Dental Crowns

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped “cap” that is placed over a tooth – to cover the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and improve its appearance. Dental crowns have many uses, such as being able to “cap” a damaged tooth or cover an implant. They can also be used to attach bridges, protect a weak tooth from breaking, or restore one that’s already broken. To discuss dental crowns with one of our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry, schedule a consultation today.

If you have a tooth that has been weakened due to decay, a desire to restore a broken tooth that has been severely worn down or simply wish to enhance the aesthetics of your smile, then you may be a candidate for a dental crown. Dental crowns are fixed prosthetic devices that one of our doctors cements onto existing teeth or implants. There are several types of materials that can be used for dental crowns and our doctor will discuss them during your consultation.

If you have questions about restorative or cosmetic dentistry, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778. 

Preventive Oral Care

As adults, we may think that our years of proper brushing and flossing are behind us, but that’s not true. In fact, because we are adults, our oral care routine is more important than ever. According to the American Dental Association, preventive measures in dental treatment are intended to defend the onset of disease. For a refresher in taking care of your teeth, you should visit our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry every six months for a professional cleaning.

Swollen and bleeding gums are early signs that your gums are infected with bacteria. If nothing is done, the infection can spread. While regular dental exams are necessary to remove tartar and detect early signs of gum disease, oral health begins properly caring for your teeth and gums at home. Measures you can take to prevent gum disease and keep your teeth for a lifetime include brushing your teeth for two to three minutes twice a day along the gum line, floss daily, maintain a healthy diet, avoid cigarettes and tobacco and exercise preventive care.

If you have questions about preventive oral care, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778. 

Digital X-rays Benefit Patients

The field of dentistry is constantly evolving and our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry are keeping up with the changes by utilizing digital X-rays in the office. Digital X-rays take less time than film X-rays and have better quality viewing options for the doctor and the patient. In addition to these benefits, digital X-rays also use 70% less radiation than traditional film X-rays.

Digital X-rays provide less discomfort, detect problems sooner, and offer less time in the dental chair for the patient. Additional patient advantages include avoidance of chemical processing errors, which means that our doctors will be able to take a closer look at the teeth and surrounding structures with astounding accuracy. Additionally, with digital X-ray equipment, X-ray images are instantly stored and ready to view on the computer so you and the doctor can take a closer look at what’s going on in your mouth.

If you have questions or concerns about advancements in dental technology, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

Bridges

Bridges are one of our specialties at Garrison Family Dentistry in Smithville. When people need extensive restorative work done, bridges allow multiple teeth to be restored at once. Depending on an individual patient’s needs, there are several forms a bridge might take.

A bridge is a prosthetic device made up of several crowns. The classic dental bridge was designed so that the crowns on its ends would be cemented over natural teeth, and there would be an additional artificial crown suspended between them. This design had the advantage of allowing patients to keep their natural tooth roots, which was good for the structure of their jaw and avoided lengthy surgical recoveries. However, it required the base crowns to be significantly reshaped, which is only ideal in circumstances in which those crowns would need to be replaced anyway.

Bridges can also be made in the form of partial dentures. These devices may clasp onto existing teeth, but they permit healthy intervening teeth to simply be left alone, instead of being extracted or reshaped. A partial denture may be supported by mini-implants. A bridge may also be supported by normally-sized implants if it is not meant to be removable.

Dr. Matthew Garrison operates at Garrison Family Dentistry, 14790 N. 169 Highway, Smithville, Missouri, 64089. To schedule an appointment, call 816-532-8778 or visit GarrisonDentistry.com and fill out a contact sheet.

 

Tooth Sensitivity

If you drink hot and cold beverages with caution to avoid tooth pain, you may be a victim of dentin hypersensitivity. Also known as tooth sensitivity, this occurs when the enamel that protects our teeth grows thinner, or because gum recession has begun, exposing the underlying dentin. When the dentin is exposed, enamel no longer has a layer of protection. When this happens, our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry will need to address the problem.

Tooth sensitivity can range from mild to severe. It’s one thing to wince at a hot cup of coffee, but it’s another to breathe in cold air and feel the chill in your tooth root. Causes of tooth sensitivity include, but are not limited to, overzealous brushing, lack of oral care, or tooth erosion from a diet that is highly acidic. Proper oral hygiene is the key to preventing tooth pain. It’s important to visit our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry to get your sensitivity under control.

If you have questions or concerns regarding tooth sensitivity, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

Teeth Whitening

Patients of Garrison Family Dentistry are always asking our doctors about the best way to get to their whitest smile.  Everyone likes to make a great impression with a nice smile and we are excited to offer an at-home whitening option to patients with serious staining to the teeth, and those with minor stains who want to achieve a bright, white smile.

A consultation can help you determine how severe your stains are and what kind of results you can expect from a whitening treatment.  To whiten your teeth at home, we outfit patients with whitening gel and a set of custom trays for application.  A dentist takes an impression of your teeth, and from this impression two custom trays are made for your top and bottom teeth. 

The trays are made for you to take home and use by applying gel to the trays and then fitting them over your teeth. The dentist’s recommendation of how often to treat and how long each treatment should last may vary.  When following the dentist’s recommendations, most patients see results of teeth whitening 4-8 shades.

To learn more about teeth whitening and all the services we offer, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.

Cosmetic Services to Improve Your Smile

If your teeth are yellow in color, or if you have chips, cracks, or fractures in the teeth, our doctors at Garrison Family Dentistry have a variety of cosmetic services to help improve the appearance of your smile. Cosmetic dental services are designed to enhance a patient’s smile while restoring the teeth and gums to their natural function. Allow us to educate you on the different types of services we provide at our practice.

If you are unhappy with the aesthetics of your smile, it’s best to schedule a consultation with one of our doctors so that he or she can assess your needs and perform an oral exam. Cosmetic dental services such as veneers, crowns, teeth whitening, or tooth-reshaping, are designed to improve the overall look of a tooth (or several teeth) but also assist in improving a tooth’s function as well. Our doctors are skilled to answer any questions you may have about the techniques used to improve your smile.

If you have questions or concerns regarding cosmetic services, please give us a call. To learn more about the services we provide at our practice, visit www.garrisondentistry.com for more information. To schedule an appointment with Garrison Family Dentistry here in Smithville, MO, call 816-532-8778.