Currently all vital bleaching techniques involve the use of a form of Carbamide Peroxide. There are three basic strategies for applying this treatment:

1) You can use strips that fit over your front teeth like a Band-Aid. The gel they contain has a very small concentration of the active ingredient Carbamide Peroxide, especially if you buy them at a drug store. However, you can purchase stronger concentrated strips directly from a dentist, where you can safely learn how to use them. This technique takes the longest time, maybe a month or two.

2) Your dentist can make custom fitted bleaching trays out of vinyl, which allows for the safe use of a very concentrated form of Carbamide Peroxide. This technique applies 4-5 times the chemical action of the strips, and takes only one to two weeks to complete treatment at home. Expect to pay at least $300 for this method. The results are excellent.

3) Some dentists use a bleaching light with the gel. This is done in the office and usually in a single appointment. But remember, you can bleach in the dark. Expect to pay $800-900 for this method.

Some venders claim the effects of bleaching will last 80-90% over five years, however results can vary. Realistically, expect bleaching to last about 70% over five years. Smokers, coffee drinkers, etc, lose the effects of bleaching sooner, but short inexpensive reapplications can extend the results indefinitely.

We like to schedule the child’s first visit between age 2 1/2 and 3 years old. This allows for the eruption of all the twenty primary (baby) teeth in most children.

Parents should supervise their child’s use of toothpaste with fluoride, by age three, using a very small amount on a soft toothbrush, about the volume of a standard shirt button. The child should be able to rinse and spit, being careful to avoid swallowing any of the toothpaste.

Primary teeth anchor and hold space for the permanent teeth that will replace them.  If a young child has tooth decay, the teeth should be restored to preserve chewing function and speech development.

Sealants are a plastic resin material, usually a white color, which are bonded over pits and fissures that occur on the biting surfaces of teeth.

Sealants should be applied to any tooth with deep enough grooves and pits that leave that tooth more vulnerable to decay.  Most Sealants are placed on permanent 1st molars. However, in some circumstances, primary or baby teeth have sufficient anatomy to be at risk for decay, and would require sealants.

Sealants can last for many years, but must be checked for wear and chipping on a regular basis at cleaning appointments.  If part of a Sealant is lost, it may require 
repair or replacement, otherwise a broken Sealant can create the very problem it was designed to prevent. Sealants placed after the age of 12 are not fully recommended, due to the force of chewing, (mastication) in the developing child.

The typical Sealant is about one fourth the cost of the typical filling!

Tooth colored fillings are made of basically a plastic resin with porcelain/glass like particles packed into it.

Unfortunately, no.  When used for smaller or more conservative fillings they are somewhat comparable to silver. Each individual tooth must be evaluated before making a decision to restore using plastic resin or silver. To restore every tooth with the same type of material would be inappropriate.  It is not rocket science that metal is more durable that plastic.

Gold alloy is still #1, does not fracture, and abrades the least.

As seldom as possible. Every time a filling is replaced there is further injury to the tooth.  Decay, fracture and breakage are the most justifiable reasons to cause the need for replacement.

A crown, constructed of gold or porcelain, covers the whole tooth, restoring its form and function.  Teeth with root canal treatment, large or multiple fillings, cracks, or broken corners or cusps, are at high risk for further structural damage and therefore are likely to need a crown.

A crown should last five to twenty years, depending on the material used, and many other factors. There are gold crowns placed in the 1940’s that are still functioning! 

It is easier to brush and floss a crown than natural teeth containing fillings.  The anatomy is smoother and the crown is less likely to get food caught on it.

Veneers, constructed of either plastic or porcelain, cover the front of the teeth, and work like artificial fingernails. Veneers are bonded over the front surface of the tooth with a minimum of tooth reduction, if any. They can improve the color, shape, length and appearance of the teeth. When applied as a series, they can straighten teeth, close gaps and give you that “extreme makeover” look.

Implants are basically artificial tooth roots made of titanium, then placed into the jawbone. Completed implants ultimately replace teeth you have lost. They are also used to create retention and support for full dentures!

Not really. Implant technology has shown over thirty years of success but has only recently gained widespread acceptance.

Generally yes.  They are easier to clean than conventional bridgework. They don’t require the support of neighboring teeth, which means the teeth next door don’t get “ground down” for “bridging”.  Implants last 2-3 times longer that most bridgework, at a comparable cost.

The extraction procedure of the tooth or roots the implant will eventually replace is followed by a period of recovery and healing of the site. Then, the implant is placed, generally without discomfort or swelling, and prescription pain medications are rarely needed.

Clinical research studies document Implants lasting more than twenty years.  X-rays have shown improvement in bone density around the Implant, increasing up to five years after placement.  Implants are statistically destined to become the longest lasting type of dental prosthesis of all time!