From general cleanings to cosmetic dentistry like dental implants and crowns, our team at Center Valley Dental offers a variety of services to keep your smile happy and healthy. What can patients expect during their dental appointment with our team?
What to Expect During Your General Cleaning
You should schedule a general tooth cleaning and check-up every six months. These routine dental appointments are quick and painless.When your appointment starts, one of our skilled hygenists will start with diagnostics, such as x-rays, and chat with you about your daily dental care.
Some questions you’ll be asked include:
- Do you brush twice a day?
- Do floss regularly? What do you use to floss?
- Have you noticed any changes?
- Have you experienced any pain?
Then, the hygienist will examine your teeth for any possible cavities and early signs of oral disease or tooth decay using a small mirror. This helps us see even the smallest signs of gum disease or decay. Next, we’ll remove plaque and tartar around your gums and between your teeth. Then, we’ll give you a quick brush using a high-powered electric toothbrush. Finally, we’ll floss and remove any leftover plaque.
If you keep up your regular dental care at home, you should be in and out of the office in less than an hour. During this dental appointment, you’ll also have time to meet with Dr. Lang or Dr. Ren and discuss any concerns or questions.
What to Expect During Your Dental Implant Appointment
Dental implants use a titanium screw to replace a missing tooth root. They’re long-lasting, natural-looking, and life-changing. However, the surgical procedure requires several visits from start to finish.
Before any surgery, we’ll schedule a consultation. During this dental appointment, we’ll walk through your oral health and outline your goals. We’ll determine whether you’re a candidate for dental implants, and then schedule your tooth extraction. If your jawbone isn’t strong enough to support an implant, a bone graft may be necessary.
On the day of your extraction and implant placement, we’ll make sure you’re numbed. We’ll remove the broken tooth or damaged tooth root, and then replace the root with a titanium screw. Then you will go through a recovery period in which your jawbone fuses to the screw. This period generally takes several months. During this time, the bone will grow around the implant, stabilizing and strengthening it.
Once you’re healed, we’ll place a small metal post, called an abutment. The abutment completes the foundation of your new tooth. Healing takes about two weeks.
Finally, you’ll receive your crown. We’ll take a digital impression of your teeth using CEREC technology. This allows us to customize the crown to match the shape, size, and color of your natural teeth. The crown will attach to the abutment.
The first smile is always our favorite part of the process! It’s during this time that patients can truly see the difference a dental implant can make.
What to Expect During Your CEREC Crown Appointment
Another service that Center Valley Dental offers is single-visit dental crowns. During this dental appointment, we’ll first perform x-ray diagnostics. Then, we’ll prepare the tooth. This involves removing the enamel so the crown can better fit and adhere to the tooth.
Next, we’ll perform an intraoral scan with our CEREC technology. This camera will create a 3D scan of your tooth. Then, the design model will be sent to a milling machine so that a tangible restoration can be crafted. Finally, we’ll place the crown. All of this in one visit!
CEREC crowns have several advantages over regular crowns, including:
- Better fit
- Fewer visits
- They’re stronger and more resilient
- Natural appearance and color
Plan Your Next Visit with Center Valley Dental
Center Valley Dental offers the Lehigh Valley a wide range of dental services, from general dentistry to sedation dentistry. Whether you’re scheduling a dental appointment for a cleaning or a dental implant, we strive to make every patient’s experience comfortable, positive, and rewarding. Schedule an appointment today.