At Washington Center for Dentistry, we are committed to providing our patients with state-of-the-art restorative treatments that offer less discomfort and better outcomes. From drill-free fillings to dental inlays, onlays, porcelain crowns, and dental bridges, we aim to deliver a pleasant and stress-free dental experience.
Whether you need to restore a decayed tooth, replace missing teeth, or enhance your smile, our skilled and compassionate dentists will guide you through each step of your customized dental treatment plan. Call today to schedule an appointment!
Drill-Free Fillings
That unforgettable “whirring” noise, the screeching sound of the drill hitting the tooth, the agony of waiting for it to be all over. That’s many patients’ indelible memories of the dentist, but it doesn’t have to be anymore. The skilled dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry, use drill-free fillings to remove decay in its earliest stages.
Compared to traditional drilling, this treatment preserves more of the patient’s natural tooth in a gentler manner. With new technology, a micro-air wand replaces the dreaded drill, using compressed air and fine particles to gently spray away decay. It allows the dentists to treat teeth without the needle, the drill or the noise that make so many people fear going to the dentist. Since a white liquid hardens to fill the area, the dentists are able to preserve the tooth’s original appearance for a more natural look.
What Are The Benefits?
Any technology that does away with the despised dental drill is already a plus. But as a bonus with drill-free fillings, there are:
- No needles.
- No numbness.
- No drills.
- No pain.
- No smell.
- No noise.
- No vibrations.
This reduces the anxiety, fear, pain and discomfort associated with traditional fillings, which provides an all-around more pleasant experience. After a while, you may even enjoy going to the dentist. You probably never thought that was possible, did you?
Tooth-Colored Fillings
Tooth-colored fillings are an excellent way to repair decayed teeth while maintaining a natural appearance. Unlike traditional silver amalgam fillings, tooth-colored fillings are made from composite resin, which matches the color of your natural teeth. This ensures that your fillings blend seamlessly with the rest of your smile.
Beyond the aesthetic advantage, tooth-colored fillings also bond directly with your tooth structure, providing additional support and helping to prevent breakage and insulate the tooth from extreme temperature changes. Moreover, they are mercury-free, making them a safe and biocompatible choice for dental restorations.
Dental Inlays
Decayed, cavity-ridden teeth have met their match with dental inlays. While dental inlays are similar to fillings, they are longer-lasting and less prone to recurring decay, and they can have a more natural look. More specifically, they are designed to repair teeth where more than half of the tooth is missing or integrity is compromised. The highly skilled dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry will use a solid substance like porcelain or gold to fill in cavities and decayed teeth. Once the inlay is fitted into the tooth’s cavity, it is cemented in place and usually remains intact for 10 or more years.
The inlays will be created in Washington Center’s In-House Dental Lab for quicker, more precise results. Typically, patients can get their inlay made and cemented during the same visit.
Types Of Inlays
Inlays are available in two types: direct and indirect.
- Direct inlays are made and placed more quickly than indirect since indirect inlays require a mold to be made in the dental lab before it’s placed on the tooth.
- Due to advanced technology, both types are created and installed quicker than ever, where we can reduce the number of visits you have to make to our office.
Confused about which type you might need? Don’t worry since one of our knowledgeable dentists will determine the appropriate type of inlay to use based on how much of your tooth is left. Regardless of the inlay you receive, you can save a tooth that you may have thought was beyond repair
Dental Onlays
A beautiful, stunning smile can’t be achieved with decayed, cavity-filled teeth. That’s why dental onlays are an extremely effective dental treatment used to repair cavities and tooth decay by replacing one or more decayed cusps, or the bumps, on the tooth’s surface. When the skilled dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry determine that a tooth is too damaged for a filling, they will use dental onlays as a viable solution. Larger in size than a dental inlay and made from gold, porcelain or resin, this treatment is effective in restoring larger cavities. Onlays are long-lasting, and with proper maintenance and care, they can last up to 30 years.
What Are The Benefits?
Here’s a riddle for you: what restoration treatment is between a filling and a crown? An onlay, of course, and it offers some distinct advantages! When a damaged tooth is capped unnecessarily with a crown, more tooth structure is removed than needed. This leads to more trouble down the road. When a large dental filling is used to repair a cavity, the tooth’s structure can be further weakened, which puts you at-risk for more painful, unsightly symptoms, such as a cracked or broken tooth that could require a root canal. An onlay forgoes all of these issues, while effectively repairing the damaged tooth. Once the onlay is in, all you have to do is enjoy your beautifully restored teeth.
Root Canal Procedure
Root canal treatment is often the most effective way to save a severely infected or decayed tooth. Contrary to popular belief, modern root canal treatments are typically no more painful than having a filling placed. At Washington Center for Dentistry, we use the latest techniques and technology to ensure your root canal procedure is as comfortable and efficient as possible.
The process involves removing the diseased or damaged pulp from the inside of the tooth, cleaning and disinfecting the root canal system, and then filling and sealing it to prevent future infection. If necessary, a dental crown may be placed on the tooth to provide extra strength and protection.
Porcelain Crown
Porcelain crowns can restore a single damaged tooth back to its original form and function. A dental crown is an exact porcelain replica of the natural tooth it is covering, where it preserves and protects the remaining shell of the tooth. The crown covers the entire visible surface of the tooth, leaving it strong and durable. These restorations, available in our office in Washington, DC, are cemented onto the teeth, and are referred to as “fixed” dentistry rather than using a removable appliance or partial denture.
The Washington Center for Dentistry has a team of highly trained and artistic cosmetic dentists, who are thrilled to give patients the smile they have always dreamed about with their cosmetic dentistry skills for porcelain crowns.
What Are The Benefits Of Porcelain Crowns?
At Washington Center for Dentistry, we understand the awkwardness and difficulty of missing or chipped teeth. Our team offers porcelain crowns as an option for our Washington, DC patients who are hoping to enjoy many benefits as a result of their treatment, including:
- Greater comfort and simplicity talking, eating, and smiling
- Simple, individualized treatment that needs almost no downtime
- Renewed strength and functionality of a cracked tooth
- Enhanced total mouth aesthetic
- Can cover extremely discolored or stained teeth
- Lasting outcomes that you can maintain for many years
Dental Bridge
Dental bridges, that literally bridge the gap created by one or more missing teeth, are a long-established treatment choice to replace teeth when they are lost. The talented dentists at Washington Center for Dentistry in Washington, DC will place two or more crowns on either side of the gap as the anchoring teeth, and they are attached to the false tooth or teeth in between.
Dental bridges are made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these cosmetic dentistry materials, and are supported by natural teeth or implants. Bridges are a great way to not only restore the teeth but to restore confidence and self-esteem as well.
What Are The Benefits Of Dental Bridges?
Dental bridges are useful to:
- Restore a smile
- Prevent remaining teeth from moving out of position
- Prevent the shape of the face from shrinking
- Distribute evenly the forces of your bite with the teeth that are replaced
- Maintain the ability to properly chew and speak