Inlays and Onlays for Attractive Restorations

Having the perfect smile is a dream, but often it can be hard to maintain. When teeth have chips, cracks, or decay, they can begin to show it. Fortunately, here at Advantage Dentistry in Kenmore, NY, we offer several options for restoring teeth back to looking great. Inlays and onlays are a couple of those options.

Inlays and onlays are dental restorations that are able to be tooth-colored. The composite resin used is matched to the shade of your teeth for a seamless repair. Inlays are a restoration that covers the chewing surface of the tooth, minus any cusps. Onlays are a restoration that repairs the chewing surface of a tooth, plus one or more of the cusps. Inlays and onlays do not fully cover the tooth like a crown, so they are used for when there is less damage, but more damage than a filling could fix.

In order to get our customers the best restorations, we take impressions of your teeth so that a dental laboratory can make the inlay or onlay custom. When the restoration is ready, it will be bonded to your tooth. With great care, an inlay or onlay can last for up to thirty years.

If you hide your smile when you laugh or try not to show your teeth in pictures, a restoration that is both healthy and cosmetically- pleasing may be just what you need. To schedule an appointment with Advantage Dentistry in Kenmore, NY call our office at (716) 877-2275. To learn more about inlays and onlays, visit our website, www.advantagedentistry.com. 

Lip Tie and Tongue Tie Solution: Frenectomy

Lip tie and tongue tie can cause some major frustrations both in infancy and in the other stages of life. Luckily, there is a very safe and routine procedure to fix these conditions. Advantage Dentistry performs frenectomies right here in our Kenmore, NY dental office.

When the piece of tissue, called the frenulum, that attaches the lips to the gums is too short or too tight, this is called lip tie. It can also occur within the frenulum that attaches the tongue to the floor of the mouth. These conditions can create problems with infants feeding along with more issues in childhood and adulthood.

If an infant cannot feed properly, they will sustain a low weight and may not grow as quickly as they should. Breastfeeding mothers can also suffer from these complications as irregular feeding will affect her milk production and problems with latching can hurt the nipple. In childhood and adulthood, lip tie and tongue tie can lead to problems with oral cleanliness, talking, and eating. It can also affect activities like whistling, playing an instrument, and kissing.

In our Kenmore, NY office, we offer a solution, called a frenectomy. This is a simple, quick, and safe procedure performed right here in our office. The frenulum is simply detached so it can heal with more range of motion. A local anesthesia is used and there is minimal bleeding afterward. Frenectomy has a very high success rate.

If you believe a frenectomy could benefit you or someone you love, come see us for a consultation. To set up an appointment, call Advantage Dentistry of Kenmore, NY at (716) 877-2275. For more information about frenectomies, visit our website, www.advantagedentistry.com. 

Crown Lengthening

Tooth decay can sometimes do so much damage, that repair needs to be performed under the gum line. When this occurs, a crown lengthening is needed. Here at Advantage Dentistry in Kenmore, NY we perform this routine procedure for many of our patients. It is important to keep as many real teeth as you have, which is why crown lengthening is key.

To successfully lengthen the crown of the tooth, we actually take away some of the gum tissue. To begin, your dentist will make cuts to the gum tissue to pull it away from the teeth. Even if only one tooth needs to be worked on, the gum tissue surrounding a few teeth will be pulled back so that the gum line looks natural. If any bone tissue also needs to be removed, it will be removed at this point. Then, your dentist will stitch the gum tissue into place to heal. The teeth are now ready for any work they may need. If a crown is being placed on the tooth, your dentist will want to wait until the gums have healed for proper crown placement.

Be careful when brushing in the area until healing has progressed. Avoid the gum line and do not use floss. Instead, use a toothpick to remove any debris.

Crown lengthening can save a tooth from infection or extraction. To schedule an appointment with Advantage Dentistry here in Kenmore, NY, give our office a call at (716) 877-2275. Additional information may be found at our website, www.advantagedentistry.com.