Tooth-Colored Fillings

Even with the best brushing and flossing techniques, most people will still develop a cavity at some point in their lives. If it is time for a filling to repair a cavity, our team at Advanced Dentistry of Amarillo will repair restore your tooth with a beautiful and natural tooth-colored filling. Also known as white fillings or composite fillings, we can match the color of these restorations to look indistinguishable from the natural, healthy part of your teeth.

Why choose a white filling?

A composite filling is made of strong filler particles suspended in a resin medium. New modern dental filling materials are far superior to the traditional mercury-containing silver metal fillings that have been used in dentistry since back in the Civil War. A white composite filling is bonded directly to your tooth, and therefore less likely to break or flex and cause any damage to the surrounding tooth structure over time. Composite fillings also adapt well to the natural temperature changes that occur in the mouth every time you eat ice cream or drink hot coffee. By contrast, old metal fillings shrink and expand with temperature changes, much like the mercury found in an old thermometer, which often leads to the filling actually causing fractures in the tooth structure around it. Lastly, our dentists can preserve a greater quantity of your natural tooth structure with modern filling techniques, leaving you with a healthier smile for years to come.

What can you expect from a filling procedure?

First, the area that will be treated will be made numb for your comfort. Then, Dr. Miller will remove all areas of decay or weak tooth structure. The tooth is cleaned and sterilized with our multi-step protocol, a dental bonding agent is applied, and then the filling is artfully crafted to blend with your natural tooth. While each patient has different oral health needs, fillings are generally quick procedures, and we regularly complete several in just one appointment for patients.

Porcelain Inlays
and Onlays

What is a porcelain inlay/onlay?

If your tooth has a cavity or crack in it that extends to only a certain portion of your tooth, we can likely restore the damage without having to replace the entire exterior of your tooth with a conservative porcelain inlay or onlay. This procedure is very similar to getting a new crown, but with 50% less drilling, and a large amount of your natural tooth structure preserved. Often people call us who have been told they need a crown elsewhere, and we are able to tell them about this more conservative restoration!

Why choose a porcelain inlay/onlay?

All the inlays and onlays used at Advanced Dentistry of Amarillo are made of the same top-grade dental porcelain used to make many of our other dental restorations, including crowns and veneers. This porcelain is matched to your tooth to be indistinguishable when permanently bonded in.

What to expect when getting a new porcelain inlay/onlay?

An inlay/onlay requires two visits. During the first visit, we numb the area, carefully and conservatively prepare the damaged tooth, take a precise impression, and send this to our top-quality laboratory for porcelain fabrication. A temporary restoration is custom made for your tooth to protect it while the lab makes your permanent restoration. During the second visit, the temporary is removed, and the final restoration is bonded in permanently.

Dental Crowns

A crown can be used to repair any of the following issues:

• Broken or fractured tooth

• Misshapen, short, brittle, or weak tooth

• Large area of decay in a tooth

• A weak tooth following a root canal procedure

What to expect when getting a new crown:

When we place a new crown, it replaces and wraps around the entire exterior of a tooth. This protects the interior structure of the tooth, which includes the nerve and the root. Delivering the highest quality crown requires two visits, because we want our excellent lab to be involved in fabricating your restoration with the highest standards. At the first visit, the weak part of the tooth is removed, and the tooth is cleaned and sterilized. An impression of the tooth will be carefully taken and sent to our lab. A well-fitting and comfortable temporary crown will be fabricated over your tooth immediately after the impression to protect it while your permanent crown is being made at our lab. At the second visit, we will precisely bond in your permanent crown.

Types of Crowns

High Grade Esthetic All Porcelain Crowns

These crowns are typically used in highly visible areas of the mouth such as the front teeth. They can be bonded in with a high strength bond and typically last 10+ years.

Zirconia Crowns

Zirconia is a newer dental material with incredibly high flexural strength. This means that these new crowns perform exceptionally well on back teeth, or teeth that hit with heavy force upon biting. They are more opaque than all-porcelain crowns, but advances in the science of zirconia have rendered these crowns very natural looking as well.

Dental Bridges

At Advanced Dentistry of Amarillo, Dr. Miller can replace missing teeth by designing and placing a fixed/permanent dental bridge. A bridge fills the gap where lost teeth used to be, and stabilizes the teeth next to the space. The replacement teeth (pontics) will look just like your other teeth, and will attach to the teeth next to the space (abutment teeth). As an alternative to dentures, a bridge even can be used to replace all of the upper or lower teeth in your mouth if combined with implants for support.

The impact of living with missing teeth can go far beyond just affecting your ability to chew and making you feel self-conscious about smiling. Long term, living with a lost tooth can cause a variety of major problems, including:

• TMJ disorder (jaw joint discomfort)

• Bite misalignment (malocclusion)

• Teeth that drift out of alignment

• Damage to current dental work

• Loss of supporting jawbone

• Loose teeth

• Additional lost teeth

We offer three types of bridges:

• PFM (Porcelain Fused to Metal) Bridges add a metal substructure underneath top-quality dental porcelain. This fabrication allows the porcelain to show when you smile, while the metal is hidden but absorbs the forces in areas where the teeth hit together. This type of bridge is recommended for patients who have a destructive bite (they have worn down or chipped their old teeth).

• Metal-free Bridges are made entirely of esthetic dental porcelain. This makes it an ideal choice for replacing front teeth, as dental porcelain has the same light-reflecting characteristics as the enamel on your natural teeth. A metal-free bridge also is a great treatment option for a patient who has a metal allergy.

• Zirconia Bridges, also referred to as dental implant bridges, are placed in the mouth attached to dental implants that are inserted into the jawbone. Made from zirconia, a material known for its high strength, these bridges are the strongest and most comfortable option for replacing all of the upper or lower teeth in your mouth.

Advantages of Bridges

• Durable. Bridges are one of the longest-lasting restorative treatment options available and typically last for 10+ years.

• Stable. Bridges are bonded directly into the mouth, as opposed to dentures, which often slip and must be removed to be cleaned. Maintaining a bridge is easy, because you can brush the area as normal to clean it.

Dental Bonding

Looking for a fast, convenient, and cost-effective way to improve the look of your teeth? Then ask us about our esthetic composite resin dental bonding techniques.

Bonding with esthetic composite resin can correct any of the following issues in your teeth:

• Chipped teeth

• Small fractures

• Tooth discoloration that does not respond to teeth whitening

• Misshapen teeth

• Minor tooth crookedness

• Repair front tooth decay

• Close gaps between teeth

• Reduce sensitivity from exposed root surfaces

Who should consider dental bonding?

Having a dental bonding procedure is easy, and can be completed in just one appointment with no need for our laboratory to be involved in your case. In most cases, the patient will not need any anesthetic. The dentist will slightly roughen and prepare the surface of the tooth, apply a special liquid bonding agent, and then apply the tooth-colored esthetic composite resin to the tooth being treated. The resin is then hardened under a special form of ultraviolet light. Once completed, you may eat, brush, and otherwise treat your tooth normally!

How long does dental bonding last?

Dental bonding unfortunately does not last forever. Generally, bonded resin performs well for 3-5 years, but can last much longer with proper patient care at home. Practicing excellent oral hygiene with regular brushing and flossing, in conjunction with visiting our hygienist at your customized regular interval to keep your gums (foundation) healthy around the teeth treated.

Dental Implants

When a tooth must be extracted, replacing it is important because supporting bone that previously surrounded the tooth will resorb away. This occurs because the tooth root is no longer there to provide stimulation to the jaw bone. The reason that we recommend implants more frequently than other replacement options, such as dentures or a bridge is because with an implant the jaw bone can still receive stimulating forces, and will not resorb away! A dental implant replaces the tooth root with the implant fixture, a biologic screw made of biocompatible materials like titanium or zirconia, which is inserted into the jawbone. On top of the implant a new crown can be either screwed or cemented on permanently. This means that a new implant tooth will be indistinguishable from the other teeth in your mouth.

Why choose a dental implant?

• Easy maintenance - you can brush and floss as usual around the implant tooth

• Permanent - will not slip around or move out of place, which can happen with a partial denture

• Stabilizes bite - keeps surrounding teeth from drifting around over time

• Aids in nutrition - eat all the foods you love with no limitations

Any patient who has any gum disease or inflammation cannot receive a dental implant. If you have a missing tooth and also suffer from bleeding gums, then we will need to use Gum Therapy to rid your gums of any inflammation before considering an implant.

What to expect from a dental implant procedure?

During the first implant appointment, Dr. Miller will place the implant where your tooth used to be. Once the implant is placed, we wait 3-6 months for total integration; then, it will be time to cover the implant with the new crown, which has been custom-made to look just like your other existing teeth.

If you are missing teeth, an implant is likely the best option for replacement. Come in for a consultation with us to get your questions answered and to improve your overall health by replacing missing teeth!

Partial Dentures

What is a partial denture?

A partial denture is a removable oral appliance that can replace multiple lost teeth on either the upper or lower. They have to be removed to be cleaned, and also during sleep. Once created, a partial denture allows a patient to regain the ability to chew and eat properly, while also restoring part of the smile.

Advanced Dentistry of Amarillo offers two types of partial dentures: Both types of partials will have replacement teeth that have been custom fabricated to look like your existing teeth.

Metal

This partial has a metal framework that is covered by acrylic, with replacement teeth bonded to it. The framework includes a series of metal clasps, which attach and wrap around your existing teeth to provide a secure fit of the appliance.

Metal-free

This type of partial denture is recommended for patients suffering from a metal allergy. Metal-free partials also are ideal for patients who are especially concerned about aesthetics; the absence of the metal framework and clasps makes this partial more indistinguishable from your real teeth. They are not as strong as metal partials, but they do come with other benefits, such as being more lightweight, flexible, and comfortable.

Living with a any lost tooth will compromise your oral health. If you have multiple missing teeth, the problems magnify. A removable partial denture is the most economical way to replace lost teeth and restore your smile.