Restorative Care

Most people recognize dental amalgams as silver fillings. Dental amalgam is a mixture of mercury, silver, tin and copper. Mercury, which makes up about 50 percent of the compound, is used to bind the metals together and to provide a strong, hard, durable filling. Amalgam has been used to restore the teeth of more than 100 million Americans. However the fact that its formulation includes mercury content has raised safety concerns in the minds of some. Small amounts of mercury vapor can be released from amalgam during placement, mastication and brushing. The safety of dental amalgam has been studied and reviewed extensively and no correlation has been found between the small amounts of mercury released from amalgam restorations and any adverse health effect. (ADA.org)

Indirect restorations generally require two or more visits. They include inlays, onlays, veneers, crowns and bridges fabricated with gold, base metal alloys, ceramics or composites. During the first visit, Dr. Tucker prepares the tooth and makes an impression of the area to be restored. The impression is sent to a dental laboratory, which creates the dental restoration. At the next appointment, Dr. Tucker cements the restoration into the prepared cavity and adjusts it as needed.

We are happy to offer our patients all-porcelain (metal free) crowns.

If you’ve lost all of your natural teeth, whether from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, complete dentures can replace your missing teeth and your smile. Replacing missing teeth will benefit your appearance and your health. Without support from the denture, facial muscles sag, making a person look older. You’ll be able to eat and speak—things that people often take for granted until their natural teeth are lost.

If you have lost some teeth, a partial denture can be made to replace the missing teeth.

Implants offer a secure and long lasting alternative to dentures and partials. We work with several local specialists to restore edentulous areas. The implant itself is a titanium (or less frequently zirconium) root form that is integrated into the bone and has a way for the dentist to secure a “tooth” or even several “teeth” to restore function.

In the past, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve, you’d probably lose that tooth. With root canal therapy you may save that tooth. Inside each tooth is the pulp which provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth, it runs like a thread down through the root. When the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies. If you don’t remove the dead material, your tooth gets infected and you could lose it. After the pulp is removed, the root canal is cleaned and sealed off to protect it. Most of the time, a root canal is a relatively simple procedure with little or no discomfort involving one to three visits. Best of all, it can save your tooth and smile!

Unfortunately, dental emergencies do happen. If you are experiencing pain or swelling do not hesitate to call. Leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Messages are checked at 4pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A limited, or problem focused, exam will investigate just what’s bothering you and address what steps should be taken. An abscess can spread, and sometimes a timely intervention can prevent the need for more costly treatment. We can often see emergencies the same day.