COSMETIC & RESTORATIVE DENTISTRY
Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry
Your smile is an important part of your appearance and self-confidence. At Douglas A. Watson, DDS,
our goal is to give you a healthy, glowing smile for a higher quality of life. We do this through restorative and cosmetic dentistry procedures which repair problems with the health and appearance of your teeth.
Restorative Dentistry
The field of dentistry which identifies and fixes problems with the health of your teeth is called restorative dentistry. When we fill cavities and repair chipped or broken teeth, we are using restorative dentistry. In fact, everything needed to restore your teeth to a healthy state and normal functionality can be considered restorative dentistry.
Tooth-Colored Fillings
The metal amalgam fillings used since the 1800s worked well to fill cavities, but were not exactly pleasing in appearance. Modern developments in dentistry have given us a more aesthetically pleasing choice for fillings—composite resin fillings.
Composite resin fillings can be matched in color to your teeth. They look completely natural and will go unnoticed by others, even when used on your front teeth. They provide a strong and durable repair for cavities which is also pleasing in appearance.
Crowns, Bridges and Implants
Crowns
Eating becomes a painful and difficult experience when you have a broken or badly decayed tooth. And a broken tooth is more vulnerable to cavities.
Teeth do not repair themselves. However, we can repair broken or badly decayed teeth using porcelain crowns. The crown acts like a cap which fits over the damaged tooth to protect and strengthen it. We match the crown material to the color of your natural teeth, making it look like a normal, healthy tooth.
Your new porcelain crown will restore normal function to your tooth, making an extraction unnecessary.
Bridges
When you are missing one or more teeth, it can affect your smile, make eating difficult, and allow your remaining teeth to move out of position.
A dental bridge is one solution that we can use to replace your missing teeth. A dental bridge literally bridges the gap left by a missing tooth, restoring your smile. It allows you to eat normally and helps keep your remaining teeth in their proper alignment.
To place a bridge, the teeth on either side of the missing tooth are prepared to receive crowns. An artificial tooth is anchored to these crowns, replacing the missing tooth. Fixed bridges look and feel like natural teeth and remain in your mouth for cleaning.
Implants
Probably the best solution to missing teeth is implants. Whether you need one tooth replaced, or several, dental implants give you another option to your missing teeth.
The benefits of dental implants over other tooth replacement options include:
- Implants are attached to your jawbone and last for a lifetime.
- They restore your natural smile, greatly.
- Implants do not slip or come loose when you eat. They function just like your natural teeth.
- Because they are anchored to your jawbone, implants prevent bone loss which occurs with missing teeth.
- You clean implants the same way you clean your natural teeth, by brushing and flossing.
Sealants
The chewing surfaces of your back teeth are more likely to develop cavities because of the pits and grooves on their surfaces. These areas can trap food particles which are difficult to remove and so increase the risk of cavities forming.
A sealant is a thin, protective coating of a plastic material which we apply with a brush onto the surface of your back teeth. This sealant shields the pits and grooves, protecting the tooth from decay.
Sealants can be used for both children and adults who are at risk of developing cavities. Dr. Watson can advise you on whether or not your teeth need a sealant.
Dentures and Partials
Dentures and partial dentures replace your missing teeth, allowing you to eat and speak properly, and giving you a natural-looking smile.
Dentures in Endicott
consist of an acrylic base, tinted to look like your gums, which holds artificial teeth. They fit on top of your gums and provide you with a full set of working teeth.
Partial dentures replace just a few teeth and clip to your existing teeth with a metal or tooth-colored clasp.
Both types of dentures can be removed for cleaning.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Our dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of your teeth and smile. It changes things like the alignment, position, size, shape, and color of your teeth and the overall aesthetics of your smile.
Veneers
You don’t have to be self-conscious about the way your teeth look. With veneers, we can fix many of the issues people have with the appearance of their teeth, including:
- Yellowed, stained, or discolored teeth can be made to look clean and bright like they did when you were young.
- Unattractive spaces between your teeth can be covered by porcelain veneers. Your teeth will look tightly spaced, as they should.
- Uneven or misaligned teeth can be corrected using veneers, giving you a straighter smile.
- Broken teeth can be fixed using a veneer to reshape the tooth and provide a normal biting surface.
- The size of a tooth can be changed using veneers.
- Veneers are used to fix worn or chipped teeth so they function as they should.
- Misshapen teeth can be reshaped using porcelain veneers so they look and feel natural.
Get your natural-looking smile back with porcelain veneers. Contact Dr. Watson at (607) 748-1518 to make an appointment to discuss how porcelain veneers can help you.
Teeth Whitening
Are you unhappy with the yellowed or stained appearance of your teeth? As you get older, the whiteness of your teeth changes and becomes discolored from the foods and beverages you consume. Coffee, tea, and soda stain the enamel of your teeth and tobacco leaves yellow, nicotine stains on teeth. This is a natural occurrence which time will not improve, but only make worse.
The good news is your stained teeth can be restored to a whiter, cleaner appearance. Douglas A. Watson, DDS offers a professional strength teeth-whitening formula that whitens and brightens your teeth.
At our office, we create a custom-fit tray which you use in the comfort of your own home with the professional-strength whitening formula. Wear the trays overnight and you will see whiter teeth in just a few days. You will see maximum results in about two weeks.
Call us at (607) 748-1518
today to make an appointment
to get whiter teeth.