Veneers...

Before                                       After

Dental veneers are a form of cosmetic dentistry in which a layer of tooth-colored porcelain or composite is placed over the outer surfaces of your teeth to correct worn tooth enamel, uneven tooth alignment or spacing, discoloration and chips or cracks.

Veneers may eliminate the need for more extensive treatments. Other benefits of veneers include durability, an improved smile appearance, and the need for little-to-no removal of tooth structure compared to crowns.

Socket Preservation...

Socket Preservation is a procedure in which graft material or scaffold is placed in the socket of an extracted tooth at the time of extraction to preserve the alveolar ridge.Without socket preservation, the bone quickly resorbs.

After tooth extraction, the alveolar ridge will commonly decrease in volume and change morphologically. These changes are usually clinically significant and can make placement of a conventional bridge or an implant-supported crown difficult. If bone resorption is significant enough, then placement of an implant may become extremely challenging. Post extraction maintenance of the alveolar ridge minimizes residual ridge resorption and, thus, allows placement of an implant that satisfies esthetic and functional criteria.

Another Case...

Implant #13 + bone graft

More...

Natal teeth are teeth that are already present at the time of birth.Natal teeth usually occur in pairs and generally develop on the lower gum, where the central incisor teeth will appear. 

The exact etiology is not known. Infection,febrile states, trauma, malnutrition, superficial position of the tooth germ, hormonal stimulation and maternal exposure to environmental toxins have been implicated as causative factors.


Natal teeth are usually not well formed, but they are firm enough that, because of their placement, they may cause irritation and injury to the infant's tongue when nursing. Natal teeth may also be uncomfortable for a nursing mother.


Frequently, natal teeth are removed shortly after birth while the newborn is still in the hospital, especially if the tooth is loose and the child runs a risk of aspiration, or "breathing in" the tooth.

Natal teeth...

               

                                              Few days old infant...my youngest patient.

                                                Natal Teeth...extracted.









                                                                                                     

Dental Quotes...

The Monkey Dentist...

The "RING"...

Source of bone grafts...

Bone augmentation is a term that describes a procedure used to "build" bone so that dental implants can be placed. These procedures typically involve grafting (adding) bone or bonelike materials to the jaw. The graft can be your own bone or be processed bone. After grafting, you have to wait several months for the grafted material to fuse with the existing bone. Synthetic grafted materials either cause surrounding bone to grow into the graft or cause cells around the graft to change into bone.After bone augmentation, dentists usually wait four to nine months before placing implants.

Most bone augmentation procedures involve the use of bone grafts. An excellent choice for a bone graft is your own bone. This most likely will come from your chin or ramus (the back part of your lower jaw). If your dentist cannot get enough bone from these areas, he or she may need to get bone from your hip or shin bone (tibia) instead. The hip is considered to be a better source because the hip bone can provide a large amount of bone.

Synthetic materials also can be used for bone grafting. Newer products, such as bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), also are available. BMP-2 stimulates certain body cells to turn into bone, without grafting.