Fillings
No one likes to hear that they have a cavity—not kids, and especially not adults. But if the inevitable happens and someone in your family needs a filling, Tuscarora Family Dental Care in Martinsburg can get your smile back on track. Our compassionate approach and gentle touch make everyone from toddlers to grandparents relax and rest while their cavities are filled. We only place white, BPA-free dental composites for cavity fillings in part, because they are tooth colored and don’t mar the appearance of your wonderful smile. Also in part, because they are more stable in your tooth than mercury-metal fillings, which can expand and contract with hot or cold foods and drinks. That expansion and contraction can allow bacteria to enter the tooth, causing even more damage under your filling. Additionally, metal fillings contain mercury which can can compromise your immune system and cause whole body health issues.
While we usually discover cavities during routine checkups, x-rays, or even cleanings, if you or your child have pain when eating or drinking something hot or cold, dark spots or unusual staining that won’t go away with brushing, or pain when you bit down, please call us right away. The sooner we clear away decay and infection and fill your tooth, the more enamel we will save. Plus, even seemingly small cavities can lead to abscesses and tooth loss. Cavities are serious business — and Tuscarora Family Dental Care treats them that way.
Porcelain Inlays and Onlays
Sometimes teeth in our Martinsburg dental office need a little more TLC than a filling or bonding can provide but don’t need the full commitment of a crown because there is still enough healthy enamel available to function on its own. In those cases, we may recommend the strength and beauty of porcelain inlays and onlays. These restorations are more like a partial crown in that they are made of pure, biocompatible porcelain, but they only cover the part of the tooth that needs to be repaired and reinforced.
Inlays are ideal for instances when the cusps or points of the teeth are undamaged and healthy. The inlay is placed inside the cusps and covers only the inside surface.
Onlays can cover one or more cusps, but not the entire tooth.
The biggest difference between fillings or bonding and inlays or onlays is that they will require two visits for placement. Unlike bonding which is mixed, shaded, and placed right here in our office, we will take molds of your tooth or teeth, send them to our labs where they will be custom created just for you, and upon their completion, bond the porcelain restorations in place for a strong, highly durable, and comfortable repair.
Crowns and Bridges
Dental crowns really are amazing. They can save almost any tooth by acting as a brand new surface, perfectly seal and protect teeth after a root canal, and even anchor a prosthetic tooth in place for a dental bridge.
Because we want your crown to work just the way it should for your particular needs, we offer crowns in a variety of materials including:
- Metal-free porcelain – offer an incredibly natural look with no darkness at the margins
- Porcelain-fused to Metal (PFM) – ideal for molars or those with bruxism issues, PFM combines the strength of metal with the aesthetic advantages of porcelain
- Gold – traditionally considered the most successful restorations available
- Zirconia – rivaling gold in durability, zirconia crowns are our premier aesthetic option and are ideal for teeth that are highly visible in your smile
In the creation of a bridge, crowns are used as anchors and are bonded to the teeth on either side of the area missing teeth. This allows your prosthetic teeth to stay comfortably and permanently in place for improved chewing and speaking and improved confidence when smiling.
Dental Implants
Missing teeth can absolutely take the zest out of life making smiling embarrassing, chewing painful, and speaking difficult. Tuscarora Family Dental Care in Martinsburg now offers the incredible freedom and functionality of dental implants for either single teeth or to anchor partials and dentures. No adhesive required! For more information about Dental Implants, please visit our Implant Dentistry page.
Dentures
We would love all of our Martinsburg patients to experience the freedom of dental implants. Implants are the perfect solution for missing teeth, because they replace both the root and the tooth, keeping bone stimulated, and preventing everything from denture slippage to bone shrinkage for a more stable fit and a more youthful appearance. Unfortunately, not everyone is a good candidate for dental implants because of bone loss, medical conditions, or other issues. In those cases, we offer removable dentures.
Instead, these dentures are custom made for you, taking into consideration the shape of your face, the appearance of your previous teeth, and your gender. As with all removable dentures, Tuscarora Family Dental Care dentures rest on your gums instead of on implant posts. And while these dentures will need to be secured with dental adhesive, they are designed to stay secure, feel better, and look marvelous in your smile. If you are edentulous and have enough bone to support at least a few implant posts, we would love to discuss whether implant-retained dentures would be a better option for you.
We are now proud to offer a permanent alternative to removable dentures that can actually make patients look younger. Click to learn more about New You Dentures™.
Partials
Partial dentures are the option of choice for tooth replacement when one or more teeth remain in your jaw. Keeping any viable teeth in your smile is the best option because your tooth roots keep your jawbone stimulated and prevent bone loss. That’s important because bone loss contributes to gum issues, jawbone shrinkage, ill-fitting prosthetics, TMJ, and an aged appearance. Unfortunately, we see a lot of patients who are struggling with outdated and uncomfortable partial dentures, so while they are enjoying the benefits of keeping at least some of their teeth, they certainly aren’t enjoying the fit and function of their dentures. While we do offer implant retained dentures as the ideal replacement, if you are not a candidate, we can help you discover superior comfort and fit with our flexible-base partial dentures.
While most dentures and partials are created of a rigid, resin or metal base (we offer those as well), flexible dentures are made of an innovative nylon base. This base eliminates all kinds of problems people usually have with their partials including:
- Long waits for the manufacturing process
- Painful and annoying adjustment periods
- The need to hold the denture in place with lips and tongue
- The use of gooey dental adhesives
In fact, these partials are so great, most of the patients we talk to about this option decide to switch from rigid partials to the superior replacements available here at Tuscarora Family Dental Care. We think you are worth it!
Endodontics
Some people cringe at the very mention of endodontics (otherwise known as root canals), but we often wonder why root canals have such a scary reputation. After all, root canals are a miracle for people who would otherwise lose a tooth or teeth to infection. The truth is, root canals stop the pain, they don’t cause it! We offer root canals to people who are suffering from all kinds of symptoms including:
- Prolonged toothache
- Severe sensitivity
- Pain when chewing
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Jaw tenderness
- Pimple-like eruptions on the gums
Sometimes, tooth-pulp and nerve infections can be so bad that the pain stops, even when the infection is still present. If you notice any of the above symptoms, or your tooth has become dark and discolored after a toothache, please give us a call. We can save your tooth, stop your pain, and get you back to smiling again.
Oral Surgery
We understand – oral surgery is not something anyone looks forward to. But here at Tuscarora Family Dental Care, we help our Martinsburg neighbors get through surgery a little bit more pleasantly. We always treat you with compassion, explain everything in detail, listen to your concerns, and make sure you are absolutely comfortable every step of the way. Plus, our doctors are so highly trained and proficient, we rarely have to refer our patients to an oral surgeon so you can get all the care you need at the office you know and trust. Our oral surgery procedures include:
- Pre-prosthetic surgery such as bone grafting and augmentation, sinus lifts, and soft tissue augmentation to prepare for implant placement
- Minor tooth extractions when teeth cannot be saved
- Major surgeries such as wisdom tooth extractions
In addition to all the comforts we offer like soothing blankets and neck pillows, we offer a variety of pain management options to help you nap through your surgery. Talk to us about what might be best for you.
