When it comes to dental care in West Houston, our doctors at Katy Family Dentists provide the best services when it comes to all the teeth needs of you and your family. From restorative and cosmetic dentistry to teeth straightening and veneers, our staff is ready to equip you for a lifetime of smiles. Continue reading
At Katy Family Dentists, we understand that dental crowns can be essential to keeping your teeth healthy because they’re a protective covering that go around the top and sides of your tooth. Dr. Hall and Dr. Gutierrez may need to create a crown for you, especially if you have a cavity or filling that is very large and the tooth is in danger of breaking. Fortunately, at Katy Family Dentists, we use either CEREC restoration services or or a more traditional crown placement to create crowns that not only keep you in tip top oral health, but are aesthetically appealing.
CEREC CROWN RESTORATION, KATY
Our CEREC machine at Katy Family Dental is used to fabricate your new dental crown. A CEREC crown is designed and produced in one day so no need for a secondary visit. We use a 3D digital camera to create an impression of your crown which is then used to design your tailor made restoration. Designing your restoration with this impression allows us to create the exact shape and fit you’ll need to improve your oral health. Once your crown is created, Dr. Hall or Dr. Gutierrez will fit it for you, and you’ll leave Katy Family Dentists with a healthy, natural looking smile.
CROWNS FOR TEETH, KATY
Sometimes a CEREC restoration isn’t the best option for a patient when replacing an existing crown or if the crown edge goes below the gum line where it’s more difficult to make an optical impression of it. In this case, Dr. Hall or Dr. Gutierrez will implement the traditional crown procedure, first numbing the area, then reducing the sides and top of your tooth to make room for your new crown. A physical impression is then taken of your tooth in order for a dental lab to make a custom crown for you. A temporary is made and worn until your next appointment, usually around three weeks. During your second appointment, the temporary is removed and your custom made crown is filled and cemented, restoring your smile.
DENTAL CROWNS AT KATY FAMILY DENTISTS
Katy Family Dentists features high tech equipment like CEREC to give you a natural healthy smile, but we’re also highly trained in traditional methods of fitting crowns because we know every patient is different. We customize our treatment plan to you specifically, so if you’re in need of a crown or a crown replacement, request an appointment with us today.
Did you know that Dr. Hall’s father is also a dentist specializing in crowns?
Dr. Hall is a second generation dentist and actually worked with his father for 10 years before opening Katy Family Dentists. Their Galleria-area firm prepared Dr. Hall to meet all his patient’s needs — and the topic of crowns deserves a closer look:
Katy families deserve the best in dental care – and the best in dental information. For this reason we explain the reasons why we might place a crown in your mouth.
Restorative services include crowns, crown implants and CEREC
A crown is a protective covering that goes around the top and sides of your tooth. When a cavity or a filling is very large the tooth has a greater chance of breaking without a crown.
Crowns usually require two appointments, unless you are doing a CEREC crown (one day crown).
Often it may be necessary to do a traditional crown instead of a CEREC crown when you are replacing an existing crown, especially if the crown edge goes below the gum line where we can not easily get a picture.
During the first appointment your dentists will numb you and then reduce the sides and top of your tooth to make room for your crown. An impression of your tooth is then taken in order for a dental lab to make a coustom crown for your tooth. A temporary is then made and worn until you next appointment, usually about three weeks.
At your second appointment your temporary is removed and your custom made crown is fitted and cemented.
We do care deeply about the health of your teeth and gums. Often our Katy patients need restorative services to fix an injured or damaged tooth. Once again, crowns are a preferred means to restore a brilliant smile. We also offer implant crowns and CEREC – more about these services in blog posts to follow!
Whether at the Galleria or in our Katy location, the technological advantages in 2012 are greater than ever before — and dentists in general are certainly more knowledgeable about dental health and hygiene. When a patient worries about crown placements, we reassure them with the knowledge that we have faithfully served hundreds, if not thousands, of patients over the years. Your crown care is safe with us!
Contact us today for your next dental visit. We’ll take good care of you.
So, why are our Katy patients and thousands world wide choosing the CEREC restorative technique for their dental needs? Easy: Single appointment dental care!
CEREC technologies are built for convenience and time budgets
CEREC technology by Sirona Dental Systems is the world’s most popular system for the fabrication of all ceramic dental restorations in one visit — a huge convenience for our Katy area clients. From busy executives to single moms, there doesn’t seem to be enough time in the day . . . CEREC evaporates time constraints and makes life so much easier!.
With CEREC at Katy Family Dentists, you can be in and out in a single vist with a permanent, all ceramic crown or onlay! For you, the patient, this has added value:
CEREC is the way to go for easy restorative care without the worry. Check out CEREC stories for insights into patient experiences. Contact us today for more on this innovative procedure.
Our Katy patients occasionally ask about alternative treatments for Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ or TMJD). Cold laser therapy, also known as low level laser therapy, is one treatment offered by some dentists as a possible way to minimize or alleviate the pain associated TMJ.
Photo courtesy of the American Dental Association
Experimental TMJ Treatment
There are no scientific studies supporting cold laser therapy for TMJ. Patients with chronic pain conditions who are desperately seeking relief may be willing to undergo cold laser treatment knowing that the treatment is still experimental and is not currently offered at Katy Family Dentists. As we follow the information and research available we will update you, and, indeed, some dentists are offering the non-invasive cold laser treatment for the pain of headaches, migraines and TMJ. They generally use an FDA cleared, Class IV cold laser which produces pure infrared energy.
Cold Laser Treatment
By painlessly producing a beam of light that can be applied over the injured area, healing is thought to be stimulated. The reasoning behind laser light usage is that this light penetrates deeply and is absorbed by a living tissue, thus triggering biological cell reactions. Chemicals are released to circulate throughout the system, reducing pain by producing endorphins (natural pain killers) and also reducing Inflammation by suppressing inflammatory enzymes.
The ADA and TMJ
Our Katy area friends and patients may want to learn more about TMJ. According to the American Dental Association (ADA):
“Many adults suffer from chronic facial pain. Some common symptoms include pain in or around the ear, tenderness of the jaw, clicking or popping noises when opening the mouth, or headaches and neck pain.
Two joints and several jaw muscles make it possible to open and close the mouth. They work together when you chew, speak or swallow. They include muscles and ligaments, as well as the jaw bone–the mandible (lower jaw) with two joints called the temporomandibular joints or “TMJ.”
The TM joints are among the most complex joints in the body. Located on each side of the head, they work together to make many different movements, including a combination of rotating and gliding actions used when chewing and speaking.
Several muscles also help open and close the mouth. They control the lower jaw (mandible) as it moves forward, backward, and side-to-side. Both TM joints are involved in these movements. Each TM joint has a disc between the ball and socket (see diagram). The disc cushions the load while enabling the jaw to open widely and rotate or glide. Any problem that prevents this complex system of muscles, ligaments, discs and bones from working properly may result in a painful TMJ disorder.”
Katy Family Dentists can assist with your TMJ disorder or refer you to cold laser specialists! Come in for the best in dental care provided by a staff of professionals who want your smile to be vibrant and healthy! Make an appointment today!
Tongue piercings: Dentists have noticed this fad is especially popular with teens and those in their twenties — in Katy and around the world. But as common as tongue and lip piercings (also known as oral piercings) are becoming, there are risks involved.
Make an informed decision before you pierce:
Learn from the experts:
For more information, visit the American Dental Association and the Texas Department of State Health Services
At Katy Family Dentists we have watched the innovations such as Dental implants in the field of Dentistry. We want you to have the benefits of the latest advances in technologies, procedures, and comfort and cost savings. This is a constant process that we have gottenvery good at over the years.
In the past several years, dental implants have emerged as a very effective solution to excessive wear, neglect, or trauma from accidents. Out of all the treatment options for a bad tooth, a dental implant is the only choice that promotes bone growth in the jaw surrounding the tooth. A healthy bone structure around all your teeth will help prevent infections and excessive wear, and will help you to retain your teeth well into old age.
You may have looked into getting a dental implant in the last few years and been surprised by the high prices. These procedures range from basic to very complex. They involve more than working on the individual tooth itself. Implant procedures use the jawbone to anchor titanium fittings that hold the final dental prosthetic in place. This solution is much more permanent (20 – 50 years) than a bridge or a crown, and there is no inconvenience like you have with dentures, taking them in and out.
This treatment option requires careful assessment of the patient’s health, and the jawbone structure in the mouth. It often requires anesthesia, and adequate healing time for the bone to regenerate around the implant. There are a number of steps involved and instructions for the patient to follow, before, during and after the procedure.
At Katy Family Dentists we are qualified to assess your case, and make recommendations on the need for a specialist such as an oral surgeon to get you a lasting, confident smile. Katy Family Dentists is a great place to start because for many of these implants, since we will be doing a share of the work. A basic implant can be done for the right price – and we are ready to help you with a reliable, safe implant solution to bring you a beautiful smile. Our philosophy is to give the same advice and care that we would to our own family.
So give us a call and come by! 281 398 3432
It means Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. You should know about this. This is the future direction of dentistry. Katy Family Dentists is very proud to offer this technology.
Yes, you care about your appearance. Yes, it’s true that when your teeth are working right, you are healthier, and you feel it. Yes, Katy Family Dentists is a friendly, busy place that people like to visit.
-but getting it done all in one visit — pretty impressive!
It is true you can set one appointment, and walk in and walk out with a major fix of a problem that you’ve been dealing with for a long time. This is very high-value. Let’s look at CEREC closer up!
The important words are CEREC restoration services. It is the use of complex imaging, sophisticated computer aided design software and a self-contained, extremely precise milling machine humming in the next room – that lets you relax in the dental chair, listen to some good music, have some pleasant conversation and walk out with a restorative fix of your dental issue that with traditional treatment may involve multiple impressions, temporaries, and multiple visits.
The future direction of dentistry? Technology marches on! The main thing is, trust the people behind the technology. Look over your dentist’s credentials and certifications. The real value is in the experience and understanding that your dentist brings to the initial examination when you are considering this wonderful new technology.
Need a simple filling? Full crown? Veneer? Do you have a painful cavity on a rear tooth? Do you have a new chip on a front tooth that you have been trying to hide? These are all issues that CEREC, in the hands of Dr. Hall and Dr. Gutierrez can solve in one visit.
First there’s a careful examination including x-rays to see if CEREC is the answer. Then the tooth is prepared, it is cleaned and dried off, and a thin coating of a safe, tasteless powder is applied to the tooth. Then a compact hand-held 3D digital camera is used to create an optical impression. This is much easier than a prepared tray of odd tasting goop that sits in your mouth for 5 minutes.
Using the CAD software the CEREC unit turns the data into a 3-D model on the screen, which your dentist uses to precisely design the solution. After about 15 minutes the precision milling is finished. You have restoration that is ready for placement. It is a perfect fit, a perfect color, and it will wear like a natural tooth.
You have the Form - the Function – and the Beauty back. It is a definite improvement on the traditional methods that must involve multiple impressions, temporaries and two, three sometimes more visits. New technologies definitely bring high value to the practice of Dentistry. That’s why this technology has caught on, and given us millions of new, beautiful smiles world-wide.
Come by Katy Family Dentist for a consultation and see!
Katy Family Dentists
21703 Kingsland Blvd., Suite 104
Katy, Texas 77450
281 398 3432
