Dental Procedures

What is a Crown?

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth to cover and restore its shape, size, strength, and improve its appearance. When the crown is cemented into place, the entire tooth that lies above the gum line is covered.

Crowns are needed to protect weak teeth that are broken or have large fillings or decay. They may also be used to help support a dental bridge or to cover a dental implant. Crowns may also help to cosmetically improve the appearance of a tooth.

In some cases, children require crowns to help save teeth that have been so damaged by decay that a filling is not possible.

Crowns can be made out of stainless steel, metals, porcelain, or a combination of all of these materials.

What is a Bridge?

A bridge, also called a “fixed bridge” or a “fixed dental prosthesis,” is a dental restoration that replaces one or more missing teeth. It extends across an area that has no teeth and is typically made up of an artificial tooth fused between 2 crowns. (A crown is a hollow, artificial tooth that fits over a natural tooth or a dental implant). The bridge is held firmly in place by your own teeth on each side of the missing one(s) or by dental implants. A bridge is permanent and cannot be removed.

With a traditional bridge, healthy teeth on each side of the missing tooth are prepared for crowns.The custom-made artificial tooth is fused to 2 crowns. This is called a bridge.

What is a Veneer?

Veneers are very thin shells that are attached to the front part of teeth. They are often made of porcelain or composite resin. Porcelain veneers are stronger than composite resin veneers and do not change colour or stain. Generally, porcelain veneers take at least two dental visits to complete.

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Lasering Canker Sores or Cold Sores

Canker sores, also known as aphthous ulcers, are a common occurrence and can be very uncomfortable.  The cause of canker sores is not known but for anyone who has experienced cankers, they know that these ulcers can be quite painful and impair our ability to eat, drink, sleep or speak.  We offer laser therapy to treat canker sores.  Studies have shown that low-level laser therapy can help lesions to completely heal within 3-4 days.  Treating aphthous ulcers with laser therapy can decrease the healing time, pain, size and the recurrence of the lesion.  Also, for unknown reasons, once an area is lasered, an aphthous ulcer will not return to the same area.  The appointment only takes 20 minutes and results are amazing!

Cold sores, are caused by the herpes simplex virus type 1. It is not known what stimulates the virus to cause the cold sores to erupt.  Sores will usually heal on their own, in about two weeks but sometimes people suffer from recurrent outbreaks, resulting in not only pain and discomfort but also embarrassment.  Cold sores can be treated with topical creams and ointments as well as oral medications.  At Kincardine Dentistry, we have discovered that if the cold sore is treated with a laser, early in its development, the outbreak can be minimized.  Patients who routinely suffer from cold sores say that they experience a tingling sensation in the first stages of a cold sore, before the blister appears.  This is the best time to laser the area, before the cold sore becomes fully manifested.  The treatment is painless.  Patients say they feel a sensation of warmth where the laser is being applied.  Laser on cold sores works in two ways:

• The laser deadens the nerve cells around the area of the cold sore providing almost instant relief.
• The laser promotes an increase in collagen formation which speeds up the healing process.

If you suffer from cold sores, call us the next time you feel the first symptoms and we can schedule an appointment that day!