Vancouver Dental Clinic

Services

• Scaling
  
• Root planning
  
• Polishing
  
• Fillings
  
• Amalgam Fillings
  
• White/Tooth Coloured Fillings
  
• Crowns
  
• Dentures
  
• Root Canals
  
• Wisdom Teeth Extractions
  
• Conscious Oral Sedation
  
• Nightguards
  
• Invisalign
  
• Take-Home Whitening Kits
  

PREVENTATIVE/PERIODONTAL SERVICES
Ideally, professional dental cleanings should be performed every six months to prevent excessive plaque build up. Patients with gum disease, or deep gum pockets, should have more frequent cleanings once every 3-4 months. Lack of or very infrequent cleanings allows the build-up of plaque and tarter, which can lead to gum disease and tooth decay.

A routine dental cleaning should include scaling, root planning, and polishing.

Scaling The removal of plaque and tarter from all toothsurfaces. Scaling is usually done by hand with instruments and with electronic scalers. Ultrasonic scalers quickly remove plaque and tarter on the superficial surface of teeth, while hand scaling removes the remaining tarter attached to the root surfaces. Hand scaling also leaves the tooth surface clean and smooth to minimize tarter build-up.








Root planning: Moderate to advanced gum disease causes deep, inflamed pockets to form around teeth, which traps food, plaque and tarter. Hand instruments are used to clean these deep gum pockets. Sometimes, the use of an anesthetic may be needed so that the patient is more comfortable during the procedure, which, depending on the amount of build-up, may take several appointments.









Polishing: A soft rubber cup with a polishing paste is used to remove residual staining on teeth. Sealants: Sealants are a thin plastic coating that fills in the grooves of your back teeth. This smooth coating will protect against plaque and bacteria from accumulating in the grooves, which may lead to a cavity. Read More










Fillings: If you have a cavity in your teeth, or decay, it must be removed and replaced with a filling. A filling replaces the tooth structure lost to decay and restores the natural shape of your teeth. Different permanent filling options include Amalgam fillings, white or composite fillings, and metal or porcelain inlays or onlays.

Amalgam Fillings: These fillings are sometimes called “silver” fillings due to their colour. These fillings are created from a mix of metals, including mercury, silver, copper and tin. Amalgam fillings are the least expensive filling used, but due to their strength and longevity, they are ideal for fixing molars with large decay.




White/Tooth Coloured Fillings: Tooth coloured fillings, or composite fillings, can be used to restore your teeth. This material will bonds to your teeth and matches the shade of your teeth. We can use this material to close gaps between teeth, chips and discolorations, and fill cavities The strength and longevity of a composite filling depends on how large the filling is and it's location in the mouth Inlays and Onlays: Inlays and onlays restore your teeth with custom, lab-made gold, porcelain or resin material. Inlays and onlays protect and restore large portions of the decayed tooth but does not cover the entire tooth like a crown. Inlays fill the tooth in between cusps, while onlays cover over the chewing surface of your tooth. We often recommend inlays and onlays because they are one of the highest quality options available. They preserve tooth structure, and are more durable than amalgam or composite fillings.




Crowns: A crown is a restoration that is cemented over an entire tooth, fitting like a "cap." They are necessary when a tooth is badly broken down, and after the tooth has had root canal therapy. Crowns completely protect the tooth to prevent further fracturing and breakdown of remaining tooth structure. Bridges: If you are missing any teeth, a bridge may be a good option for you. A bridge is a fixed device that replaces one or more natural teeth. The procedure includes building crowns on the teeth to either side of the gap and attaching one or more replacements to the crowns If missing teeth are left unfilled, your teeth may shift & move out of position. These spaces can lead to decay and may change your bite and ability to chew.




Dentures: There are two types of dentures: partial and full dentures. A partial denture is made up of one or more false teeth, and is held in place by clasps that are supported by your other teeth. A full denture is used when all your natural teeth are missing. Both are removed at night and for cleaning. It is important to care for a denture as carefully as you would look after your natural teeth.




Root Canals: The innermost part of the tooth has canals that run down to the root-tip. The nerves and blood vessels contained within the canals is called the pulp. Extensive decay or trauma to a tooth can affect the pulp, which can lead to an infection causing pain and/or an infection at the root tip. With a root canal procedure, the pulp is removed, and the tooth is cleaned and sealed with a plastic filling material. A root canal treatment allows you to keep the tooth rather than having it pulled out. Keeping your tooth helps to prevent your other teeth from shifting out of position, and avoids having to replace it with an artificial tooth.




Wisdom Teeth Extractions: Your third molars or wisdom teeth usually erupt during your late teens or early twenties. If they do not have enough room to grow in, or become trapped in your jaw due to being tilted or rotated, they are impacted. Impacted wisdom teeth may need to be extracted because they can cause jaw pain, infections and decay and damage to neighboring teeth. Early removal of wisdom teeth, before they fully develop roots, can prevent the above complications.

Click here to book your complementary wisdom tooth consultation with Dr. Mak




Conscious Oral Sedation. A medication is prescribed to safely relieve anxiety during dental appointments. Usually 2 doses of medication is prescribed. The first dose is taken the night before your dental visit, and the second dose is taken at the dental office, 1 hour before the scheduled appointment time. Patients, however, must have someone pick them up from their dental appointment as the medication prevents you from being able to drive home.




Nightguards: Teeth grinding or bruxism is involuntary grinding or clenching of your teeth usually occurring while you sleep. Typically, teeth grinding is stress-related, but can also be caused by misalignment of your teeth. This grinding can create large amounts of destructive forces on your teeth, jaw joints and jaw muscles. Symptoms of grinding include sore jaw muscles, headaches and neck pain, especially when experienced in the morning when you wake up. Evidence of grinding may be visible as damage to the edges of your teeth and/or gum recession. A nightguard may be the answer to relieve this pain and prevent further damage caused to your teeth. A night guard is custom-made to fit over your upper or lower teeth and allows your teeth to glide over the guard instead of your opposing teeth.





Invisalign: A clear alternative to braces! A series of custom-made clear plastic “Aligners” are made to move your teeth. Each aligner moves your teeth incrementally, so you wear each aligner for about 2 weeks, moving from 1 aligner to the next until the final position of your teeth is achieved. The aligners look similar to clear tooth-whitening trays, but are much stronger, and almost invisible.





Take-Home Whitening Kits: Custom-made whitening trays for your upper and lower teeth are made from impressions. Whitening gel is placed in the trays and worn in the mouth for about 30 minutes to whiten your teeth.