Prosthodontics & Restorative Dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of a smile through various dental treatments. It addresses both the function and aesthetics of teeth. With advancements in dental technology, cosmetic procedures now range from simple color correction to replacing missing teeth and more. These innovations have made it possible to use materials that are not only durable but also aesthetically pleasing, enhancing the appearance of common dental imperfections while restoring the form and function of teeth. Cosmetic dentistry can significantly improve the look of your teeth and help restore confidence in your smile.

• Anterior Teeth
• Implant Restoration
• Tooth Preparation

Pediatric dentistry is a specialized branch of dental science that focuses on providing oral health care for infants, children, and adolescents. During the first six months of life, children begin to develop their baby teeth, which later fall out and are replaced by permanent teeth. Without proper dental care, children can experience tooth decay and oral diseases, leading to pain and complications. Early childhood dental caries are 10 times more common than other childhood diseases.

Dental practitioners, hygienists, researchers, and other health professionals play a crucial role in promoting safe and effective preventive measures that improve oral health and prevent disease. Common oral issues, such as dental and periodontal infections, dry mouth, and tooth decay, are all treatable with proper diagnosis and care.

• Dental Events
• Pediatric Dentistry
• Tooth Brushing Frequency

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a dental specialty that addresses a wide range of injuries, diseases, and deformities in the head, face, neck, and oral tissues. This field focuses on diagnosing and treating conditions related to the face, mouth, teeth, jaws, and neck, including both soft and hard tissue issues.

As a bridge between medicine and dentistry, it handles complex cases requiring expertise from both disciplines, such as head and neck cancers, early dental implant failures, antibiotic prophylaxis, salivary gland diseases, facial disproportions, facial pain, cysts, tumors of the jaws, and infections. The specialty provides top-level surgical care for patients dealing with benign and malignant tumors in the head and neck region, traumatic injuries to the oral and maxillofacial areas, and routine oral surgery, such as wisdom teeth removal and dental implant placement, as well as the correction of dentofacial and cleft deformities.

Prosthodontics focuses on the restoration and replacement of damaged or missing teeth. Tooth loss and oral deterioration often result from dental caries and periodontal diseases, which can lead to psychological discomfort for patients. Prosthodontists create treatment plans in coordination with other dental specialists to deliver comprehensive care. Periodontology, on the other hand, is the study of the hard and soft tissues that support and maintain the position of teeth in the jaw.

The periodontium is a structure that securely anchors teeth to the jaw, acting as a shock absorber during biting and chewing, preventing damage from excessive forces, and maintaining tooth stability. Periodontitis, often caused by plaque accumulation, weakens the supporting structures of teeth. Periodontology is sometimes considered a "holistic" approach to dentistry due to its focus on preserving the overall health of the supporting tissues around the teeth.

Restorative dentistry focuses on diagnosing and treating diseases of the teeth and their supporting structures, as well as restoring dental function and aesthetics to meet the patient's needs. It integrates the dental specialties of endodontics, periodontics, and prosthodontics, with an emphasis on how these disciplines work together in cases requiring comprehensive care. The management of dental cavities involves balancing pathological factors that cause demineralization and protective factors that promote remineralisation.

Endodontics, a specialty within dentistry, is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the dental pulp and the surrounding per radicular tissues. Endodontic treatment involves removing diseased pulp, cleaning and shaping the root canal system, disinfecting the infected areas, and filling the root canals to prevent reinfection and promote healing.

Dental anesthesia is a specialty that focuses on pain management through advanced local and general anesthesia techniques. This discipline addresses pain and anxiety associated with dental procedures using local anesthesia, sedation, and general anesthesia. Dental Anesthesiology provides education to graduate, pre-doctoral, and dental hygiene students on managing pain, fear, and anxiety during dental treatments. Dentist anesthesiologists are trained to offer a full range of anesthetic services, from local anesthesia to general anesthesia, for various dental and surgical procedures. Faculty research in dental anesthesiology has concentrated on evaluating the clinical efficacy and safety of anesthetics for both healthy and medically-compromised patients.

• Sedation Techniques
• Use of Lasers
• Pain-Free Dentistry
• Dental Radiology

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a surgical specialty that encompasses the diagnosis, surgical treatment, and adjunctive care of diseases, injuries, and defects affecting both the functional and aesthetic aspects of the hard and soft tissues in the oral and maxillofacial region. The temporomandibular joints (TMJs), which are crucial for jaw positioning, facial growth and development, function, dental occlusion, facial balance, and comfort, are key to overall stability. When TMJs are not healthy or stable, patients undergoing orthognathic (corrective jaw) surgery may experience suboptimal outcomes related to function, aesthetics, dental occlusion, skeletal stability, and pain. A review of 1,369 TMJ patients referred to Dr. Larry Wolford’s practice showed an age range of 8 to 76 years at initial evaluation, with 78% female and 22% male patients. Notably, 69% of these patients reported that their TMJ issues began during their teenage years, indicating that TMJ pathology is most common in teenage females, though symptoms may appear later in life.

• Dentoalveolar Surgery
• Surgical Correction of Maxillofacial Skeletal Deformities
• Gum Lift

Forensic odontology primarily focuses on identifying individuals by comparing dental records with bite marks found on victims. This field is instrumental in dental identification, age estimation, and addressing oral and dental aspects. Dental Anthropology involves using information from teeth, whether from skeletal remains or contemporary human populations, to address anthropological questions. Teeth provide valuable insights due to their hereditary variables, which are useful for assessing population relationships and evolutionary dynamics.

• Forensic Odontology
• Identification and Methods
• Dental Identification
• Age Estimation
• Oral and Dental Aspects of Personal Abuse
• Dental Radiography/Informatics
• Identification in Mass Fatalities
• Assessment of Bite Mark Injuries
• Assessment of Abuse Cases (e.g., child, spousal, or elder abuse)
• Civil Cases Involving Malpractice

Oral microbiology studies the complex ecological system of microorganisms in the mouth, with up to 700 species identified. Key groups include Streptococcus, Neisseria, Veillonella, Actinomyces, and various obligate anaerobes. These microorganisms maintain a mutualistic relationship with the host, helping to prevent pathogenic species from adhering to mucosal surfaces. However, oral microflora can contribute to the formation of dental plaques and are common causes of dental caries and periodontal disease. Oral diseases often result from a combination of poor oral hygiene and factors affecting the oral microbial community, such as diet. Understanding the oral environment and microbial interactions is crucial for identifying the primary causes of oral diseases.

• Dental Caries
• Dental Plaque
• Oral Bacteria
• Oral Medicine
• Osteoporosis and Tooth Decay
• Adult Orthodontics for Spacing and Tissue Deficiencies

Restorative Dentistry encompasses various dental procedures aimed at repairing or replacing damaged teeth. This field includes treatments such as cavity fillings, root canals, and dental implants. The primary goals of restorative dentistry are to restore both the function and appearance of teeth. Essentially, it involves any dental process focused on repairing or restoring damaged oral structures. Common restorative procedures include fillings, bridges, and implants.

Here are eight of the most common types of restorations:

• Dental Implants
• Inlay Restorations
• On lay Restorations
• Composite Fillings
• Dental Crowns
• Dentures or Partial Dentures
• Fixed Bridges
• Root Canals

Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Overall Dental Health:

• Brush your teeth three times a day
• Choose a high-quality toothbrush and replace it regularly
• Floss daily
• Pay attention to your tongue's cleanliness
• Avoid smoking
• Limit your coffee intake
• Maintain a nutritious diet
• Reduce sugar consumption

Root canal treatment, also known as endodontic treatment, is required when the pulp, the central part of the tooth containing blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissues, becomes infected or inflamed. This procedure aims to save a damaged or severely infected tooth rather than extracting it. The benefits of root canal therapy include preventing the spread of infection to other teeth and alleviating symptoms associated with an infected tooth.

The root canal procedure is carried out in three stages:

• Stage 1: Removal of the dead nerve and any gross infection.
• Stage 2: Further cleaning and shaping of the root canals.
• Stage 3: Filling the cleaned canals with an inert filling material to complete the treatment.

Nano dentistry involves the use of nanotechnology to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral and dental diseases, manage pain, and enhance dental health using nanostructured materials. This innovative field offers numerous applications in dentistry, such as dentition renaturalization, treatment for dentin hypersensitivity, complete orthodontic realignment in a single visit, covalently bonding diamondized enamel, and improving the properties of root canal sealers. Nanomaterials are also used in dental fillings, enamel polishing to prevent caries, and as more effective implant materials compared to traditional options. Some nanoparticles even function as antimicrobial agents, preventing bacterial growth. Nanotechnology continues to advance dental care through these and other cutting-edge applications.

Diagnosing and preventing oral diseases is complex due to the various factors that can contribute to these conditions. Causes can include infections from bacteria, fungi, or viruses, as well as dental injuries. The process of diagnosing and preventing oral diseases involves multiple steps and procedures. Advances in imaging technology, such as high-resolution 3D surface photography and 3D CBCT scans, offer extensive insights into a patient’s oral health by creating a detailed virtual model of both hard and soft tissue structures. Additionally, research into secretion nosology aims to determine its effectiveness in identifying the status and susceptibility of both oral and systemic conditions.

• Dental Health and Overall Health
• Advanced Diagnostic Techniques
• Effects of Radiation on Oral Tissues
• Biopsy and Bacteriology

Dental instruments are specialized tools used to address dental issues and injuries. There is a wide variety of instruments employed for the repair and restoration of teeth. Dental marketing refers to the field dedicated to promoting and selling dental instruments and equipment used for treating dental problems. This includes the various stakeholders involved in the manufacturing of these tools and the dentists who utilize them in their practices.

• Denture Base Resins
• Gypsum Products
• Impression Materials
• Base Metal Alloys
• Dental implant models