Why You Should Visit a Veneers Dentist Office

What does a veneers dentist do?

When you visit our veneers dentist office in Portsmouth, you are seeking tooth repair and replacement. Our job starts with a single objective: to restore beautiful, healthy teeth and give a patient a radiant smile once again. To do this, we use a tiny porcelain device known as a dental veneer. Dental veneers are also known as porcelain veneers because we use an ultra-thin piece of porcelain to form them. The porcelain that we use is so thin that the device actually takes on some of the qualities of regular enamel.

For example, the veneers we use are extremely hard, which makes the devices very durable. They are also very brittle, just like natural enamel, meaning patients have to avoid engaging in behavior that can damage the teeth like opening a bottle or tearing a bag with the repaired teeth. The dental veneers also have the advantage of looking exactly like enamel, meaning they are used for aesthetic repairs as well.

What conditions can a veneers dentist use dental veneers to treat? 

Porcelain veneers are one of those technologies that have effectively bridged the gap between both cosmetic side of dentistry and its functional elements. As such, dental veneers can correct a large number of problems, ranging from cosmetic fixes to critical functionality issues. On the cosmetic side, we have been using veneers to correct discolored teeth for a very long time. Occasionally teeth no longer respond to the conventional methods of cleaning them and whitening them. When this happens, people have the option of using dental veneers to permanently whiten the teeth.

Dental veneers also give teeth a better shape so that the patients can have a perfect looking smile with smooth teeth. In addition to these, we also use dental veneers to straighten the alignment of teeth where there are minor alignment issues. Properly used, dental veneers can help to essentially straighten some of your teeth. However, one of the most frequent uses for veneers is in the repair of minor damage to the teeth. When the patient has tiny cracks, chips or small breaks to the tooth, there is always a possibility that you can get the tooth infected or that the damage will continue to spread. Using dental veneers, we can repair the tooth making it look great and also increasing its longevity.

Are dental veneers treatments for everyone or are there limitations?

From a purely medical standpoint, there are very few conditions that will hinder receiving treatment by a veneers dentist. While there are extremely rare cases of people who cannot get dental veneers, we will be sure to show one other treatment options, if this is the case. In order to ensure that you are a great candidate for the process, we will need to make sure that the teeth are healthy enough to begin. We typically do this in a preliminary examination before we ever recommend that one get dental veneers. As a veneers dentist, we can treat any health issues patients are facing, such as cavities, so that the teeth can become healthy enough for the procedure.

Fight Gum Disease With Help From a Periodontics Provider

If you have gum disease that is causing detrimental effects to your dental health, a periodontics provider can help you fight it. Pretlow L. Stevenson Jr DDS and Associates provides comprehensive care, preventative treatments, and restorative treatments in order to give you a healthier dental structure free of gum disease.

Gum Disease

The mouth is naturally full of bacteria. The bacteria combine with mucus and food particles to form plaque on the teeth. Fortunately, people can get rid of plaque by brushing and flossing regularly. People will also visit a dentist biannually for deeper cleanings. When a person does not effectively remove plaque by brushing and flossing, it can harden and turn into tartar. A professional dentist can remove tartar with special tools.
If an individual does not visit a dentist in time to have plaque and tartar removed, there is a greater risk to the teeth and gums. The constant presence of tartar and plaque leads to chronic inflammation of the gums. When gums are first inflamed, it is called gingivitis, and it is the mildest form of gum disease. The common symptoms of gingivitis are red, swollen, and bleeding gums. A cleaning in our Portsmouth office by a periodontics provider can reverse gingivitis. If an individual does not receive the effective treatment for gingivitis, it can turn into a severe version of gum disease called periodontal disease.
When periodontal disease (also known as periodontitis) occurs, the gums will begin pulling away from the teeth, forming periodontal pockets of space. These pockets harbor bacteria and become severely infected, helping plaque and tartar continue to grow under the gumline. If one does not treat periodontal disease by contacting a periodontics provider in our office, it can begin to deteriorate the bones and connective tissue that make up the dental structure. Receding gums can occur and tooth loss is possible.

Fight Gum Disease With Help From a Periodontics Provider

The first step to fighting gum disease is a scaling and root planing, which is a deep cleaning that we perform on the gumline. During the scaling portion of the cleaning, we scrape off the tartar below the gumline and around it. During a root planing, we remove rough spots from the tooth roots. Germs grow in these rough spots. This procedure will help limit bleeding, inflammation, and discomfort.
We can also provide antibiotics or other medications that can fight infection and inflammation, as well as relieve discomfort. The medications we provide can work in conjunction with a scaling and root planing. If we feel as though your periodontal disease is not getting better or is causing serious problems, our periodontics provider may recommend other treatments, including surgical options. If you need treatments in addition to the less invasive ones we provide as a first defense, we can talk about your other options with you during your appointment.
To learn more about how we can help you fight gum disease, visit Pretlow L. Stevenson Jr DDS and Associates as soon as possible. The sooner you receive treatment, the sooner you can reverse the effects it has caused, or you can receive treatment to repair your gums and teeth.