is bonded to adjacent teeth. These abutment teeth may require some reduction or crowning in order to support the teeth being replaced.
Whitening is performed by applying a peroxide gel to the teeth. This can either be done in our office in an accelerated method or in a take-home system. The peroxide reacts with the tooth structure to safely whiten the teeth. Porcelain or composite restorations will not whiten with peroxide.
Root Canal Therapy consists of the removal of the infected or irritated nerve tissue that lies within the root of the tooth. This is a possible risk when tooth structure is removed from a tooth or the tooth receives trauma. Usually, in the same visit, the canal where the nerve is located will be reshaped and prepared to accept a special root canal filling material. The root canal is then sealed with sterile, plastic material.
Tooth Contouring is the reshaping of the existing tooth structure by removing small amounts. We give particular attention to the edges of the upper and lower front six teeth, which may be reshaped to create a more aesthetic result.
Occlusal Guard (night guard) is a removable appliance worn to minimize the effects of clenching/grinding the teeth.
Gum Contouring is the reshaping of the gum tissue, which is many times done to give a more symmetrical appearance.