Our Procedures

Crowns & Inlays

If you have fillings, broken, or decaying teeth, there are several treatments our Dentists at Northbank Dental Center may recommend. Dental crowns are simple procedures that place a tooth-shaped "cap" over a misshapen, broken, or decayed tooth to restore its strength and appearance, and crowns can be made of a variety of materials including metals, ceramic, and porcelain. A crown is one of the most common dental procedures performed today and with proper care, the benefits can last a lifetime.

Bridges

You may have heard of a bridge, a fixed prosthetic device that is used to replace your missing natural teeth. These days, bridges are more durable, stronger, and can be securely fit to your mouth. While bridges help you have a beautiful smile, our Dentists may recommend them to stabilize your bite, prevent gum disease, and keep your remaining teeth from drifting out of position.

Root Canals

A root canal is necessary when decay or trauma affect the pulp or nerve of a tooth. The blood flow in the tooth rushes to the site of inflammation to aid the tooth. What actually occurs is a pressure on the nerve endings, generating pain, which usually occurs at night or when lying down, and can be triggered by something hot or cold. What occurs is a slow progression of decay traveling through the canal and settling at the end of the root. This results in an abscess (or swelling) at this site.

Other causes of nerve pain can be tooth fractures, excessively large fillings, or constant trauma to the tooth. Occasionally, it's difficult to diagnose which tooth may be the culprit. New technology uses motorized files made of nickel-titanium that shape and cleanse the canals. What used to take two to four visits can now be accomplished in one visit to Northbank Dental Center.

Porcelain Veneers

Healthy teeth are essential for positive first impressions and a confident smile consistently ranks as an important feature in initial attraction. Unfortunately for many, accident, injury, genetics and illness can jeopardize a beautiful smile and can destroy self-esteem. Dental veneers are an excellent way to return a smile to its original luster.

If you're not happy with the appearance or natural shade of your teeth, you can enhance your smile with veneers. Veneers are thin, durable layers of porcelain that are applied to the surface of your front teeth. They are bonded to the tooth enamel to change the size, shape, and color of your teeth. To find out the best one for you, call us to schedule an appointment.

Dental Implants

If you wear dentures or partials, you may miss the security, ease, and comfort of your natural teeth. It's hard to laugh, cough, chew, talk, or even smile without worrying if your partials or dentures will slip. Denture wearers may experience soreness from lose dentures or notice a shrunken appearance in their face as the gums and bones in their jaws recede. Fortunately, you don't have to live with these problems. Dental technology has changed over the last two decades and the Dentists at Northbank Dental Center can offer dental implants as a way to replace missing teeth.

Dental implants are indistinguishable from your natural teeth. Titanium screws are used as an artificial substitute for tooth roots. Once placed in your gums, the implant can anchor a bridge, denture, or even a single crown in your mouth. Implants are long-lasting and permanent, so they won't slip or move in your mouth and cause injury or irritation.

Since everyone is different, our Dentists will perform a comprehensive evaluation of your mouth, including radiographs and intra-oral photographs, to determine if implants are right for you.

Bleaching

These days, more patients are looking for ways to safely whiten or bleach their teeth. At Northbank Dental Center, we offer Power Bleaching. During this treatment, a chemical solution is placed on the surface of your teeth to remove stains or other discolorations. If you have existing crowns or veneers, bleaching will not change their color. The effects of the bleaching are semi-permanent and patients need to maintain their smile for the best results. That's why we also offer at-home bleaching. We create a bleaching tray, a clear mouthpiece customized to your upper and lower teeth, and then provide you with a special bleach solution. To achieve the best results, we recommend that you wear the trays for one hour daily for 5-7 days.

The effects of the bleaching depend upon your teeth and the nature of the discoloration. In order to find the best method of bleaching your teeth, our skilled Dentists will need to examine your teeth before they can make a recommendation.

Gum Disease

Gum disease (also called periodontal disease) is an inflammation in the gums and other tissues that surround your teeth. Nearly three-fourths of the population has this disease. Since the early stages are painless, many patients avoid treatment until too late. If you have missing teeth, you are at a higher risk of developing gum disease. Thankfully, Northbank Dental Center has a variety of treatments to stop and prevent gum disease from causing further damage. They will also recommend and coordinate referrals to an experienced Periodontist for patients with more advanced stages of gum disease.

Preventative Services

While the Dentists at Northbank Dental Center are excellent at repairing and restoring your mouth, the entire team also does a wonderful job of preventing future damage to your teeth. When you come for your first visit, Drs. Cooper and Shifman will examine your mouth thoroughly. After looking at your teeth and gums, they study the soft tissue in your mouth to look for lesions or other signs of oral cancer. They also inspect any existing fillings, bridgework, or other dental appliances in your mouth for wear. They also check your jaw for TMD or TMJ (Tempomandibular Joint) disorders. If you have any problems, our team will design a complete personalized treatment plan to stop these problems and help you maintain excellent dental health.

Dentures

Many people take their healthy teeth for granted until they are lost to accidents, disease, or the natural effects of the aging process. Luckily, those who suffer from extensive tooth loss have more options than ever before due to recent advances in dentures.

Full and partial dentures replace the missing teeth both aesthetically and functionally, providing support and restoring the smile. Full (complete) dentures are used when all of the natural teeth have been lost, while partial dentures fill in the gaps between natural teeth. The gums, dentures, and any remaining natural teeth will need to be cleaned regularly to prevent staining, sores and plaque build-up.

Patient Comfort & Technology

Our team helps patients who need complex, multidisciplinary treatment. We research the latest equipment to find the most efficient, quiet, and painless technology available and train on it extensively. That's why our office uses intra-oral cameras and cosmetic imaging, so we can show you what your smile will look like. Our Dentists also follow recent studies so they can select services that are long-lasting and the most beneficial to his patients.

Additionally, our Dentists read up on all of the latest accepted guidelines and patient education so they can pass on the information to you. That way, we can provide you with a level of comfort that goes beyond what our CD player and blankets provide you. If you have any questions on the tools we use, we're always happy to demonstrate how it works.