General Dentistry Charlotte, NC
Your Charlotte dentist, Dr. Leo Uicker, DDS, is an expert in protecting your oral health. In addition to providing preventive care, he can also diagnose and treat the teeth, gums, mouth, and jaw. Dr. Uicker can also help improve your self-confidence with functional and cosmetic dental restorations.
At Leo Uicker, DDS Cosmetic & Restorative Dentistry, Dr. Uicker offers a variety of general dentistry services to keep your smile healthy and looking its best. Read on to learn more about the most common dental services we offer or call our Charlotte, NC office at (704) 540-1212 to schedule your next appointment!
General Dental Services
Dental Exams and Cleanings
Regular checkups are one of the best ways you can maintain your oral health. The American Dental Association recommends an exam and cleaning every six months, although some dental conditions make more frequent visits advisable.
Dr. Uicker will examine your teeth, gums, and mouth thoroughly, looking for indications of tooth decay, damaged fillings, gum disease, oral cancer, and any other oral concerns. X-rays will be taken if necessary to check the health of tooth and bone in hard-to-see locations and below the gum line.
Your hygienist will examine the surface of your teeth and your gum health. This might involve evaluating the depth of gum pockets and gum attachment to the teeth. Special tools will be used to clean the teeth and remove tartar, the hardened plaque, which can’t be removed at home. Your teeth will be polished and flossed, and fluoride might be applied.
A dental exam usually takes 30-60 minutes. After your checkup and cleaning, your dentist and hygienist will give you tips for improving and maintain your oral care.
Bonding
Dental bonding is a conservative cosmetic treatment, which uses composite resin to repair and restore the tooth surface.
Bonding is commonly used to repair chips and minor cracks, cover stained or discolored enamel, close small gaps between teeth, remodel the contours of teeth, which are undersized, crooked, or misshapen, and rebuild areas where enamel erosion has taken place.
Bridges
A bridge is a restoration that makes your smile complete again after tooth loss. Bridges use prosthetic teeth to “bridge” the gaps caused by missing teeth. These prosthetic teeth are crafted from metal, porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal, and are matched in size, shape, and color to the teeth they’re replacing for a natural appearance. A bridge can replace up to four adjacent teeth but is typically used to replace one or two.
Traditional bridges are fixed in place and are anchored by crowns placed on the healthy teeth on each side of the gap. Bridges can also be attached to dental implants. Because a bridge requires healthy teeth, gums, and bone for a long-lasting and successful restoration, any dental problems will need to be treated beforehand.
Crowns
When a tooth has suffered structural or cosmetic damage, a dental crown can restore a tooth’s function and appearance. A crown is a custom-made “cap” which covers the entire visible surface of the tooth. Crowns are used to strengthen and protect teeth with extensive decay, breakage, or cracks, restore a tooth after a root canal procedure, cover a discolored or irregularly shaped tooth, serve as an anchor for a dental bridge, or complete a dental implant procedure.
Most crown placements require two appointments: one appointment to prepare the tooth and take an impression for crown fabrication, and one visit to fit and bond the crown to the prepared tooth. Crowns are available in several different materials. You can choose metal, porcelain, or composite resin based on factors such as durability, natural appearance, and cost.
Dentures
If you’ve lost some or all of your teeth because of trauma, periodontal infection, or decay, dentures are one option which can offer you a healthier, more attractive smile. Full or partial dentures make it easier to eat, chew, and speak clearly, support the cheeks and lips for a more youthful appearance, prevent remaining teeth from shifting out of place, and restore self-confidence.
Conventional full dentures are created and placed after the gums have healed following any extractions. Immediate dentures are placed directly after extraction, and typically require regular adjustments for fit and comfort. Partial dentures are secured to adjacent teeth, and, unlike bridges, are removable. Implant-supported full and partial dentures are also an option.
Fillings
When decay is caught early, your Charlotte, NC dentist can treat your cavity conservatively by restoring your tooth’s function and appearance with a filling.
For most small to moderate cavities, direct fillings can be bonded to the tooth immediately after removing decay and cleaning and shaping the tooth. Composite resin, dental amalgam, and glass ionomer fillings are typically used for this type of single visit restoration.
An indirect filling restores molars and premolars with larger areas of damage or decay. An inlay fills the tooth surface inside the cusps, while an onlay typically covers the center of the tooth and one or more cusps. Indirect fillings can be made of composite resin, gold, or porcelain, and are created from a mold taken after the tooth is cleaned and prepped. The finished filling is bonded to the tooth at a second visit.
Implant Dentistry
Dental implants from your dentist in Charlotte, NC are a popular and effective way to replace lost teeth. During the implant procedure, a cylinder or screw, usually made of titanium, is surgically implanted into the jawbone. The implant fuses with the bone over several months. Once the area has healed, an abutment is connected on one end to the inside of the implant. A crown is then securely attached to the other end of the abutment, which sits above the gum line. The result is a tooth which looks and functions just like a natural tooth.
Candidates for implants need healthy bone for the implant to succeed. If there are concerns with bone size or density, a bone graft can be performed first. After three to four months of healing, the jawbone generally has enough size and density to accept an implant.
Root Canal Treatment
When bacteria infect the tooth pulp, a root canal procedure is necessary. Root canal treatment prevents more widespread infection by removing infected pulp tissue and saves your natural tooth by restoring tooth strength and structure with a crown.
Root canal procedures are straightforward. After the area around the tooth is numbed, your Charlotte, NC dentist will make an opening in the crown to allow access to the pulp inside. Delicate dental instruments will be used to clean the inner tooth and removed bacteria and dead or dying tissue. The area will be thoroughly disinfected, and the inside of the tooth shaped, filled, and sealed.
A temporary filling or crown might be placed on the tooth to prevent bacteria and food from entering the site while a permanent crown is created. The entire process usually takes from one to three visits.
Tooth Extractions
Dentists strive to save teeth, but sometimes extraction is necessary. Teeth might be too damaged to save due to trauma, infection, deep decay, or gum disease. Baby teeth which don’t fall out, wisdom teeth which pressure adjacent teeth, or severely overcrowded teeth might also be best treated with extraction.
Teeth are held in place by periodontal ligaments attached to the tooth socket. After the area is numbed, your dentist will use special tools to carefully loosen the tooth and lift it from the socket. A bone graft might be placed in the socket to protect your bone density before closing the site.
You’ll be given instructions to protect the site from infection and from a painful condition called dry socket. To prevent complications such as bone loss or shifting teeth caused by a missing tooth, you should discuss tooth replacement with your Charlotte dentist.
