Porcelain Veneers

If you’re unhappy with the way your teeth look, veneers are an effective method for reshaping and redesigning your smile. Whether your teeth have gaps, stains, cracks, chips or other issues, you can get the smile you’ve always wanted with veneers. Veneers are thin shells that cover the existing tooth structure in your mouth, and Dr. Matthew Garrison uses porcelain veneers to give his patients the smile they’ve always wanted.

 

Having veneers placed usually only takes two visits. During the first visit, you can discuss the shape and look of the smile you want to accomplish with the doctor, and then your teeth will be prepared. Dr. Garrison will prepare your teeth for veneers by removing a small amount of enamel to ensure a secure and natural-feeling bond.  An impression is taken of your mouth so that the veneers can be fabricated to fit your existing teeth. This fabrication process takes between 5 to 7 days and is done in a laboratory of the highest standards. You will be provided with temporary veneers during your wait. Then the final veneers are bonded to your teeth to create an attractive smile that looks and feels natural.

 

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Matthew Garrison in Smithville, MO, call (816) 532-8778. For more information please also visitwww.garrisondentistry.com. 

Dental Crowns

Crowns are used to protect and strengthen teeth that have become extremely weak, decayed or fractured. Covering your affected tooth and restoring it to its original shape and size, dental crowns (sometimes called caps) can help reduce pain, save your tooth from needing to be extracted and keep your smile beautiful and functional. At our office in Smithville, MO, we can see if a crown is necessary to save your smile.

 

Over time, as your teeth begin to weaken, they become more susceptible to problems, including decay, cracks and discoloration. Crowns are usually only necessary if decay has reached the point where the tooth structure is compromised. When a crown is installed, the decay is removed from the tooth and a core build-up is used to insulate the nerve and create a surface to bond the crown to. An impression is then made of this surface so that crown can be custom fitted. Usually made of porcelain, gold or porcelain fused to metal, the crown is fabricated in a lab and then cemented onto the current tooth. This fabrication process can take between two to three weeks.

 

Crowns are made incredibly strong to protect the remaining tooth structure, and the custom fit ensures that the seam between tooth and crown is miniscule, which helps protect the tooth from further decay.

 

If you’re experiencing pain in one of your teeth, stop by our office to see if a crown can save your smile. Schedule an appointment with us at Garrison Family Dental by calling 816-532-8778 or visit www.garrisondentistry.com. 

Veneers

If you think movie star smiles come from teeth whitening or straightening alone, you’d be wrong.  The real secret to a white, bright, flawless smile is porcelain veneers. At our Smithville, MO dental practice, we utilize dental veneers to completely change your smile.  The results have added up to some dramatically beautified smiles.  Many of us would love a close-up-ready, celebrity smile, but how can you be sure if porcelain veneers are the right option for you?

 

Determining whether or not veneers are a sensible cosmetic option for you begins with understanding just what they are, which Dr. Matthew Garrison details during your first appointment.  Veneers are a thin ceramic shell that fits over the tooth and creates a new, customized smile surface. Each veneer is custom crafted according to an overall desired smile appearance.  We will take a mold of your teeth and have the veneers created at a third-party dental lab. Dr. Garrison uses this restorative treatment for patients who have significant tooth staining, cracked, gapped, misaligned or chipped teeth.

 

Smithville residents who visit the cosmetic and restorative dentistry practice are given comprehensive, one-on-one attention in determining which options are best for restoring and improving their smiles-- whether they’re seeking porcelain veneers or another one of Dr. Garrison’s services.

 

Give us a call at Garrison Family Dentistry for a consultation with Dr. Garrison to discuss porcelain veneers!

Dental Crowns

We use dental crowns in order to create stronger teeth that function properly. Crowns are a great tool when a patient’s teeth become weak due to decay, cracks, discoloration and other issues.  A crown is essentially a “cap” that covers up your damaged tooth. Unlike removable devices such as dentures or a Snap-On-Smile’s, a crown can be used to improve appearance, shape or alignment.

 

Crowns are cemented onto existing teeth and should only be removed by the dentist. Dental crowns are used in many applications but mostly, they are used to protect a weak tooth from a fracture and to restore a fractured tooth.

 

Crowns are typically made from porcelain fused to metal or a full gold crown. A porcelain crown can be matched to the shade of your other teeth, allowing it to blend in and appear just as your natural teeth do. The process of installing a crown usually takes 2-3 visits. Dr. Matthew Garrison will start by reshaping the enamel of the broken tooth so the crown can be placed over it properly. Once the tooth has been reshaped, a mold will be created of that tooth and the surrounding teeth. A temporary crown will be set in place so the teeth do not shift while the permanent crown is being created. Once the crown is completed, it will be put in place and bonded with cement to assure it stays in place.

 

If you are interested in a crown because you’ve broken, cracked or lost a tooth due to decay, come in for a consultation with Dr. Garrison. Call at 816-532-8706 or visit us at www.garrisondentistry.com to learn more about dental crowns. 

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are a great solution if you are looking to literally “bridge the gap” created by one or more missing teeth. We use dental bridges to restore smiles, improve talking and chewing abilities and help maintain the shape of your face. We utilize dental bridges to get your smiles back to its natural look.

 

Creating a bridge is quite simple. Dr. Garrison will create a base out of the existing teeth where the bridge will be attached. The existing teeth are reshaped to support the base of the bridge. After the abutments are created, a mold is cast of the area and sent to a dental lab. The lab uses the mold to manufacture a permanent bridge. Dr. Garrison will fit you with a temporary bridge in order to keep your teeth from shifting. The permanent bridge usually takes between 1-2 weeks to be created. During the second visit, Dr. Garrison will remove thetemporary bridge and the new permanent bridge will be checked and adjusted. The bridge will be placed on the abutments and an adhesive will be used to make sure the bridge is set.

 

Replacing missing teeth with a dental bridge will make eating easier. We recommend that our patients eat soft foods immediately following the procedure, but after a couple days patients can resume their normal diet. You will also see improved speech with dental bridges. The gaps caused by missing teeth often make speech difficult, by filling in those spaces, patients will drastically improve speech.

 

If you are missing teeth and considering dental bridges, give us a call at 816-532-8706 or visit us at www.garrisondentistry.com to learn more about this unique restorative treatment method!

White Fillings

When teeth become decayed, they're often in need of a filling. Nowadays, most patients don’t want to have fillings that are obvious to others when talking, smiling or laughing. Here at Garrison Family Dentistry in Smithville, OH we provide composite resin fillings, which are also known as white fillings.

These fillings are the same color as the patient’s tooth, so they aren’t obvious to anyone else. White fillings not only helps the patient protect their tooth from further decay, but feel more confident when they smile knowing no one knows it’s there.

White fillings have many benefits to patients that make them a great dental filling option:

·         They are the same white color of the tooth being filled.

·         White fillings can be blended to be any shade, regardless of the color of the tooth.

·         They are not significantly more expensive than other fillings.

·         White fillings are just as efficient in protecting teeth as alternatives.

It takes slightly longer for the process of white fillings than metal fillings because white fillings are blended to match our patient’s tooth. Otherwise, they look and feel like any other filling, allowing the patient to fill a cavity and protect their tooth from more serious problems. If you have a cavity and are in need of a filling, call us today at 816-532-8706 to see if you are a candidate for white fillings.

Crowns

Crowns are one of many services we provide in Smithville, MO. Dr. Matthew Garrison provides dental crowns to our patients who need to protect their teeth, whether they are weakened from decay or a previous root canal.

Crowns are custom made to fit over the tooth and are bonded to fit securely. While they are not a permanent solution, they can last 10-15 years with good care and maintenance. Crowns are brushed and flossed daily, just like natural teeth, and patients can eat normally with them.

Here at Garrison Family Dentistry in Smithfield, MO, we provide crowns for a variety of purposes. Some patients have weakened teeth that are susceptible to breaking because of tooth decay or a root canal. They need a crown to protect the tooth and keep it. Other patients have staining or do not like the appearance of a particular tooth, and choose to get a porcelain crown to cover it. Whatever the reason, we are happy to provide a crown in 2-3 short dental visits. Give us a call if you have any questions about dental crowns and how they are performed. When you call, ask us about our complimentary X-rays with a new patient exam.

Night Guards

Night guards are an essential piece of orthodontic equipment worn by our patients who have problems with teeth grinding or clenching their teeth while they sleep. Here at Garrison Family Dentistry, we have many young and old patients with signs of teeth grinding. These signs include waking up with headaches, jaw soreness or the enamel on their teeth wearing down. We offer a special type of night guard, called an NTI night guard.

There are a variety of reasons our patients need a night guard, including the following:

1) Children or adults who play contact sports and need to protect their teeth.

2)People who grind or clench their teeth at night.

3)Children or adults with TMJ or TMD, which increase the risk of teeth grinding.

4)Patients that are experiencing jaw or head pain as a result of teeth grinding.

The NTI night guard is FDA approved and is custom made for the patient. Dr. Matthew Garrison takes impressions of the teeth and has a night guard made to fit comfortably in the patient’s mouth. It helps protect their teeth while they sleep and helps patients find relief for head, neck, ear or jaw pain. If you are in the Smithville, OH area want to find out if a night guard might be of benefit to you, call us directly at (816) 532-8706.

Veneers

Here at Garrison Family Dentistry, we offer veneers as a cosmetic dentistry option for patients who want to get the smile they desire.

We recommend veneers to our Smithville, MO patients for many reasons, including

• Gaps between teeth


• Tooth discoloration


• Severe tooth staining


• Chips in teeth


• Cracked teeth


• Irregularly shaped teeth

Dental veneers are made of thin pieces of porcelain and are custom made to fit over the existing teeth. When they are bonded securely to the tooth, they feel and appear to be like natural teeth and are not obvious to others. Patients who get veneers can continue eating, talking and brushing their teeth without the worry that the veneers will fall off. The entire process of getting veneers by Dr. Matthew Garrison doesn’t take more than three visits and two weeks right here in our office.

To determine if veneers are the best option for your cosmetic smile makeover, please contact us directly at Garrison Family Dentistry and arrange your consultation. Don’t forget to ask us about our patient specials.

Grinding and Clenching Your Teeth Can Cause Headaches

Do you wake up in the morning with a headache and sore jaw?  Before dismissing your morning headaches as an annoyance, consider visiting our practice for an evaluation.  These symptoms are commonly a result of TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorder. 

TMJ develops from grinding and clenching your teeth.  This places excessive pressure on the joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull, often resulting in headaches.  Night grinding, stress and injuries can all cause you to experience headaches.

Unfortunately, the signs of TMJ tend to go unnoticed.  Many people do not realize that they are grinding and clenching their teeth throughout the night.  At our practice, we work with patients to minimize and eliminate pressure on the temporomandibular joint.  We provide our patients with custom night guards, jaw exercises, and proper restorative dental maintenance to reduce pressure and eliminate headaches.

If you are experiencing headaches as a result of grinding and clenching, visit our practice.  We are happy to help patients find relief from TMJ.

Root Canal Therapy

When the nerves of a tooth become infected, we experience pain and sensitivity as a result.  It is important to address these infections before serious and costly complications develop.  This is why we stress that patients experiencing any dental pains visit our practice for care.  If we determine that an infection is the cause of your pain, we offer precise and comfortable root canal therapy procedures.

While root canals have a bad reputation, we at Garrison Family Dentistry assure all of our patients that modern root canals are actually painless.  With local anesthetic and precision dental tools, infected tissue can be removed in a minimally invasive procedure.  Once the root canal is completed, your tooth can be capped with an inlay, onlay, filling or crown to protect your tooth structure. 

We want all of our patients to feel comfortable seeking the dental care they need.  If you are in need of root canal therapy, rely on us to provide you with an effective and painless root canal experience.

Dental Bridges

We offer several restorative dental services at Garrison Family Dentistry.  When patients visit us to restore a tooth in full, but they are not candidates for dental implants, we provide them with reliable, affordable dental bridges.  Each bridge is custom crafted from high quality dental porcelain, ensuring that your new prosthetic blends in naturally with the rest of your smile.  The result is a beautiful smile and restored oral health.

As the name suggests, bridges are used to bridge the gap left behind by a missing tooth.  This is accomplished by modifying the surrounding teeth to support the new prosthetic.  Each supporting tooth is fitted with a crown and the bridge is bonded in between.  As a result, our patients are left with a beautiful smile that looks and feels just like the real thing.

Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Some of us are fortunate enough to be born without wisdom teeth, or to have them grow in perfectly straight.  However, most people are not so lucky.  Wisdom teeth can become impacted, or cause crowding and smile gaps.  This is why we offer precise, comfortable wisdom tooth extractions at our practice. 

Wisdom teeth can cause a number of dental problems if they are not addressed and removed, if necessary.  Impacted teeth can affect the gum, jaw bone and surrounding teeth.   Patients may experience pain, tooth sensitivity and even develop cysts. 

We encourage patients to visit our practice for x-rays, even if you aren’t experiencing any dental pain.  With a careful record of your wisdom tooth growth, we can determine if an extraction will be necessary.  Wisdom tooth extraction is precise thanks to the advanced dental tools and technologies used at our practice.  Any post-op discomfort is manageable with over-the-counter medications.  We invite you to visit us at Garrison Family Dentistry to learn more about wisdom tooth extractions.

Periodontal Disease

Are you familiar with the serious oral health condition known as periodontal disease? Gum disease, gingivitis, and periodontitis all refer to periodontal disease in various states.  This inflammatory condition causes a number of health complications, including swelling, bleeding and recession of the gum tissue; foul and resilient bad breath; as well as loosening of the teeth, shifting of previous dental work and bite misalignment.

While the effects of periodontal disease can be detrimental and costly to reverse, it’s very simple to prevent this condition. Follow these essential steps:

• Brush and floss at least twice a day with a soft bristled brush, fluoride toothpaste and waxed dental floss.


• Avoid all tobacco products and frequent heavy drinking.


• Reduce intake of foods and drinks that are high in sugar and acidity.


• Be diligent about making twice yearly dental checks and undergo professional cleanings.

If you’d like to learn more about gum disease prevention, you’re concerned that you may have periodontal disease or if you know you’re in need of treatment, we invite you here to Garrison Family Dentistry.    

Oral Hygiene and Heart Disease

Your oral hygiene affects more than just your smile. Now dentists and patients alike are gaining a better understating of how periodontal health problems that result from poor oral hygiene can have a serious impact on overall health and longevity. The reason for this is a problematic substance known as plaque.

Plaque forms between the teeth and around the gums when bacteria proliferation is not controlled through brushing, flossing and professional dental cleanings. This plaque buildup causes inflammation of the gums and frequently results in soreness and bleeding. As the plaque causing bacteria enter the bloodstream as a result of gum inflammation, there is a possibility that they can cause the same plaque buildup in the circulatory system. This increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and other serious issues, including heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

While experts are still exploring the link between oral and systemic health, we here at Garrison Family Dentistry encourage all of our patients to take care of their teeth and gums, because maintaining a beautiful, health smile could mean a longer, healthier life.  

Bad Breath

The topic of bad breath can be tough to confront, whether it’s yours or someone else’s. And, whether or not you know you have it, it’s always a good idea to take steps against bad breath—as they are often one in the same with good dental hygiene.

Most bad breath can be traced to a source in the oral cavity, whether it’s trapped food particles or potent beverage residue, bacterial and plaque buildup, unclean dental prosthetics, gum disease, or even cavities. Many of our patients here at Garrison Family Dentistry regularly ask us what they can do to prevent bad breath.  Besides completing all necessary dental work and consistently undergoing regular exams, there are a number of steps you can take to reduce bad breath on your own.

• Drink plenty of water: Drinking water helps flush away food and beverage residue. It also keeps your teeth and gums hydrated, which inhibits bacteria growth.


• Reduce intake of coffee and alcohol: Both substances can contribute to suborn breath and dehydration.


• Abstain from all tobacco products: Cigarettes, pipes and chewing tobacco all contribute to fouls breath and other periodontal issues that feed into the problem.


• Brush, floss and use alcohol-free mouthwash every day: Good oral hygiene controls bacteria and prevents a number of dental problems. Your at-home hygiene efforts are extremely important in keeping your smile beautiful and fresh.  

6 Month Braces for Adults

Many adult patients who wish to straighten their smile are hesitant to proceed with traditional braces due to their appearance and the time commitment that’s required for treatment. Here at Garrison Family Dental, we provide a solution to this orthodontic dilemma. 6-Month Adult Braces provide our patients with a way to cosmetically straighten teeth in as few as six months.  By focusing on the most visible portion of the smile, comfortable and highly discreet brackets are used to efficiently move the teeth into a more aesthetic position. The treatment is ideal for our adult patients with mild to moderate crowding, spacing and other smile misalignment issues.

To determine if 6-Month Adult Braces is right for you, we welcome you to Garrison Family Dental for a comprehensive consultation.