At Des Moines River Dental, we provide a range of advanced procedures to address complex dental needs with precision and care. Our expertise includes root canals, dental implants, crowns, and bridges, all performed using the latest techniques and technology to ensure the best possible outcomes. Whether you’re restoring function, enhancing aesthetics, or addressing oral health concerns, we tailor each procedure to fit your unique situation.
Crowns
Crowns are full coverage restorations used to cover a tooth that is likely to break or is too broken down to be restored with a filling. After a root canal treatment or when a large filling wears out, we put a crown in place. If a cavity has made a large enough hole in the tooth, there is a higher chance that you will need a crown. A tooth is more likely to break even after inserting a filling into a large cavity. Keep in mind that the jaw muscles are the strongest in the human body, and teeth must withstand tremendous pressures. Crowns ride over the weakened tooth, providing strength and protecting the tooth against breakage. A broken or cracked tooth is a severe matter and much more challenging to treat. Crowns prevent this, as well as making for a beautiful smile.
It takes two appointments to restore a tooth with a crown. We remove decay from the tooth and shape it to prepare for the crown. Next, we take an impression of the tooth to fabricate the crown. During the time between visits, we create the crown using various materials like Zirconia (a ceramic with metal-like properties), Lithium Disilicate (a ceramic material), or Gold. You will wear a temporary crown during this period. In the second visit, we remove the temporary crown, adjust the permanent crown as needed, and then cement it in place.
Bridges
Bridges are an option for filling the space created by a missing tooth. We form the bridges to look like the missing tooth, and the bridge then takes the place of the missing tooth in your mouth. The sides of a bridge use the two surrounding teeth for support, hence the name. A bridge replaces the missing tooth, both functionally and cosmetically. Bridgework is as much an art as it is an exact science. The materials used may be gold alloys, porcelain bonded to metal alloy, or all ceramic material. The choice of material depends on requirements for strength, wear, and esthetics.
A missing tooth must be replaced as soon as possible for several reasons. If not treated, the teeth surrounding the gap begin to shift inward, creating a whole chain reaction of bad things. Teeth use their neighbors for support, and, with one missing, they start to “fall.” A missing tooth worsens the bite changes in response to the pressure. Missing teeth can eventually result in problems with the entire jaw, e.g., temporomandibular joint. The surrounding teeth deteriorate, and it is just a matter of time before you lose them. Gum disease becomes a serious problem, with the difficulty of treatment increasing as the neglect continues.
Dentures
There are different types of dentures, but they share a standard function. They replace teeth that have become loose or due to bone loss have fallen out. When bone loss around the roots of teeth is significant enough to loosen or let them fall out, it’s time for dentures. Relax. No one enjoys losing their natural teeth, but you can still regain the ability to speak and eat at a satisfactory level. It is important to remember that dentures are not a replacement for natural teeth; they are just a replacement for missing or broken teeth. Nothing will ever be the same as the original, natural tooth.
We perform an examination of your mouth to determine which teeth need removal. After extracting any loose teeth, we fit the dentures to go over or around the remaining teeth. You’ll go through an adjustment period after getting the dentures, and it may take some time to get used to them. But once accustomed to the dentures, they can be very comfortable. We can often stabilize the dentures further with the use of implants.
Implants
Implants are an alternative to partial dentures and have several advantages. They can also be used as support as part of an implant bridge. One advantage of this is not having an adjustment period to acclimatize the patient who only feels teeth; not metal supports intruding into the mouth. This procedure also slows the bone loss that would happen when you have missing teeth. Another advantage is no discomfort or difficulty in eating. Best of all, of course, they don’t have to be taken out all the time.
Root Canals
Root canal treatment (also referred to as root canal therapy or endodontic therapy) is necessary when a cavity reaches the tooth’s inner pulp (nerve and blood supply). Sometimes deep restorations or trauma to a tooth may also cause nerve damage to the point it needs root canal therapy. Once this occurs, the pulp becomes infected and can even extend through the root tip and begin to eat away at the surrounding bone (this is an abscess).
By the time the pulp is infected, it must be treated, and cannot heal independently. It can even weaken the entire immune system. The infected pulp is dangerous, not to mention very painful. Symptoms that the pulp has become infected may include sensitivity to hot/cold or sweets, pain, swelling, pain to biting or pressure, and a bad taste in the mouth. Sometimes, no symptoms are apparent, and the person is unaware of any problem until a checkup.
A root canal will be performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp and disinfect the tooth’s canals. The only other treatment would be to extract the tooth. We place a filling in the canal(s) to resolve the infection and prevent any further issues. To restore a tooth after root canal therapy, we typically use a core build-up and crown.
Temporomadibular Joint (TMJ) Treatments
Misalignment of the teeth, trauma, or excess muscle tension creates problems in this joint. Aside from the two bones that meet there, cartilage and five muscles buffer them. If something goes wrong, a good deal of trouble can result.
Problems in this area can cause:
- Headaches
- Earaches
- Trouble/soreness in opening and closing the mouth
- Clicking or popping of the jaw
- Pain in the jaw muscles
- Soreness in the area, sometimes extending to the face
Dental treatments for the condition can include replacing missing teeth, moving teeth, adjusting the bite, filling gaps between teeth, etc. No one solution is right for all cases. We sometimes use a plastic mouthpiece to prevent clenching or grinding that contributes to the problem. If left untreated and taken to extremes, we may need to perform surgery to repair a badly damaged joint.
Partial Dentures
We design partial dentures as removable dental appliances to replace multiple missing teeth in patients with some remaining natural teeth. These prosthetic devices feature replacement teeth attached to a gum-colored plastic base, which may include a metal framework for added stability. Partial dentures serve both functional and aesthetic purposes, restoring the ability to chew and speak properly while improving the appearance of a patient’s smile.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are a revolutionary solution for replacing missing teeth, offering a permanent and natural-looking alternative to traditional dentures or bridges. These small titanium posts are surgically implanted into the jawbone, where they fuse with the bone tissue through a process called osseointegration. This integration provides a stable foundation for attaching artificial teeth, such as crowns, bridges, or dentures. The result is a replacement tooth that looks, feels, and functions like a natural tooth, allowing patients to eat, speak, and smile with confidence.
Inlays/Onlays
We use inlays and onlays as conservative dental restorations to repair teeth with moderate damage or decay, providing an intermediate solution between fillings and full crowns. We fabricate these custom-made indirect restorations outside the mouth, typically from materials like porcelain, composite resin, or gold, and then precisely fit and bond them to the prepared tooth surface. Inlays are designed to fit within the cusps of a tooth, covering the chewing surface between them, while onlays extend over one or more cusps to provide more extensive coverage for teeth with greater damage.
The process of getting an inlay or onlay typically involves two appointments: one for tooth preparation and impression-taking, and a second for the placement of the custom-made restoration. With proper care, inlays and onlays can last for many years, offering a long-lasting solution for restoring both the function and aesthetics of damaged teeth.
Advanced Local Anesthesia
Advanced local anesthesia encompasses a range of techniques and technologies designed to enhance pain control and improve patient comfort during dental procedures. These advancements go beyond traditional infiltration and nerve block methods, offering dentists more precise and effective ways to administer anesthesia. Some key innovations include computer-controlled local anesthetic delivery systems (CCLAD) like The Wand or STA (Single Tooth Anesthesia), which allow for more controlled and less painful injections. These systems can deliver anesthetic at a constant pressure and volume, reducing discomfort and increasing the predictability of anesthesia onset.