All About Smiles Dental

It is recommended that you visit the dentist every six months for a routine cleaning and dental exam. At All About Smiles Dental, this visit will include a thorough exam, x-rays (taken once a year), and a high-tech professional cleaning to improve your health, prevent disease, and enhance the appearance of your smile.

During this appointment, every effort will be made to ensure you are well informed of your oral health. We want your teeth, gums, and whole body to benefit from your hygiene appointments.

Dentistry is an art as well as a science; dental crowns offer a perfect example of this. A dental crown or “cap” is a covering that fits over a damaged, decayed or unattractive tooth. It can even replace a tooth entirely as part of dental bridgework.

Crowns strengthen damaged teeth, allowing them to function normally again. When crafted from today’s high-tech materials, crowns are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth. There are a variety of materials that can be used to make crowns; these include porcelain, gold, porcelain-fused-to-metal (PFM), and zirconia. We would be happy to discuss the various options with you.

There is no tooth-replacement option that will give you a longer-lasting result than a dental implant. Should you receive this treatment, you can expect to enjoy functional, restorative, and aesthetic improvements to your smile. They also help preserve tooth-supporting bone that naturally deteriorates when a tooth is lost. Loss of bone is one of the major hidden consequences of losing teeth.

A dental implant most often takes the form of a small, screw-shaped titanium post that replaces the root-part of a missing tooth. After a healing period, the implant is topped with a lifelike crown custom-made to match your existing natural teeth. Implants have a documented success rate of over 95%, which is significantly higher than any other tooth-replacement option.

Dentures are just one option for replacing missing teeth; some of the others include fixed bridgework and dental implants. Each method has its particular pros and cons, which should be carefully considered.

There are also several varieties of dentures available to address specific issues. The best option for you will depend on your individual situation. We would be happy to answer any questions you have while you are making that decision.

Fillings are used to restore teeth when they have minor to moderate damage from decay, cracking or chipping. They are completed within just one comfortable visit to our office.

Fillings prevent decay from spreading further into your mouth and reaching the sensitive inner nerve located in the root. Should that happen, you would need root canal treatment. Instead, it is important to catch decay and treat it in the early stages using a simple filling.

At All About Smiles Dental, we are dedicated to providing exceptional care for you and your family. We focus on your individual needs and make sure you are educated about all of your options to help you reach your optimal oral health.

Dr. Lee and our skilled Anchorage, AK, team is prepared to help you with a dental emergency. When you need emergency dental services, give us a call. We will provide you with instructions and get you into our office as soon as possible. Our caring dentist and staff will restore your smile and your comfort ASAP so you can carry on without worry.

Invisalign offers a way to move your teeth without the brackets and wires of traditional braces. Instead, it uses a series of custom-made, clear plastic aligners to gradually shift your teeth into place with the comfort of knowing your dentist is keeping track of your overall oral health throughout the process.

Many people, knowingly or not, clench or grind their teeth. This can cause teeth to become worn down and even cracked, as well as result in sensitive teeth, sore muscles, and headaches. The good news is that this can all be alleviated through the use of a night guard.

The most common night guard that we prescribe is a customized device, made up of two layers of material, which fits over your upper or lower teeth. The soft internal surface rests comfortably against the teeth and gums, while the hard outer surface provides durability and protection.

Other than just protecting those who clench or grind their teeth, night guards are highly recommended for those who have crowns, bridges, implants and veneers to protect and prolong the life of your dental work.

While we try to avoid the need to extract a tooth, sometimes it is necessary for the patient’s oral health. Our team makes sure the experience is as comfortable and painless as possible. Afterwards, you will be provided with detailed post-op instructions to make sure of proper healing.

Root Canal Therapy is necessary when an infection develops in the pulp tissue of the tooth because of an injury or a severe, untreated cavity. Pulp tissue is the softer part of your tooth underneath the hard layer of dentin and enamel. It consists of blood vessels, nerves, and connective tissue. Without treatment, the infection can cause pain or even an abscess. Root Canal Therapy is the process of removing the pulp tissue, carefully cleaning and disinfecting the canals, filling them with material and sealing them off.

Root canal treatment often times has a bad reputation of being painful. In reality, it can be completed with no more discomfort than getting a routine filling. However, a tooth that has a root canal is generally a bit sorer for a few days following the procedure.

Although every effort is made to have you feel comfortable during your dental visit, you may prefer or need additional help in feeling relaxed. We offer the following options to make you feel more comfortable and lower any anxiety you may have:

Nitrous Oxide: Referred to as “laughing gas,” this is a sedative gas that is mixed with oxygen. You simply inhale the gas through a nosepiece during your treatment to help you feel more relaxed. Nitrous oxide is a mild form of sedation that wears off within a few minutes after we stop the flow of gas.
Oral Conscious Sedation: This is a deeper level of sedation that consists of taking oral medication one hour prior to your appointment. This medicine will help you feel calm and at ease and typically makes patients very sleepy. You will still be able to respond to the dentist, but it is likely you will not remember the appointment.

Don’t let dull or discolored teeth destroy your confidence. A brighter and whiter smile can easily be achieved with our professional whitening options. We offer two different take-home options to use at your convenience.

The main goal of dentistry is to preserve your natural teeth and keep them healthy for as long as possible. There are times, however, when it is in your best interest to have a tooth removed. This could be the case for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you have a tooth that has been severely damaged by trauma or decay; or an impacted wisdom tooth that may cause trouble for you later on. Maybe your teenager will soon undergo orthodontic treatment and has insignificant space for his adult teeth, referred to as crowding. Or your younger child has a baby tooth that’s stubbornly adhering, even though it’s past time for it to go.

Whatever the reason, tooth extraction is more often than not a very routine procedure. It is nothing to be feared when done by an experienced hand; by carefully manipulating a tooth, it can be freed without much trouble.

Veneers are thinly crafted, custom shells made from tooth-colored material that are bonded to the front surface of your teeth.

They are used to correct a wide range of cosmetic issues, including uneven spacing, gaps, misalignments, worn-down surfaces, irregular edges, chips, and discoloration.

Today’s veneer materials are extremely strong and can be tinted to match your surrounding teeth so no one will know you have them. If you feel self-conscious about your teeth, dental veneers can rejuvenate your entire smile over the course of just a few appointments.