Porcelain Crowns

A frequent source of dental emergencies is broken or chipped teeth from people using them as scissors, pliers or fingernail clippers. You would not believe the things people try to open or cut with their teeth – bottles, plastic bags, tape, string, fishing lines, cloth … you name it! We see chipped teeth and broken teeth that damage the dental enamel of natural teeth, but also in porcelain veneers and porcelain crowns. PLEASE DON’T USE YOUR TEETH AS TOOLS!

Crunching ice causes severe problems. Chewing on large pieces of ice causes stress fractures in even the healthiest teeth. Ice is hard and brittle but also cold which causes contraction in the tooth enamel of natural teeth.  Porcelain crowns also break and chip when chewing ice. Damage from chewing ice occurs in molars and often results in a severe fracture, not just a small chip. Fingernail biting is also a frequent reason for chipped enamel or porcelain in front teeth.

Treating dental emergencies is a routine aspect of comprehensive dental care. McCarl dentists strive to provide same day emergency dental treatment to people experiencing dental pain or a broken tooth causing cosmetic dental concerns. The dentists at McCarl Dental Group serve Anne Arundel County and Prince Georges County.  Our dental offices are conveniently located near Annapolis, Severna Park, Crofton, Crownsville, College Park, Lanham, Seabrook, Bowie, New Carrollton, Laurel, Greenbelt and Millersville.

Unlike bones, fractured teeth do not heal themselves. A tooth may or may not cause pain when it is cracked or fractured and many minor tooth fractures do not cause symptoms. Deeper fractures are often painful because the damage extends to the nerve inside the tooth. Pain from fractures may come and go or may be constant. It is always best to treat the dental emergency as soon as possible to try to prevent the problem from getting worse.

Please STOP USING YOUR TEETH AS TOOLS. Visit the dentists at McCarl Dental Group for top quality dental care for damaged and healthy teeth.

On Friday March 5, 2010 Dr. Clayton McCarl and Dr. Jay McCarl took time off from treating dental patients to attend a continuing education course on the latest advancements in cosmetic dentistry. Because the dentists at McCarl Dental Group strive to always stay current with the latest dental procedures and technologies, many of the procedures and materials discussed are already in place at our Millersville and Greenbelt Maryland dental offices. What we look for are “the pearls” of knowledge and information that will make a difference to our patients.  Last Friday, we found some pearls to further enhance our cosmetic dentistry techniques and, especially our patients’ healthy and beautiful smiles.  Our emphasis on continuing education and current technology is always appreciated by our patients from  Annapolis, Severna Park, Crofton, Crownsville, Millersville, College Park and Greenbelt.

The lecture emphasized porcelain veneers and crowns, ultra thin veneers that require no drilling, smile makeovers, and other esthetic forms of dental care available today. Dr. David Hornbrook an internationally acclaimed innovator in cosmetic dentistry taught the course. Dr. Hornbrook has founded several world renown cosmetic dental training centers including:  The Hornbrook Group Center for Advanced Continuing Education, The Las Vegas Institute (LVI), and PAClive. The program was sponsored by The Academy of General Dentistry and Becden Dental Lab.

The dentists at McCarl Dental Group are committed to ongoing study in all fields of dentistry. Dr. Hornbrook’s course allowed us additional insight into advancements in new stronger and more esthetic forms of porcelain, diode lasers, easier and more effective ways to improve a patient’s bite, and an honest discussion on which innovations will bring benefit to our patients and which products are more hype than substance.

Porcelain veneers are often an excellent alternative to porcelain crowns. Long lasting and conservative, porcelain veneers have gained immense popularity because of their realistic appearance and their resistance to stains. Veneers are dental porcelain laminates that bond to teeth. They can change the color, shape and size of teeth and are ideal for covering stains, correcting misalignment, closing gaps and restoring worn teeth. Dental veneers are considered a cosmetic procedure but can also improve the health, form and function of the mouth.  Crooked teeth can be difficult to clean and are more prone to tooth decay and gum disease.

Planning and design for all cosmetic dentistry cases requires experience as well as technical and artistic talent to properly design the veneer for the shape and structure of the patient’s face. The type of veneer we recommend depends on each patient’s teeth and goals for their smile. Regardless of the type of dental procedure, patients can expect their smile to look very natural and radiant. Porcelain veneers can create a beautiful, confident smile that looks real and natural, “turning back the clock” for people with small or worn teeth and giving them a more youthful smile.

The dentists at McCarl Dental Group have been enhancing patients’ smiles with veneers for more than 20 years. We “begin” every dental procedure with the “end” in mind. What is the best possible dental procedure to meet each individual patient’s goals and expectations?  How many financial options are available and which best match our patients’ needs and desired outcome? Porcelain veneers are custom and are designed specifically for each patient with that patient’s input regarding their preferences for shape, color and translucency.

Many types of veneers are similar to porcelain crowns in that the tooth surface has to be prepared. Unlike crowns, which cover the entire tooth, veneers cover only the visible portion of the tooth. Although, much of the natural tooth remains in place, a small amount of the enamel covering the tooth must be removed to allow space for the veneer.

Utlra-thin veneers are comparable to a contact lens in thickness and in many cases do not require preparation of the teeth. They are custom-made to adhere directly to the front of teeth making them an option to consider for minor cosmetic adjustments including extending small teeth, fixing a minor chip, or changing color. These brands of veneers require little or no tooth preparation to apply and give you the option to return to your original smile in the future. However, because there is little or no tooth preparation, Lumineers may look and feel bulkier than traditional veneers. A dentist with technical and artistic talent who has experience in selecting the appropriate type of veneer for each patient can design the shapes of the veneers, layering the porcelain, so that all types of veneers look natural.

If you would like learn more about porcelain veneers, please contact McCarl Dental Group. We offer a wide range of brands and types of porcelain veneers to our patients from College Park, Lanham, Seabrook, Bowie, New Carrollton, Laurel, Greenbelt, Severna Park, Annapolis, Crofton, Crownsville and Millersville.  Please visit our smile gallery at www.mccarldental.com to see smile makeovers that feature porcelain dental veneers.

Dental implants in the New York Times.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/health/17brod.html?_r=2  This is an excellent article about the benefits of dental implants.

At McCarl Dental Group as third generation dentists we are marveling at the newest innovations that are revolutionizing dentistry.  Imagine the difference between the foot-operated drill used in the 1930s and dental lasers or the current digital scanners that that we now use to send images to our dental lab through cyberspace.  Our iTero digital scanners help us make perfect porcelain crowns and vereers – every time! If you would like to see the latest technology in dental equipment, please visit our dental office conveniently located 15 minutes or less from Annapolis, Severna Park, Crownsville, Gambrills, Crofton and Odenton Maryland.

Another procedure that has dramatically improved with new technology during the last year is dental implants. Today, we can permanently replace missing teeth and securely anchor loose dentures and partials in one appointment.  Just a few years ago, a patient who wanted a permanent solution for a missing tooth needed to have a surgical incision for implant placement with a six month recovery time. Now we can help patients replace missing teeth immediately with greater comfort and less expense. Dental implants can also make it easier to keep gums and underlying bone healthy.

It is not an exaggeration to say that changes in the technology and procedures for dental implants have made profound improvements in the quality of life for people with dentures.

At McCarl Dental Group, we combine the latest technology with three generations of experience in caring for your smile.

Most people realize that is important for a dentist to combine technique, technology and artistry, but dental lab technicians working behind the scenes must also share this talent.  At McCarl Dental Group, virtually all of our patient’s crowns are fabricated at BECDEN Dental Laboratory.  We researched dental labs across the country and found that BECDEN delivers consistent excellence. When we submit a case to BECDEN, we send digital impressions and sometimes study models.  We also include digital photographs of our patients with specific instructions to help the lab create the longest lasting and most life-like restoration possible. BECDEN treats every case with the utmost care and frequently calls to consult with McCarl Dentists to discuss techniques that will provide the most natural appearance of the restoration for our patients.  Please visit our website at www.McCarlDental.com to see our Smile Gallery featuring beautiful smiles by McCarl Dental Group with porcelain crowns and veneers fabricated by BECDEN Laboratory.

Advancements in technology have never come at a more rapid pace in dentistry than they are now and dental laboratories must invest in research and development to provide the highest quality.  All-porcelain restorations (those without metal in them) used for cosmetic dentistry require very sophisticated design software and pressing ovens, which are not affordable to all dental laboratories.  CAD/CAM — computerized milling of crowns is the direction technology is following, yet this technology still requires highly skilled technicians to create the computer design and finesse the milled restoration.

There are many ways to make a crown. Porcelain can be added as one color only, all at once, and fired in the furnace, or can be added in layers with a variety of colors to more closely mimic natural teeth. The labor time and skill level are considerably higher in the latter case. Like excellent dentists, high quality dental technicians are artists, using their color palette of wet porcelains to copy the shade and shape chosen by the dentist. They use a technique called “layering” in which they bake the porcelain in the shape of the tooth and then “cut it back” and layer in different shades of porcelain which adds vitality to the crown.

“Crowns in an hour” that are processed in a dental office are time savers, but are monochromatic which means one solid color throughout the crown. This can be fine for posterior teeth that are not visible when a patient smiles, but would never be appropriate for a front tooth.

The quality of the porcelain also significantly affects the appearance of dental crowns. There are numerous porcelains on the market with a vast price range. The highest quality porcelains have the finest grain size, which creates a more aesthetic and natural appearance. The high end, fine grain porcelains also prevent wearing away of the enamel of the opposing teeth, which is frequently a problem with lower cost porcelain.

Dental laboratories can choose from a variety of metals, from those with no gold at all to percentages of gold up to 88%. The lower quality and cost metals often have high percentages of silver.  This is problematic because up to 80% of females have allergic reactions to silver. High quality dentists and laboratories use metals with 50% or more gold for aesthetic and biocompatibility reasons.

Choosing an excellent dental laboratory is one of the many steps we take at McCarl Dental Group to assure that our patients receive the very highest quality dental work.  We always want to keep our patients smiling!

McCarl Dental Group specializes in beautiful smile makeovers! A smile makeover involves one or more cosmetic dental procedures to improve the aesthetics of your smile. It is a very individual process. For example, some people want the perfectly white Hollywood smile makeover, or the celebrity smile with pearly white porcelain veneers. Other people may just want a simple improvement, such as the replacement of amalgam fillings with composite and teeth whitening.

A recent survey revealed that:

•Over 75% of people don’t feel confident to smile in a photograph.

•Over 45% of people make judgements about people by the look of their smile.

•Over 75% of people think that a beautiful smile helps people psychologically.

•Over 65% of people think that an attractive smile helps romantically.

There are many different ways in which you can improve your smile:

•Crooked teeth can be straightened with Invisalign braces or conventional orthodontics. They can also be covered with porcelain veneers for a faster solution, often referred to as “instant orthodontics”.

•Chipped, broken teeth can be repaired – the treatment will depend on the extent of damage, but the options include cosmetic bonding, porcelain veneers or porcelain crowns.

•Missing teeth can be replaced – gaps between your teeth can cause functional problems as well as being unsightly. Often, a smile makeover involves the replacement of existing restorations or gaps between teeth. Solutions include dental implants, a dental bridge or a denture.

•Gaps between your teeth can be closed to give your smile a more even look. This can be achieved instantly with porcelain veneers. Orthodontics can also be used to move the teeth and close the gaps between them.

•If you have a gummy smile, this can easily be remedied by surgical or laser gum contouring.

•If you are not satisfied with the color of your teeth, or if you have badly stained teeth, they can be brightened with professional teeth whitening.

Are you looking for a smile makeover dentist in Severna Park MD?  The Severna Park Dentists at McCarl Dental Group specialize in Invisalign Orthodontics, porcelain crowns and veneers and dental implants.