Dentistry today has many options for the repair of broken or damaged teeth. W Dental Group is committed to creating a winning smile for each of our patients. When you come to us with a cracked or damaged tooth, we examine the extent of the damage, review your dental history, and analyze your bone and gum structure so we can make recommendations about which treatment plan is best for your unique needs.

If you have a small amount of decay, we may recommend a filling. Our fillings are a composite or resin mixture that is close in color to your natural teeth. If your teeth are cracked, stained, chipped or have small spaces we may recommend bonding. This procedure involves applying a tooth-colored resin material directly to your original tooth and evening out the surface to match the contours of surrounding teeth. Another option we might use to mask small flaws is a porcelain veneer, or thin shell of tooth-colored porcelain.

Patients with a larger amount of damage may require dental implants, crowns and caps. If a large area of the tooth is damaged dental implants are used to provide stability. These titanium posts are implanted in a patient’s jawbone during oral surgery. The posts are covered with a crown to preserve the spacing in your mouth. Crowns and caps may be made of porcelain, metal, resin or ceramic.

If several teeth are missing, other dental care options we offer include bridges and dentures. In cases where patients are missing one or two teeth, but they lack sufficient bone structure for a dental implant, we may recommend a dental bridge. This is an artificial tooth that is held in place by healthy or crowned teeth on either side of the gap. Patients who are missing many teeth may need full or partial dentures to retain the mouth’s structure and allow them to continue chewing properly.

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Have stained teeth made you afraid to smile or laugh? Those discolorations are certainly no laughing matter. What contributes to the problem? Here are three common causes of teeth stains:

1. A wide range of foods and beverages can stain teeth. Berries, coffee, black tea, red wine, fruit juice and other vividly or deeply colored products can all leave discolorations that may require professional whitening or cleaning to remove. Going from one temperature extreme to another rapidly can enable stains to permeate tooth enamel. Acidic food or drink can have a similar effect, making for a particularly stubborn stain problem.

2. Tobacco not only increases your risk of oral cancer and has a negative impact on gum healing, but it also leaves yellow or brown stains on your teeth. Any tobacco product you use can have this effect, whether smoked or chewed. Professional whitening can correct this problem more safely than “smoker’s toothpastes,” which typically contain abrasives that can damage the enamel.

3. Many common medicines and chemical additives can leave ugly stains on teeth. Fluoride, a common additive to water intended to reduce tooth decay, can stain teeth in exceptionally high concentrations. Children may display more vulnerability to this kind of staining than adults. Children of pregnant or lactating women who take tetracycline or related broad-spectrum antibiotics can suffer from permanently discolored teeth.

Our teeth whitening methods can lighten your smile in just one visit. If you have permanent stains we can recommend porcelain veneers, bonding or caps to give you the beautiful smile you deserve. In addition to routine family dental care and surgical procedures, we offer cosmetic dentistry to turn your teeth a brilliant white once more.

Everyone wants a smile to be proud of and dentistry is an important step in that process. If you want whiter teeth, you can ask for in-office whitening treatments, and if you want a more uniform smile, your cosmetic dentist may recommend porcelain veneers. But what do you do if you need straighter teeth, but do not want to sport a mouth full of metal for the next year or two?

The answer for many patients lies in invisible tooth correction. Invisible braces are designed for individuals with slight to moderate teeth crowding or alignment needs. The braces work like any other braces, in that they apply ongoing pressure to the teeth to encourage them to move into a more aesthetically pleasing position. However, they are not made of metal, but instead are made of a custom-fitted plastic mold which is re-fitted every few weeks or months as the teeth slowly move into place.

Benefits of Invisible Braces

Choosing invisible braces over traditional metal ones has many benefits. For one, invisible orthodontic devices are preferred by many patients for cosmetic reasons -- especially if the patient is an adult or a person who works with the public. These braces are much more difficult to detect, giving the wearer a more natural appearance.

Furthermore, the braces are completely removable, unlike traditional metal braces that are affixed to the teeth and only removable by a dentist. Wearers can remove the braces to eat and regularly brush teeth throughout the corrective process. However, it is very important to keep the braces on at all other times to prevent treatment time from extending longer than necessary.

Finally, correcting your tooth alignment can improve the quality of your overall dental care. Properly aligned teeth are easier to clean, which means that food cannot as easily become stuck in crevices and cause decay. Furthermore, correcting your teeth can also improve your bite, which may mean less stress on your teeth and less need for corrective dentistry, such as crowns, over time. Some patients even report experiencing fewer headaches and jaw tension due to better tooth alignment.

Have you considered including invisible braces into your dental care plan? 

If you have lost one or more teeth due to periodontal disease or injury, you may think a bridge is the only answer to replacing your smile. Here at W Dental Group, we find that dental implants are often a better choice for healthy adults. While implants are a much more high tech solution, patients are often much happier with the results. Many times you cannot tell you ever lost a tooth, as the implants match the rest of your teeth perfectly and permanently.

Dental Care for Permanent Repair

Implants are pegs or cylinders that are surgically attached to the bone inside your jaw. Once the implant has healed, our San Antonio dentist can attach a permanent replacement tooth in place of the one you lost. It will be custom crafted to match the rest of your teeth and make it look as if you never lost a tooth. Modern dentistry has ensured that in the case of only one or a few teeth being lost, there is no need for healthy adults to wear dentures or a bridge. Dental implants are an improvement over dentures in a number of ways.

• You can feel confident with a natural looking smile, since no one will ever be able to tell that you lost a tooth.

• Implants are better for the rest of your teeth, as they don't depend on being attached to surrounding teeth as a bridge does.

• You can eat, talk and live your life with confidence, knowing that you have an exact replacement for a tooth instead of dentures that may fall out or slip.

• The entire tooth is replaced instead of simply covering up a stub, like crowns and caps do. This eliminates the chance of further decay in the roots.

• You can continue your same dental care routine as before, instead of dealing with special soaks and rinses.

There are many trends in dentistry, from veneers and teeth bleaching to dental implants. All of them are designed to give you a confident smile as well as a healthier mouth. 

While you rely on our San Antonio dentist for complete dental care from orthodontic work to discovering hidden tooth decay, we rely on you to perform essential daily oral hygiene to keep your smile bright and healthy. To ensure you and your family care for your teeth properly, we are offering a few simple tips to help you care for your beautiful teeth.

Three Simple Tips for Great Personal Dental Care

From the moment a baby’s first tooth emerges, our dentist recommends starting your child on a lifetime of good tooth care habits. Helping your young ones brush twice a day with a soft bristle brush that fits their small mouths teaches them the proper way to care for their teeth. As they grow, encourage them to maintain their good tooth care habits. If your child has braces, they may need to brush after every meal to remove all the food particles from their braces. Our dentistry team is always happy to demonstrate proper brushing and flossing techniques.

Brushing and flossing twice each day is key to maintaining a clean and healthy mouth, one that discourages the formation of tooth decay. Cleaning the teeth thoroughly removes plaque, the thin film of bacteria that coats the teeth. Flossing helps remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth, protecting the teeth and gums from problems.

Dentistry professional have long known that too much sugar encourages tooth decay. Excessive sweets like sugary snacks and soft drinks are exactly what harmful decay causing bacteria thrive on. Rather than snacking on sweets, have healthy fruits, vegetables or cheese instead. Too much coffee or tea can lead to yellowing of the tooth enamel. Excellent dental care at home helps you avoid many of the problems that encourage tooth decay, unhealthy gums and even conditions that lead to dental surgery. In addition to maintaining a routine of great dental hygiene, be sure to visit our dental clinic regularly for checkups.

Do you have any tips for keeping your children routinely brushing their teeth?