Each treatment room has a computer workstation with dual monitors to keep you informed of diagnoses and treatments. This technology is essential to make and communicate conditions with you, the patient. So often, a problem is easy to understand when a person can actually see which tooth is decayed or broken. You don’t have to be trained as a dentist to see 90% of the conditions we come upon. You simply need to know where to look and what to look for.
Westmount Dental Arts utilizes digital X-Ray technology for all radiographs. Our system combines accuracy and low radiation dose with patient comfort. Many offices use a cabled plastic block that is placed into the mouth to take an X-Ray. Often this block pinches or scratches the gum tissue causing discomfort. Our X-Rays are taken with a thin flexible device that looks and feels like traditional dental film.
Our office has invested in a Sirona Cone Beam Computed Tomography unit. The CBCT allows the doctor to investigate dental pathology and plan with more accuracy for dental implants. Though this type of imaging has been available in dentistry for years, not many general dentists have taken advantage of the technology. Westmount Dental Arts is one of the only dental offices in the Parkland where a patient can benefit from 3D scans of their teeth and jaws.
Here is what a typical scan looks like:
We make single visit crowns at this office. If you’ve had a crown done in years past, you may remember having to wear a plastic or metal temporary tooth while a dental laboratory made a crown for you. That meant you would have to return to the dentist a couple of weeks after the first appointment to get another shot and have the crown cemented in place. Now, with CAD/CAM technology, we can scan your prepared tooth with a special camera, and make a new crown in about 30 minutes. In most cases the tooth is still numb and the new crown can be cemented immediately.
There are several different techniques used to whiten teeth. Most apply special peroxides to the surface of teeth to brighten the enamel. Only teeth with natural enamel will truly whiten. Over-the-counter methods like strips, toothpaste and detergents can lighten teeth, but only to a limited extent. It is our opinion that custom trays containing prescription strength whitening gel are the most cost effective way to get great results.
With any technique used to whiten teeth, sensitivity can result. By whitening your teeth in our office, you will receive the best bleaching agents available on the market. In addition, you will have professional supervision and if necessary, treatment for the temporary sensitivity that may occur.
Our whitening trays are custom made by our Certified Dental Assistants and Registered Dental Hygienists with the best equipment available in dentistry. We design them to have a small bubble on the outside surface of each tooth. This bubble provides a space for the whitening gel to fill when the tray is placed onto the teeth. By utilizing this technique, the gel is more effective and less messy. This type of attention-to-detail is not available with over-the-counter methods or when professionally made orthodontic retainers are used for whitening.
Here is what the whitening tray looks like:
When the appearance of a person’s smile is in need of a complete renovation, we can help. With thorough planning, we can create multiple solutions for you to consider. Extensive cases like makeovers often require complete dentistry to achieve optimum results. For example, it is usually not difficult to simply cover teeth with porcelain. It is true that these treated teeth will have a better appearance. However, there are often other factors that get overlooked. Many times, the teeth themselves are in the wrong location and require orthodontics to re-position them prior to covering with porcelain. Sometimes the teeth are only part of the problem. The gum tissue may be overgrown, recessed, or in too poor of condition to frame the restored teeth. The dentist needs to know how to consider all of these factors when planning the makeover. These cases require time and commitment on the part of the doctor and patient in order to achieve a great resulting smile. At Westmount Dental Arts, we have a track record of delivering on these plans. Dr. LaMartina gathers all of the needed data like models, measurements, and specialty consultations to create a treatment plan that meets the patient’s goals.
Here are some cases we have treated in our office:
Smile Makeover
Multidisciplinary Cases
Veneers are a dental procedure in which a covering is placed over the outside (visible area) of the tooth. Veneers are done to the part of the tooth that is visible when talking or smiling. The procedure can be direct or indirect.
The direct technique involves placing composite resin on the outside of the tooth using a bonding agent. This method is usually referred to as “bonding”.
The indirect technique usually involves two appointments, because the veneers will be made at a dental laboratory. At the first appointment the teeth are prepared; impressions get taken, and the teeth are given a temporary cosmetic covering. In about three weeks, the veneers return from the dental laboratory. The temporary coverings are removed and the permanent veneers are bonded to the teeth. The laboratory fabricated veneers are usually made out of porcelain and are very natural looking.
Here is a case treated in our office:
Here are some cases we have treated:
Bonding
Whitening and Bonding
If you have been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and cannot use a CPAP device, dentistry may be able to help you. Dentists can make an appliance that you wear while sleeping that helps to open the airway by holding the lower jaw in a more forward position. If you are familiar with a night guard, the device fits in a similar way. There are a variety of designs for these devices and sometimes the cost is covered be medical insurance. At Westmount Dental Arts, we partner with your physician to find an oral appliance that helps to treat your airway.