General Dentistry
Even when we are doing our best to keep our mouths in good health with proper home care and regular dental visits, problems with our teeth can still arise, and Dr. Leong and his team are here to help you when you need it.
White Fillings
At Bow View Dental Care, we use tooth coloured composite resin to rebuild teeth affected by cavities. This modern filling material is widely used for most cases in dental clinics today. Although silver (amalgam) fillings were most common in the past and are a good material to use, white fillings have the added advantage of looking more natural and are free of the mercury that is contained in metal fillings.
Crowns
Sometimes a filling alone is not enough to build a tooth back up to its original size and strength after being affected by decay or fracture. In these cases, a crown (sometimes called a ‘cap’) is recommended to reinforce the overall structure of a tooth to prevent it from cracking or breaking that might otherwise result in the possible loss of your tooth. Crowns can also be used to build teeth back into their proper bite or improve the look of your smile. Crowns can be made of metal, a combination of porcelain and metal, or be all porcelain to provide the best esthetics.
The treatment of a crown will require 2 visits with Dr. Leong. During your first visit, he will prepare the tooth to receive the crown, take impressions of the tooth, and prepare a temporary crown that you will wear between visits. The impressions are sent to a lab where a crown will be custom made to the right colour and shape to match your teeth and bite. When you return for your shorter second appointment, the temporary crown will be removed, and the custom crown will be bonded into place, making everything feel and look like new.
Root Canal Therapy
Sometimes when a problem becomes more extensive, a root canal may be necessary to treat the pain or infection you are experiencing and keep you from losing the tooth involved. Although they have received a bad reputation, a properly done root canal is no more uncomfortable than having a cavity filled and is a fairly routine procedure.
The most common cause for needing this treatment is a cavity that has gotten large enough to introduce harmful bacteria to the nerve of the tooth, resulting in an infection or abscess. A root canal might also be necessary due to trauma, multiple fillings over the years, or as the first step of repairing a severely broken down tooth. An abscessed tooth will often cause swelling and pain and if left long enough, can even travel to other parts of the body causing more widespread problems.
A root canal is performed with local anesthetic the same way a filling is done. During the procedure, Dr. Leong will use special tiny instruments and cleaning solutions to sanitize the inside of the tooth and then he will fill and seal off the resulting space to prevent further infection and discomfort. Most teeth that have been treated with a root canal will require a crown to protect the tooth from cracking or breaking. Because the quality of your care is of utmost importance to Dr. Leong, he will sometimes refer you to a specialist for a root canal procedure to ensure that complex or difficult cases will not have any problems in the future.
Tooth extractions
The thought of having a tooth extracted can be an anxiety causing ordeal, but with Dr. Leong, you can rest assured that he will do everything he can to make the experience as comfortable for you as possible. When properly numbed, removing a tooth can feel as no more than some mild pressure and pushing on the teeth. For very nervous patients, a mild sedative or nitrous oxide (laughing gas) can be used to help with any anxiety.
Night Guards
Teeth grinding, if present, often happens at night and can result in severe wear and sensitivity of teeth, as well as causing you to wake up with headaches or jaw and neck pain. The fabrication of a night guard is a very common dental procedure and wearing this acrylic appliance can protect the teeth from damage and reduce or possibly eliminate other symptoms. To make a night guard we will first see you for a short appointment to take impressions of your upper and lower teeth which will be sent to a lab where they will custom make your appliance to exactly fit your teeth. When you return for your second appointment, Dr. Leong will make any adjustments necessary to precisely balance your bite with the appliance. A well fitting, high quality night guard is relatively inexpensive and in the long run can save you from requiring very costly treatment to repair severe damage from grinding.
Sports Guards
Cochrane kids today are extremely active with many involved in some form of organized sports. Proper protective gear for children playing in any sport that may result in bodily contact, whether intended or by accident, should include a custom made, well fitting sports guard to protect the teeth from possible trauma as well as aid in preventing injury to the jaw joint, lips, tongue, and neck. A custom mouth guard will be more comfortable than ones you buy in a store because of a more precise fit and better quality guards will be more supportive and thus lower the risk of injury. Dr. Leong can fabricate a custom sports guard for your child in his clinic for a relatively low cost and wearing one will help reduce the need for expensive dental treatments from any sports accident.