General Dentistry

For more than 30 years, our Gaithersburg dental practice has offered unparalleled general dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, and all-on-four implant consultation. Dr. David Gordon, Dr. Leonard Gordon, and their staff are known for their expertise, gentle touch, and the unmatched quality of their service and dental work.

General dentistry procedures include fillings, porcelain crowns, bridges, root canals, and cosmetic dentures.

Fillings

Fillings are placed into teeth after a cavity has been removed. Almost all fillings are tooth colored. These composite fillings are bonded to the enamel of the tooth.

Occasionally, the Doctors Gordon will use an amalgam filling. This materials decision will always be discussed with the patient prior to doing the fillings. In some cases, if an amalgam filling is indicated due to size of the cavity, and a patient does not want this type of filling, then a crown will be the most predictable restoration to support the tooth structure and protect the nerve.

Porcelain Crowns

If you crack your tooth, you may notice a quick, sharp pain when you chew, and often you need a porcelain crown. To accept a crown, the natural tooth is shaved to a prescribed height and width, an impression or a digital scan is taken then sent to Van Hook Dental Studio.

Additionally, a tooth that has been treated with a root canal will almost always need to be covered with a crown. That’s because there is no live nerve bringing blood supply to the tooth it’s a high risk for cracking in half. This way, you’ll be biting with the strength of a hardy porcelain crown and not a weak, dead tooth.

Porcelain crowns look just like actual teeth, and they can be matched to any tooth shade. So, in addition to fixing a crack or protecting a root canal, they can also be cosmetic—placed over your reduced tooth so that you can achieve a more ideal shape, size, symmetry, and color.

Milling and 3D printing can now be used to get the most precise fit. All crowns need the proper fit, and the most beautiful front crowns need a specially built porcelain finish that is expertly done by a master technician at Van Hook Dental studio. This can only be accomplished by Drs. Leonard and David Gordon pre-planning pictures, using the high-tech SPECTRA SHADE for color match, and skillfully contouring the teeth so the crowns perfectly fit.

Bridges

If you are missing a tooth but have a healthy tooth or implant on either side, a bridge is a great option. Bridges are custom, lab-made crowns that are splinted together and cemented over natural teeth or screwed down into implants. These splinted crowns “bridge” the gap areas where teeth are missing. (Pontic teeth replace the missing teeth areas.)

Bridges are never taken out: They function with the same chewing force as natural teeth, so you can eat everything you are used to. They look and feel like natural teeth.

Root Canal

A root canal is usually needed if there is swelling around a tooth, a tooth aches on its own, or a tooth is extremely sensitive to hot or cold liquids or foods. Often, someone knows they need a root canal because it hurts to chew. This can be due to a crack in the tooth. Root canals are also necessary if the tooth has an infection due to decay, causing pain and swelling, When the nerve in a tooth dies for any of these reasons, it makes a root canal necessary.

During the root canal procedure, the canal is accessed and cleaned, and a rubber substance is gently packed into the canal space to seal against future infection.

Cosmetic Dentures

Full or partial dentures are removable teeth appliances that replace missing teeth. Full dentures rest on the gums if there are no teeth remaining, whereas partial dentures clasp on the remaining teeth.

Cosmetic dentures are removable, full or partial dentures that look better and will last longer because of better materials. The ability to eat a wide range of foods can only be done if dentures are properly fitted.

In lieu of dentures, a patient may opt for full mouth implants, and the All-on-4 or “Teeth in a Day” dental implants are fixed-in, non removable options that allow for a patient to have teeth extracted, implants paced, and a new full set of teeth fixed screwed in on that same day.

Learn more about All-on-4 dental implants.

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