Restorative Dentistry

Dental hygiene is not only important for your physical health, it can also be very important to emotional health and quality of life. Everyone wants to look their best, and missing teeth, crooked teeth, yellowed teeth, significant gaps, overbites and underbites, and gummy smiles can all contribute to a drop in self-esteem and emotional well-being. We understand the importance of feeling good about your appearance, and we offer extensive cosmetic dental services to design your perfect smile.

Dental Implants

Lost teeth can decrease a person’s confidence and lead to an array of oral health problems. Dental implants are dental restorations that solve these problems by replacing missing teeth. With this procedure, false tooth roots made of titanium are surgically placed into the jaw. These roots integrate with the natural bone and provide a strong anchor for crowns or bridges, which restore the upper structure of teeth.

Dental implants are more reliable and durable than any other dental restoration or tooth replacement. They are easy to care for and can last a lifetime.

Dental implants can be installed in two office visits. Once your dentist has confirmed that your gums, bone structure, and general oral health are strong enough for implants, they will make a small incision in the gums, implant the false root, and attach an abutment or screw. The new root is given 3–6 months to integrate with the natural bone structure. Once you have healed, your dentist will bond a custom-fabricated crown or bridge to the abutment to restore full functionality of the tooth.

Unfortunately, dental implants aren’t always a viable option. A lack of sufficient bone structure and an inability to undergo the invasive, complex procedure can make it impractical. In those cases, mini dental implants are an increasingly popular alternative.

Mini dental implants can overcome these obstacles while providing effective functionality. Ranging in size from 1.8mm to 3mm, mini dental implants are half the size of conventional dental implants. This novel solution costs less, is less invasive, and does not require bone grafting, allowing patients to heal faster. In addition, mini implants are the preferred solution for replacing small teeth, front teeth, pre-molars, and teeth located in narrow areas of the mouth.

Dentures

Dentures are substitutes for missing teeth that can be taken out or put back as required. Dentures can restore the ability to chew, improve one’s appearance and speech, provide support to facial muscles, and prevent bone loss. They are custom-made to have a natural look for each patient.

Depending on your individual situation, your dentist will recommend either full dentures or partial dentures.

Full dentures replace all of a person’s teeth. In this case, immediate dentures are positioned as a temporary solution as soon as teeth are removed. A conventional denture is then placed after the gum tissue begins to heal, usually about 8–12 weeks later. Partial dentures are made of a series of teeth linked with a metal band. The back sticks to the posterior surface of the existing teeth so that it cannot be seen.

In addition, dentures can be either removable or affixed to the teeth or jaw permanently. Removable dentures need to be taken out and cleaned after eating, brushed at least once daily, and soaked overnight in water or a denture soaking solution. Fixed and implant-supported dentures require more involved procedures to install, but they provide a great deal of strength and support, and they avoid some common complaints about removable dentures.

Mini dental implants can also be used to stabilize dentures. The mini dental implant bears a small, ball-shaped component that fits into the socket of the denture providing the structure the required stability. The structure prevents dentures from slipping, clicking or popping out.

Your dentist will help you determine which approach makes the most sense for you, based on many factors and your individual circumstances.

Full Mouth Reconstruction

A full mouth reconstruction is a set of dental procedures performed to restore both the aesthetics and functionality of teeth and to improve overall oral health. Full mouth reconstruction is customized for every patient and will involve a variety of procedures dependent on their individual needs.

Full mouth reconstruction may be appropriate in some of the following cases:

Periodontal disease that has created dental problems such as receding gums, loose teeth, and crowding
Tooth erosion, often caused by prolonged exposure to acid
Physical injury or trauma resulting in cracked, fractured, or lost teeth, or misalignments in the jaw
Bite defects

The first step in full mouth reconstruction is a comprehensive evaluation of the condition of your teeth and gums, as well as an open conversation about your goals and priorities. Your dentist will then design a customized treatment plan to address the specific problems you face. These are some of the procedures that might be involved in a full mouth reconstruction:

Dental implants replace missing teeth using titanium roots drilled into the jawbone and attached to tooth-like caps that restore the aesthetics of the smile.Dentures are custom-designed prosthetics that are used when a patient loses multiple teeth.
Dentures can be complete, partial, and either removable or permanently fixed to the jaw, depending on your needs.
Dental crowns are artificial, tooth-like caps that restore fractured and cracked teeth.
Dental bridges are used to fill in the gaps created by two or more missing teeth. They use two crowns on either side supported by a false tooth or teeth in between.Veneers are an easy alternative for correcting minor defects and are used specifically for enhancing aesthetics.
Veneers are thin shells made from tooth-colored composite materials and are placed over the front of the teeth.
A bone graft is a surgical procedure used to treat bone loss in the jaw. Bone tissue is transplanted from a donor area to the bone-deficient area, providing a framework for new bone to form.
A gum graft is a surgical procedure performed to treat gum recession. It involves the transplant of healthy tissue to the recessed area, improving the strength and length of your gums.

Our team at Smiles Los Gatos looks forward to helping you decide which procedures would benefit you most to achieve your perfect smile.

Composite Fillings

Composite fillings are used to repair teeth with decay, chips, cracks, cavities, and gaps. These tooth-colored fillings are fabricated from a mixture of plastic and powdered glass and are often used for cosmetic enhancements.

Composite fillings blend in well with neighboring teeth and give a natural appearance. They have benefits beyond aesthetics as well. Composite fillings directly bond to the tooth structure and strengthen teeth immensely. They do not cause irritability or sensitivity to the surrounding gums. They also require less drilling, are easily placed, and take only a few seconds to harden. Because of this, composite fillings require just a single visit to the dentist.

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