Minimally Invasive Dentistry

Services

Minimally Invasive Dentistry

Many older dental techniques are just not very convenient, either for the patient or the dentist. Some techniques that were definitely surgical and invasive have been changed by modern technological developments to become minimally invasive. Not only have they become non-surgical, but they are also much faster, enabling the patient to enjoy much less pain and a faster recovery period. At Champion Dental, we are glad to offer four minimally invasive dentistry procedures that include:

Prepless Veneers

An excellent way to cover up many dental flaws is to get dental veneers. These thin porcelain covers for the front of your teeth can transform your teeth into a smile that you will be glad to show off as often as you can. 

Dental veneers can hide many problems. They include:

  • Cracked teeth
  • Chipped teeth
  • Discolored teeth
  • Teeth that are slightly misaligned
  • Short teeth
  • Gaps between teeth.

Most dental veneers require that some of the enamel on your teeth be removed before they can be applied. The purpose is to ensure that you teeth remain about the same thickness after the veneers are in place. This helps you to adjust to them easily and enables you to be more comfortable with them. It is also a non-reversible process. 

Prepless veneers are very thin porcelain veneers that do not require any removal of the enamel. This enables the dentist to skip the step of having to remove the enamel, which means that you spend less time in the dentist’s chair. A digital scan of your teeth will be necessary on your first visit so that the dentist can send it to a lab to make your dental veneers. 

Porcelain veneers are the best and they enable your teeth to look natural once they are in place. Because porcelain is hard, you can expect that they will last a long time, 15 years and possibly longer with good care. Prepless veneers can change your teeth quickly and you are sure to enjoy the amazing results.

Pinhole Surgery

The pinhole surgical technique is a new process that is considered non-surgical. It was invented about 10 years ago and has already been used on thousands of patients who have successfully had their gums treated with much less pain and faster healing. 

This is a powerful new advancement over the traditional method of gum surgery and we are glad to offer it at Champion Dental. Traditionally, this method would often involve taking tissue from the patient’s palate or from a donor and was stitched in place to cover the tooth roots. The problem with this method, which is still commonly used, is that the patient would have a lot of pain during the recovery period, which would be at least a week and possibly two. Since only a portion of the mouth could be operated on at a time, multiple surgeries would often be necessary, possibly taking more than a year to complete the process.

The revolutionary pinhole surgical technique involves first creating a tiny hole in the gums with a needle. The periodontist will then use specially designed tools to loosen the gums and then gently slide them into place. A collagen strip is then be placed into the hole and slid down to cover the tooth roots. The gums will be placed on top of the strip which will hold them in the new position and also help them to heal faster. 

This minimally invasive surgery offers several strong advantages over the traditional method. Besides having much less pain associated with it, the technique can often enable all the gums to be completed in a single dental visit. With good oral care, the process is permanent, but there may be some gum recession with age. One more benefit is that some people go back to work when it is completed and most will go back to work the next day.

Endodontic Microsurgery

There are times when a root canal procedure may not be successful. Several reasons may cause this problem including calcium deposits in the tooth that prevent the dentist from completely cleaning out the tooth. Another reason could be that the sterilization was not able to reach into all the passages inside the tooth. 

When a root canal fails, another procedure called endodontic microsurgery may be used to save the tooth. The other option would be to repeat the root canal or to extract the tooth. 

Endodontic microsurgery involves pulling back the gums and removing the bone to expose the roots of the tooth. Once the periodontist has gained access to the roots of the tooth, the inflammation at the base of the tooth will be removed and the tip of the tooth roots will be cut off. 

The roots of the tooth will then be cleaned out, sterilized, and sealed to prevent a reinfection. Bone graft material will be put in place, and the gums will be stitched close to the tooth to keep out bacteria and to enable them to heal properly. The bone will take several months to heal and grow back. 

As your gums heal, which will be rather quickly, patients can expect some pain and discomfort. You will be prescribed some pain medication. After this procedure and healing, the tooth can be expected to last the rest of your life with good oral care. If the tooth is extracted, it should be replaced with a dental implant or dental bridge to prevent teeth from moving out of alignment.

Laser Gum Surgery

As mentioned above, gum surgery can be very painful. When you have periodontal disease, it is important to remove the harmful bacteria and inflammation before it destroys a lot of tissue. If allowed to go untreated, it will destroy your gums, the ligaments that support your teeth, and even your jawbone. Your teeth will become loose and then may even fall out. 

Laser gum surgery provides a way to remove the bacteria and inflammation without the need of a scalpel or stitches. It is considered a non-surgical procedure that produces better results. 

The light from the laser is selective. It can be used to target only the harmful bacteria and inflamed tissue because the bacteria and tissue is darker in color. This also enables the laser to leave healthy tissue undamaged and less healthy tissue is removed using this process. Because of this, dentists do not need to change the height of your gums during the process.

The laser also seals blood vessels and nerves instantly. This means less loss of blood and practically no pain during the surgery. Many people are surprised by how little pain there is during recovery. After laser gum surgery, many people go back to work right away and most will go back the next day.

One more benefit is that the laser also promotes faster healing. It will also be used to seal the gums tightly onto the tooth, preventing the bacteria from reentering the gums. The light also stimulates the growth process and it kills bacteria in the area that may hinder healing. The laser can also be used to trim excessive gum growth (“gummy”) as well as making your gums more esthetically appealing. 

Champion Dental offers minimally invasive dentistry and the latest technology to be able to give you the best in modern dentistry. Our friendly dentists also provide complete dental care and have many years of experience. To set up a consultation or to get more information about our minimally invasive dentistry techniques, contact his office today.

Appointment Form

Accepting New Patients, No Referral Required
  • Date Format: MM slash DD slash YYYY