Cosmetic Dental Services in Auburn, MA
What does your smile say about you? At Balian Family Dental, we believe everyone deserves to have a clean, healthy mouth and a stunning smile. Cosmetic dentistry also benefits your overall well-being because improving how your smile looks can help establish confidence and a positive self-image.
Our goal for your treatment is to ensure that you have a healthy smile, both inside and out. If you are not proud of your smile, cosmetic dentistry services by Dr. Balian and his team can help. Call us today!
CALL US: (508) 721-7720 REQUEST APPOINTMENT
Healthy Gums are the Foundation of a Beautiful Smile
Gum disease can have serious consequences on your oral health and appearance. When caught early, gum disease can be prevented. With moderate or advanced periodontitis, you still have options for treatment. Certain conditions need to be treated first to have a healthy, beautiful smile. Common issues we can help with include:
- Loose or Damaged Teeth – Gum disease is produced by the overgrowth of plaque and debris that hardens into tartar below the gum line and around teeth. Tartar is difficult to remove and can eat into dental enamel, weakening teeth and causing them to feel loose. If a tooth cannot be saved it is better to extract it and replace it with a healthy alternative, like a dental implant. Implants are surgically placed and become a permanent part of bone in your jaw and provide stability.
- Enlarged Pocket Size – When bacteria and debris gather below the gum line it pushes the gum tissue out and forms pockets full of plaque and infection around teeth. Pockets can increase in size and cause the tissue to pull away from teeth down to the roots. With extreme periodontal disease it is essential to clean the gums with scaling and root planing (deep cleaning) to remove bacteria and the infection.
- Gum Recession – Gum recession is detrimental for cosmetic and health reasons. Less soft tissue around the teeth means that there is less support. Regular professional cleanings can improve the damage caused by gum disease. We can also find a specialist who will do gum grafts and other surgery to correct these supportive tissues and allows your smile to look naturally healthy.
- Bacteria Build-Up – Cleaning away or clear out any bacteria that could cause symptoms to return. Scaling and root planing help smooth the roots of teeth to prevent bacteria from sticking, and anti-bacterial treatments help flush away any remaining bacteria, so your soft tissues have a chance to recover.
The Mechanics of Scaling & Root Planing
Oral bacteria can collect into a sticky film called plaque. Plaque buildup aggravates the gums and causes gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease. If the plaque continues to accumulate, it can develop into an advanced form of gum disease called periodontitis. If not treated, gum disease can lead to serious oral health problems. The good news is that proper oral hygiene at home and additional treatment from Dr. Balian can decrease your risk of gum disease and restore your oral health.
Teeth Scaling: The first step in treating gum disease is teeth scaling. Scaling is the process by which plaque and tartar are removed from all surfaces of each tooth. Specialized instruments are used to scrape the bacterial buildup off of teeth from above and below the gum line. Scaling is important because it removes the source of gum disease, halting the progression of acids that wear down teeth.
Root Planing: As gum recession occurs during advanced gum disease, a space between the teeth and the gums begins to develop. This space is called a pocket, and it presents an increased risk of gum disease even after you receive scaling treatment. Not only does the pocket make space where oral bacteria can grow, but it also traps food, which increases the rate of bacterial growth. This is why scaling, and root planing are performed together. Root planing removes plaque and smooths out the roughened texture of the plaque-covered roots. This smoother surface encourages gums to reconnect onto the teeth, which will close the periodontal pocket
Composite vs. Amalgam Fillings
When it comes to dental fillings, you have a few choices. The most common dental filling materials are resin-based composite and amalgam. The one you choose will depend on several factors, including durability, aesthetics, and cost. Amalgam fillings are often more durable and affordable than resin fillings, but resin fillings have a more natural appearance.
Amalgam Fillings, also known as silver fillings, are composed of a mixture of mercury, tin, copper, and silver. This material is often used because it is easy to work with and more affordable. The downside to amalgam fillings is that they are much more noticeable than resin-based composite fillings. If you are concerned about the appearance of amalgam fillings, you may want to consider them in back teeth where they are less likely to be noticed.
Composite Fillings are custom made from a compound of ceramic and plastic and shaded to match your natural teeth. Resin fillings may not last as long as amalgam fillings, but they are strong enough to be used on the chewing surface of your molars, and they bond well to enamel, which helps preserve existing tooth structure.
Which Type of Filling is Right for Me?
If you are unsure which type of filling would best fit your situation, talk with our experienced team to get a recommendation. We will consider the size and location of your cavity, overall cost, aesthetics, and your dental history and discuss everything with you so you can make an informed choice about which one is best for you.
Crowns & Bridges for Improving Your Smile
Whether you are having teeth replaced with dental implants or using more traditional methods, porcelain crowns and bridges are an aesthetically pleasing option for erasing the damage done by tooth decay.
What is a Crown?
A dental crown is custom-made and covers a tooth from the top down to the gum line. Crowns are sturdy, improve appearance, and provide uniformity to your smile. We offer crowns in a variety of materials, including porcelain, amalgam, and porcelain-fused-to-metal.
A porcelain crown is perfectly appropriate for anyone with regular dental function. Dental ceramic has the durability to withstand the force typically involved with chewing and biting, and the light color lets them easily blend in with neighboring teeth. For many people, aesthetics are the primary reason for choosing porcelain crowns, but in some cases, you can benefit more from metal or porcelain fused to metal restorations.
Two Reasons for Choosing a Metal Crown
- If you have jaw clenching issues, then your bite force could crack a porcelain crown. When the muscles associated with chewing tighten, they apply strong and uneven pressure directly onto the teeth. Even in this case, however, there is an alternative option aside from a purely metal crown. A crown made up of a porcelain layer fused to a metal base can stand up to the forces applied when clenching while still retaining aesthetic value.
- Teeth grinding can wear down most restorations, making of all-metal crowns the best option. Metal crowns are made from gold, palladium, nickel, or chromium. They rarely ever break, or chip and only a small amount of your natural tooth needs to be removed.
Filling Unwanted Gaps in Your Smile with Bridges and Implants
At Balian Family Dental, we provide dental bridges if you want to replace a tooth without wearing dentures or undergoing surgery. Bridges are a prosthetic device designed to replace one or more missing teeth, and we offer both fixed and implant-supported bridges.
Traditional fixed bridges use neighboring natural teeth to anchor the pontic (false) tooth. The teeth on either side of the space are known as abutment teeth and serve as anchors for the replacement tooth. Dental bridges are commonly used to replace one or two teeth to help you properly chew food, speak, and prevent other teeth from shifting out of place.
Using Dental Implants to Replace Missing Teeth
Dental implants are advanced cosmetic restorations made up of three unique components.
- A titanium post surgically placed in the jaw
- An abutment that connects the post and crown
- A custom crown
In addition to filling the space left by missing or extracted teeth, dental implants help stimulate bone and tissue development, which encourages optimal oral health. This method is the only restorative option that replaces the entire tooth from root to crown. At our Auburn and Sturbridge practices, we offer dental implant restorations ranging from single crowns to multiple replacements with implant-supported dentures. Implants can also be combined with other procedures such as a bridge, to create a solution custom made for you.
Why Tooth Replacement is Important
Replacing missing teeth helps prevent other teeth from moving out of place, which can result in a bad bite. Being able to place your jaws together evenly when biting is an essential function that bridges, dentures, and implants provide.
The Advantages of Traditional Dentures
There are two main advantages to using traditional dentures instead of implant-supported dentures.
- The first benefit is that dentures are relatively non-invasive. At most, the partial dentures will need to clasp around teeth; dental implants require the surgical placement of implant posts in the jaw, in addition to any bone grafting or sinus lift procedures that may be necessary before implant placement.
- The second advantage is that traditional dentures are much less expensive than dental implants. Not only is the initial cost of dentures much lower than that of dental implants, but most insurance plans will cover the initial fabrication as well as any adjustments needed later on.
Brighten Your Smile with a Take-Home Whitening Kit
You can wear the gel-filled trays at home when it is convenient for you. Be sure to wear them for a prescribed amount of time every day for a period of a few weeks. Everybody’s teeth are a different shade, and we can help you decide on the right color for you. If you are planning on getting any porcelain restorations like veneers or crowns, you should whiten your teeth first so the prosthetic can be matched to the brightest white your teeth can achieve.
Porcelain Veneers
Some cosmetic issues can be resolved without complex treatment. Teeth that are unevenly shaped or sized, cracked or chipped, stained, or too far apart, can all be fixed effectively with veneers.
Veneers are custom made shells that match the brilliance and color of healthy teeth and only need minimal preparation before placement. A small portion of the selected tooth is removed then the veneer is secured the same way a crown would. The treatment can be done in two separate appointments and is minimally invasive.
Are You Ready to Love Your Smile?
Cosmetic dental services go beyond simply improving the look of your smile. These procedures can help you repair the damage done by infection, trauma, or routine wear and tear. At Balian Family Dental, we want to help you achieve the smile of your dreams. Contact our office today for a complete evaluation and cosmetic treatment consultation.
CALL US: (508) 721-7720 REQUEST APPOINTMENT
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