General Services By Alpha Dental Clinic Montreal

1. General Services By Alpha Dental Clinic  Montreal  We provide nearly every facet of dentistry under one same roof. Our group of general  practitioners keep updated to the changes in dentistry by attending many continuing  education seminars throughout the year and reading specialized journals. Therefore  whether you need cosmetic dentistry, dental care for your child, wisdom teeth  extractions, root canal, implants, braces, gum treatment, a crown, dentures, cleaning, or  Invisalign in Brossard, you can get it all done right here. Below is a list of some of the  most common treatment we provide as well as a brief definition and links for more  information regarding these procedures.    Prophylaxis (Getting teeth cleaned)  Our professionally trained dental hygienists do  not simply clean your teeth. One of the first  objectives of a dental prophylaxis is to remove  all the tartar from the teeth.Tartar is a hard,  yellowish deposit on teeth. It is composed of  mineral salts, food, and other debris that has  hardened over time. Tartar cannot be brushed  off. It has a rough surface, attracting more  debris and food particles, causing a repeating  cycle of tartar formation and buildup. Our  office is equipped with state-of-the-art  ultrasonics scalers which permit the removal  of tartar in a gentle and atraumatic way.  Obturations (Fillings)  A dental obturation may be defined as the  removal of decay or of a defective filling and a  replacement of tooth structure by a  biocompatible material. Amalgam or silver  fillings are very rarely used in our office. We  prefer to use composite (white fillings). 

2. Composite has the advantage of being able to be bonded to the tooth and therefore has  less chances of falling out. Advances in dental materials have brought about new dental  composites which last much longer than those of the past.    Crown  A crown or what some people call a “cap” is made of porcelain fused to metal or only of  porcelain and is placed onto a tooth to restore or strengthen it. The tooth is reduced in  size and an impression is taken and sent to the laboratory. A dental technician will  fabricate the prosthesis according to the prescription given by the ​dentist​.  WHAT IS A ZIRCONIA CROWN? This type of crown is made from zirconia, a very strong  material which is compatible with the human body. Zirconia is used in many other  medical applications such as artificial joints and is known for its strength and durability.  Zirconia is a type of crystal which is long lasting and indestructible. Plus there is no fear  about the body rejecting zirconia or displaying an allergic reaction to it. It is safe to use  and preferred by many people to porcelain fused to metal crowns.  Advantages of a Zirconia Crown  There are three advantages which are:  Strength: zirconia crowns last longer than other types of crowns.  Aesthetics: these crowns have an attractive translucent colour which blends in  well with the other teeth.  Retain more of the existing tooth: minimal preparation is required which means  more of the original tooth is preserved. This is useful if the crown needs to be  removed.  So Zirconia is, a great choice if you are looking for a strong, long lasting and visually  appealing crown. They are ideal at covering signs of damage or staining as well as  helping to maintain the function of the tooth.    Bridge 

3. A bridge, otherwise known as a fixed partial  denture, is a prosthesis used to replace  missing teeth and is not removable by the  patient. A prosthesis that is removable by the  patient is called a removable partial denture.A  dental bridge is fabricated by reducing the  teeth on either side of the missing tooth or  teeth than taking an impression (these teeth  will serve as the pillars of the bridge and are  called abutments) to send to the dental  laboratory (just like for a crown). The missing  tooth or teeth will be replaced by porcelain  teeth and called a Pontic(s). Just as for a  crown the bridge will be cemented  permanently into place and is not removable.    Root Canal  A root canal is needed when the pulp of the  tooth (nerve) is sick. This happens when the  tooth has been traumatized or when dental  decay has reached deep within the tooth.  The objective of a root canal is to remove the  inflamed (or abscessed) pulpal tissue and to  replace it with a biocompatible paste. Although  the tooth can be considered to be dead (no  more feeling of hot and cold) it’s periodontal  (gum) attachment remains healthy so you can  still feel normal pressure on it when biting  down.  A tooth which has had a root canal will  however tend to darken and becomes dry and brittle and can fracture. This is why all  teeth which have been subjected to a root canal require a crown.  Wisdom Tooth extraction 

4. The permanent dentition is comprised of 32  teeth, four of which are called the third molars  or wisdom teeth. Only 4% of people have  enough space for the wisdom teeth to grow in.  When these teeth don’t have enough room to  erupt they often grow sideways and remain  impacted or semi-impacted in the jawbone. In  the instances when they do erupt they often  remain half trapped under the gum. Bacteria  can then get beneath the gum and cause an  abscess. Therefore it is usually best to have  them removed before they cause a problem.  It’s also often much easier to take them out  before the roots have completed their  formation. If you must have your wisdom teeth removed it’s often best to get all four out  at the same appointment. This way you only have to go through healing once. If you’re  nervous about getting them out you need not be, we can give you nitrous oxide to help  you to relax or if you prefer we can heavily sedate you with the use of conscious  sedation. (Read on our information on conscious sedation found elsewhere on this  website)  Removable denture  A removable denture is a dental prosthesis  made to replace a few (partial denture) or all  (complete denture) teeth in a given arch.  We make all types of removable dentures:  cosmetic, acrylic, metal, claspless, implant  retained, partials, immediate (healing) and  regular dentures. Typically people have a much  harder time getting used to a removable  denture in the lower arch (bottom denture).  Whereas the upper denture covers the palate  to give it suction, the lower denture is trimmed  in a horseshoe shape and has the constant  presence of the tongue to deal with. Studies  have shown that the lower denture can move up to 1 cm in all directions when chewing  food. This is why so many people with lower dentures have problems wearing them. 

5. Fortunately today there exists a procedure which can permanently stabilize dentures by  allowing them to snap into place. View our section on dental implants and mini implants  to read more on this wonderful new procedure.    Periodontal or gum treatment  Periodontal or gum treatment is needed when the tissues surrounding and supporting  the teeth are affected. Gingivitis is usually the beginning sign of gum disease. Left  untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis and is the leading reason for tooth  loss in adults. Common signs of periodontitis are bleeding gums and bad breath.  However many times gum disease goes unnoticed and the longer you wait to receive  treatment the worse the gums become. Eventually teeth can become loose and are  prone to abscess: it’s then too late to save them. In its early stages we may treat gum  disease by what we call a curetage. This is basically a deep cleaning where we may  numb up the concerned teeth so that we may clean them below the gum line.  If the disease has progressed too much for a curettage, surgery may be needed and we  may refer you to a gum treatment.