From the Office

Tooth gaps are a sore spot for some people and a trait that they’d rather give up. While small gaps may add character to a smile, a sizable gap can make you self-conscious about your smile.

At my Boulder, Colorado dental practice, we offer several solutions for fixing gapped teeth. Depending on the size and position of your gap, and how it affects your neighboring teeth and gums, cosmetic dentistry can be very effective for improving both the appearance and function of your teeth.

• Invisalign braces — These clear, plastic aligners work to gently realign teeth in order to close gaps and relax overcrowding. Once treatment is finished, your teeth will be in a more advantageous position, giving you the ability to use them more effectively and creating a more attractive appearance.

• Porcelain veneers — Porcelain veneers are thin shells of porcelain that sit on the front surfaces of teeth. They can cover several teeth at once, effectively masking small gaps and other physical issues. While veneers do create a natural-looking solution, they are recommended for appearance improvement only and should not be used in instances where a gap is causing chewing or speaking problems.

• Dental implants — If you have large gaps that exist due to lost teeth, a dental implant is the cosmetic dentistry option that comes closest to having a real tooth. Dental implants are anchored to the jawbone and shaped to look just like your natural teeth. If you fill in a gap with an implant, you can minimize jawbone loss, regain full chewing power, and stop neighboring teeth from shifting out of place.

If you’d like to see how cosmetic dentistry can help with tooth gaps and other smile problems, please visit our Smile Gallery for before and after images.

To discuss your solutions for filling in tooth gaps, please contact my Boulder, Colorado dental practice today.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

How your upper and lower teeth come together is referred to as your dental “bite.” A healthy bite is one in which the teeth fit together precisely in a comfortable manner, with no excessive underbite or overbite.

Many things can cause a bad bite, including poorly placed fillings, dental crowns that are worn or misshapen, crooked or rotated teeth, and excessive wear and tear from tooth grinding and hard foods. At my Boulder dental practice, we diagnose and treat bite problems to avoid the long-term problems that can stem from a bad bite.

Neuromuscular Issues

Problems with your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) can cause a condition called temporomandibular disorder (TMD). TMD refers to a misalignment of the jaw joints, due to dysfunction of the muscles, ligaments, or tendons of the jaw.

Signs you may have a neuromuscular problem include:

• Headaches
• Jaw joint pain
• Clicking or popping in the jaw joints
• Clenching or grinding
• Neck pain
• Tooth sensitivity
• Insomnia
• Fatigue
• Ear congestion
• Limited jaw range of motion

Bad Bite Treatment

An experienced cosmetic dentist can turn your bad bite into a healthy one with advanced dental rehabilitation. The goal of TMJ therapy is to determine the ideal at-rest position of your jaw, and then make the necessary modifications to encourage your upper and lower jaws into this comfortable and functional spot. We are essentially applying the most conservative treatments possible to achieve harmony with your bite. Elements like body posture, oral habits, stress, past dental work, and fitness will be evaluated and tweaked to help you eliminate discomfort.

If after a thorough dental evaluation, we determine that there are neuromuscular problems behind the bad bite, there are a number of TMJ therapies we can apply to help restore the ideal jaw position.  Cosmetic dentistry procedures like dental implants and dental crowns are often the only thing standing between you and a healthy bite. Orthodontic treatments like the innovative Invisalign braces are another method of bite improvement that can have great results.

Pure Power Mouthguards also rehabilitate your bite by acting as a splint during times of stress and intensity. Invented by a neuromuscular dentist, the Pure Power Mouthguard encourages alignment of the jaw and facial muscles, helping patients to improve muscle efficiency and spinal alignment.

Personal Bite Evaluation

Your bite can be a factor in many types functional problems because of the inter-relationships of the overall musculoskeletal system. Through new technology, we can evaluate your bite and determine if it is a major contributing factor of your condition.

Book an appointment with us today to check in on the health of your bite and learn more about the benefits of TMJ treatment. Please contact my Boulder, Colorado dental office to schedule a thorough evaluation.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

A root canal is a heavy-duty dental treatment that works to save an injured or diseased tooth from extraction. The root canal process is an intricate combination of steps designed to re-engineer the inner workings of a tooth in trouble. If performed with great care and skill, a root canal can last a lifetime.

When Root Canals are Needed

Your “dental pulp” is the network of nutrients and nerves that keep a tooth alive. A root canal is usually recommended when the dental pulp inside the tooth becomes infected and cannot repair itself properly. Tooth decay is often the cause of dental pulp death, along with tooth fractures and breaks that allow bacteria inside the pulp.

If you are experiencing any signs of a major tooth problem, such as pain, tooth abscess, or a noticeable tooth crack, an experienced cosmetic dentist can talk to you about the root canal option as an alternative to tooth loss.

Getting a Root Canal

The first step in a root canal procedure is to remove the diseased pulp inside the affected tooth. Once the pulp chamber is cleaned, sterilized and reshaped, it is filled with a biocompatible replacement material called gutta percha and sealed. For the final step, we fit your tooth with a porcelain crown for added protection and strength.

Preventing Tooth Loss

Because infection of the dental pulp often produces no symptoms until the damage is done, it is important that you visit us every six months for your wellness visit.

If you need a root canal, treatment should be performed as soon as possible to prevent bone, gum, and other problems. If you wait too long and an infection is allowed to cause too much damage, you may have to have your tooth extracted and replaced with a dental implant.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of a root canal, I invite you to schedule a personal consultation with my skilled dental team. As you will see in our smile gallery, there are many options for cosmetic and restorative smile enhancement — and every treatment is expertly tailored to your individual needs. Please contact my Boulder, Colorado dental office to set up your visit.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

How straight is your smile? Is there something missing that’s holding you back from having perfect pearly whites?

A crooked smile can be a distraction and a hindrance to your overall appearance. Even a few crooked teeth or a slight gap between your teeth can throw off the balance of your smile. If either of these issues is making you self-conscious, it may be time to see an experienced cosmetic dentist to discuss your smile enhancement options.

Tooth Misalignment

Uneven spacing can occur for many reasons, including genetics, physical injury, missing teeth, or neuromuscular problems. Even in patients who had braces as a kid, teeth can move out of their ideal position during the adult years. To improve the appearance of a crooked smile, my team and I offer these state-of-the-art cosmetic dentistry treatments.

Invisalign® braces — Invisalign makes it easy and affordable to get straight teeth in about the same timeframe as metal braces. The aligners are made of clear plastic, so you don’t have to worry about people noticing your braces instead of your smile.

Porcelain veneers — Porcelain veneers are a beautiful cosmetic option that creates the illusion of straight teeth using wafer-thin shells of porcelain. The veneers are affixed to the front surfaces of teeth for a very uniform, natural appearance.

TMJ therapy — When misaligned teeth are causing neuromuscular problems, TMJ (temporomandibular joint) therapy can align the upper and lower jaws for a more comfortable and healthy bite. TMJ therapy encourages teeth to fit together better, which often remedies slight misalignment issues in the process.

Glaring Tooth Gaps

Both natural tooth gaps and missing teeth can be fixed with advanced cosmetic dentistry solutions. Dental implants are the best way to replace teeth that have been lost due to infection or physical injury. Porcelain veneers are often the treatment of choice for minor gaps that are not affecting the bite.

Dental implants — Through a dental implant procedure, you can have a brand new tooth that looks, feels, and functions just like your natural teeth. Implants restore bite imbalance, provide bone support, and prevent shifting of neighboring teeth for a permanent solution to missing teeth.

Porcelain veneers are also often used to close small gaps. Veneers can be placed in just two appointments and are usually recommended in situations where patients don’t require structural tooth repair.

If you have been considering filling in your tooth gaps or straightening your teeth, the social benefits of a smile enhancement can be extremely rewarding. For more information about our full array of dental fixes for common tooth problems, please contact my Boulder, Colorado dental office to set up a personal smile consultation.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

Isn’t it about time you took care of that glaring chip in your front tooth? Or how about that dark gum line above your dental crown? What about looking into laser whitening to take care of that yellowish enamel? Fixing your least-favorite smile characteristics is easier than you might think.

At our cosmetic dentistry practice in Boulder, Colorado, my team and I make tooth fixes affordable and stress-free. We have a variety of tooth restoration treatments that will undoubtedly improve your smile confidence and enhance your overall smile appearance.

Here is a brief list of common tooth repair solutions that can maximize your smile power and create a healthier mouth in the process.

Tooth chips — Tooth bonding is the quickest, least invasive option for minor tooth damage like chipping. You may also consider porcelain veneers, which can be completed in just two visits.

Tooth cracks or fractures – We are often able to repair minor cracks and fractures with ceramic fillings or dental bonding. For tooth damage that affects a large amount of tooth structure, we may recommend a dental crown instead.

Darkened crown — Porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns tend to reveal a dark line where gum tissue and tooth meet. With a new ceramic crown, you’ll never run the risk of this telltale sign.

Bad bite — If your upper and lower teeth don’t come together evenly or comfortably, our neuromuscular dentistry treatments can help restore balance to your smile.

Discolored enamel — Laser tooth whitening can take your smile up several shades in just one visit to our office. We also offer take-home whitening.

Large gums — Through gentle and safe laser gum reshaping, we are able to minimize excessive gum tissue and recontour uneven gums to frame your smile beautifully.

Crooked teeth — Choose from a superficial solution like porcelain veneers, or move teeth gradually into place with the Invisalign® alignment system.

• Please visit our smile gallery to see what a difference these restoration procedures can have on your smile.

To talk about your smile makeover options and get a treatment estimate, please contact my team for more information. We look forward to providing you with a personalized cosmetic dentistry care plan that will give you a gorgeous smile you can be proud to show off.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry