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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Dental Implants

If you have teeth missing or are in need of an extraction due to decay, disease or injury, dental implants provide an attractive and long-lasting solution for filling the gaps in your smile. While bridges and dentures can also solve the problem of missing teeth, these alternatives either require alteration to the teeth adjacent to the gap or are not permanent fixtures in the mouth. At our office in Fullerton, CA, Dr. Eric Meyer uses dental implant restorations to help patients achieve a complete smile that they can be proud of.

The implant process can take between three to six months to complete, and the first step is to implant a titanium screw in the jawbone through an incision in the gums. This screw serves as your replacement tooth root and keeps your jaw from deteriorating or changing shape. Once the screw is in place, the gums are sutured and the bone is left to heal around the implant. This healing process is called osseointegration, and while it takes place over the next several months, you may receive a temporary crown for easier speaking and eating.

Once the jaw has healed, an abutment will be placed on top of the implant to serve as the foundation on which your permanent crown will be fixed. The tooth restoration is then custom made for your mouth and is either screwed or cemented in place so that you may enjoy a complete smile that both looks and feels natural.

To schedule an appointment with our office, call 714.879.7943. For more information, visit www.fullertondental.com.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Intraoral Camera

Dental technology has greatly improved the diagnosis of dental issues over the years, making early treatment of decay, infection and disease possible. With advancements, such as intraoral cameras, dentists can view patients’ teeth easier and more accurately, which helps them diagnose dental issues earlier and treat them with less invasive methods. At our office in Fullerton, CA, our patients’ oral health is important to us, so we use intraoral cameras and other top-of-the-line technology to keep them smiling.

The intraoral camera is an effective tool for viewing patients’ teeth and mouth from different angles. This allows us to see the mouth from angles that were not available even a couple years ago. The camera connects to a monitor that lets us see the structures of the teeth more closely and with better accuracy than traditional methods. These digital images allow the patient and insurance companies to see what the doctor has seen, which lets you understand your oral health better and gain procedure acceptance from your insurance company more easily. In addition, by using digital intraoral cameras and digital X-rays, instead of traditional dental X-rays, your dentist can limit your exposure to radiation.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Eric Meyer, call 714.879.7943. For more information, visit www.fullertondental.com.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Apicoectomy

If root canal therapy is unsuccessful and your infection either returns or persists after the procedure, it is often because of a problem near the apex of the root, making an apicoectomy necessary to save your tooth from extraction, and Dr. Eric Meyer has the skill and experience to help you in Fullerton, CA.

An apicoectomy removes the tip or apex of the root of your tooth and replaces it with a filling. This is not to be confused with a root resection, which is when an entire root is removed, not just the tip. Before we recommend an apicoectomy, a second root canal is usually considered because it is a simpler and less-invasive procedure. Advances in technology allow the dentist to detect whether one of the tooth’s other canals is the source of the infection. If this is the case, a second root canal is carried out.

However, if an apicoectomy is necessary, a local anesthetic will be used to numb the area. The local anesthetic that is used contains twice as much epinephrine as the anesthetic for a filling. This ensures that your blood vessels are reduced to reduce bleeding and allow your dentist to accurately see the root. Then the dentist will make an incision in your gum to expose the root of the infected tooth. About 3 to 4 millimeters of the canal are cleaned of inflamed tissue and then the area is healed. An X-ray is usually taken before the gums are sutured to give Dr. Meyer a better look at the area.

If your tooth pain persists or comes back after root canal therapy, come to our office. Call 714.879.7943 to schedule an appointment. For more information, visit www.fullertondental.com.