Dental Solutions
Your smile is the first thing people see. It instantly portrays your personality, self confidence, joy and vitality. Does your smile say it all or are you embarrassed to smile? Nearly half of adults surveyed say they want a beautiful smile. Isn't it your time right now to have the beautiful smile you deserve? It won't take years, or months--you can have the smile of your dreams in as little as two visits. We use the most advanced techniques in dentistry to give you the smile you deserve without waiting.
Smile Design
A newly designed smile is truly a work of art. The term "smile design" applies to the enhancement of a smile using a combination of methods. A patient's eyes, lip line, coloring, gum tissue contouring and face are all considered when a new smile is being designed. Our goal is to redesign your smile so that it fits you, is beautiful, strong and natural looking. We will create a smile especially for you that will make you smile for years to come!
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are the most conservative aesthetic restorations available in dentistry today. A thin layer of the front of the tooth is removed to allow porcelain to be bonded to the tooth without making it any thicker. Similar, in a way, to a false fingernail, the veneer covers dark or yellow teeth, fills unsightly gaps, lengthens short or stubby teeth and straightens crooked teeth. Unlike a false fingernail, veneers are more permanent. The veneers are attached to the teeth using the most advanced methods of bonding principles. The end result is a strong, functional, natural-looking and beautiful smile!
Full Mouth Rehabilitation
Imagine being able to turn the clock back twenty years! With full mouth rehabilitation, teeth, bite, muscles and self-esteem are gently brought back to a natural-looking and youthful-feeling condition.
Your quality of life is greatly affected by oral health. Full mouth rehabilitation can eliminate your dissatisfaction with the way your smile looks and feels. You can stop suffering discomfort when you chew, stop avoiding the hot or cold foods you love and stop waking up with sore jaw muscles and living with recurring headaches.
Porcelain Crowns
The most common crown restoration placed today utilizes a metal lining covered with porcelain. These types of restorations are not as natural in appearance because light is not able to pass through porcelain-metal crowns as it does with a natural tooth. The result is an opaque or flat-looking tooth. Often, these types of traditional crowns leave a dark or gray line next to the gumline. Our talented team is proud to offer a natural-looking alternative: all-ceramic, non-metal crowns! With these newer restorations you will notice the "life-like" appearance that mimics natural teeth and does not produce the black gumline so common with porcelain-metal crowns.
TMJ Treatment
"TMJ" stands for temporomandibular joint. The TMJs are the small joints in front of each ear that attach the lower jaw to the skull. They allow you to perform such functions as opening and closing your mouth, chewing, speaking and swallowing. TMJ conditions are manifested by pain in the muscles along with limitations in the ability to execute normal movements. If you suffer from such pain, TMJ treatment can help!
Instant Orthodontics
For many adults, choosing instant orthodontics through cosmetic dentistry has significant advantages over choosing traditional orthodontics. In as little as two appointments, your teeth can be straightened, but in addition, teeth lengths can be restored, and color, shape and contour can all be corrected and balanced to harmonize with your face and smile. Many busy adults today just don't have the time for the many office visits required with traditional orthodontics. The option of "instant orthodontics" through cosmetic dentistry certainly is a treatment to consider for the best and most convenient overall results!
Oral Sedation Dentistry
Everyone can benefit from sedation dentistry. Over 35 million Americans have some level of anxiety when it comes to going to the dentist. But for many, it is more than being afraid. Some of our patients have had a traumatic experience in a dental chair, while others come from a painful past. But regardless of your personal history, we are here to help. We understand that your fears may have kept you from a dentist, but there is no need to feel embarrassed. We are not here to judge you; we are here to help you and encourage you so that you can have the confidence a beautiful smile can bring. Imagine not being afraid to go to the dentist and being able to complete all your dental care in one appointment! Sedation dentistry can change your life - ask us for more details!
Implants
Implants are changing the way people live! With implants, people are rediscovering the comfort and confidence to eat, speak, laugh and enjoy life. Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for replacement teeth that look, feel and function like natural teeth. A person with implants regains the ability to eat virtually anything and can smile with confidence, knowing that teeth appear natural and that facial contours have been preserved. Implants consist of small titanium posts which are placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for artificial teeth. In addition to restoring a natural appearance in the mouth, implants can help preserve facial structure, preventing bone deterioration, which typically occurs when teeth are missing.
Laser Dentistry
"Gummy smiles" are a very common problem, caused by overgrowth of the gum tissue that covers the teeth. This unsightly occurrence can be caused by a variety of things, including heredity, health conditions and even the use of many common high blood pressure medications. A gummy smile will dominate the mouth, making the teeth seem almost secondary in appearance. We use a laser to change the look and shape of the gums. The laser actually vaporizes unnecessary and unsightly tissue with unmatched accuracy and effectiveness. What is left in the place of the overgrown gums is a healthy-looking, well-proportioned smile. The process takes only a few minutes for most, and there is usually very little discomfort.
Metal Free Fillings
If your teeth are filled with dark, gray metal fillings, you've got more to worry about than your appearance. Metal amalgams can damage teeth. Temperature sensitive, amalgams expand with heat and contract with cold. This movement weakens the tooth wall, leading to fractures and also allows bacteria to enter and cause decay. They contain mercury that may have negative long-term health effects. Tooth-colored composite fillings are safer, stronger, more attractive and more enduring alternative to metal. They conservatively restore your teeth to strength and your smile to beauty.
Bridges
A bridge is a custom device anchored to neighboring teeth that replaces one or more missing teeth. When a lost tooth is replaced with bridgework, the teeth on either side of the missing one are prepared as crowns to serve as abutments to hold the prosthetic (replacement) tooth in place. Crowns and bridges are most commonly prepared from high quality materials such as semi-precious or precious metals, porcelain, or a fused combination of the two. Aesthetics, function and tissue compatibility are considered when selecting the material most suitable for you.
Bonding
The application of tooth-colored filling material (composite) to the teeth has been a dental technique for many years. Recent advances have increased the strength, durability and longevity of these restorations. Bonding material can be molded and shaped to attain outstanding results including tooth lightening, closing spaces between teeth, making teeth appear straighter and repairing chips and cracks. When polished, bonding gives the appearance of natural tooth structure.
Inlays Onlays
Metal fillings are not the healthiest solution, often expanding and contracting with temperature changes. This can cause cracking or allow bacteria to affect further decay. Onlays and inlays make it possible to replace unsightly, silver fillings with beautiful and healthy tooth-colored restorations. We'll design them to match your teeth, reviving your natural strength, wear and function. With new materials such as pure porcelain, it really is finally possible to beautifully repair and restore your smile.
Gum Contouring
Healthy and even gumlines are essential to any beautiful smile. Attractive gums complement and frame your teeth, making your smile look healthier and more attractive. If your gums are red and swollen or if your teeth look too small or too short because of the disproportionate size relationship between your teeth and gums, then gum contouring may be the solution for you. Gum contouring can give you the consistent, even gumline you need for a healthy and attractive smile.
Dentures
If you have lost all of your natural teeth, dentures can replace your missing teeth and smile. Tooth loss can come from periodontal disease, tooth decay or injury, but with dentures, you can benefit your appearance and health and can continue to function as a healthy, active adult. Dr. Thomas can help you make an informed decision about whether dentures are ideal for you.
Teeth Whitening
If you are unhappy with the dull, yellowish shade of your teeth, consider teeth whitening as the perfect solution! Teeth whitening is safe, effective and an efficient way to dramatically improve your overall appearance. Dr. Thomas can help you choose the most effective and convenient method of whitening for you. We offer in-office whitening as well as take-home kits. These processes can actually make your natural tooth color from seven to twelve shades brighter than it is right now! You too, can have the bright, white Hollywood smile that you've always dreamed about!
Hygiene
Preventative care is an integral part of our practice. Maintaining good oral hygiene is one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth not only enable you to look and feel good, they make it possible to eat and speak properly. Good oral health is important to your overall well-being. Promoting health through preventative dentistry and educating our patients on good oral hygiene is the heart of our practice. Thorough examinations and professional cleanings allow us to identify problem areas and stop periodontal disease.
Endodontics
With today's modern dental techniques, having root canals done by a dentist is no longer a scary experience. Dr. Thomas is experienced in performing root canal therapy. Extensive decay, an accident, tooth fracture or gum disease can kill teeth and cause a root canal symptom such as root canal pain or a dental abscess. However, regardless of the root canal cause, your teeth can be saved using modern therapy to do root canal treatment.
Periodontics
Periodontal treatment starts with prevention: regular cleanings and good hygiene habits are excellent precautions to take to avoid gum disease. The main cause of periodontal disease is bacteria in the form of a sticky, colorless plaque that constantly forms on your teeth; however, other factors can cause the disease or influence its progression. Scaling, root planing and local delivery of antimicrobials can treat and prevent the progression of the disease. In some cases, surgical therapy or cosmetic solutions may be necessary to correct the damage from gum disease physically and cosmetically. Dr. Thomas can evaluate your situation and present the best treatment options for you.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts during sleep. Some of the signs that you may have sleep apnea include snoring and feeling tired during the day, even after a full night's sleep.
Treatments for sleep apnea may involve using a oral appliance to keep your airway open. In some cases, surgery may be necessary.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, please ask Dr. Julie for more information. She will be able to help you determine the best course of treatment to ensure that you can enjoy a full night's sleep and wake up truly refreshed.
Julie M Thomas DDS - Providing services in cosmetic dentistry to the areas of Akron and North Canton, Ohio.
Akron Teeth Whitening
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