Crowns and bridges
Crowns serve many purposes in modern dentistry. There are several options and many factors to be considered before commencing treatment, to ensure your lifelong investment.
Why may you need a crown?
• Crowns are mostly indicated to protect teeth that have had ‘root canal treatment’ from splitting and cracking further now that they are weakened.
• Crowns allow wonderful cosmetic outcomes to improve shape, size and colour.
• Crowns are placed over teeth that are cracked or have been weakened by multiple restorations, decay, trauma or root canal treatment.
• Crowns can be used successfully to rebuild or rejuvenate a smile or a worn down dentition.
What is a crown?
A crown is a cap-like protective casing which fits over a carefully and meticulously prepared natural tooth. They can be made from gold/precious metal alloys, porcelain fused to a metal alloy or full porcelain. If it is necessary for a tooth to be strengthened with a crown, at least two appointments will be required. The first visit, impressions will be taken and the tooth prepared. A temporary crown will be placed for protection before you leave. The next appointment will be 3 weeks later, the temporary crown is removed and the final crown cemented and adjusted.
The placement of a dental bridge is a popular and effective way of replacing missing teeth. As with crowns there are several options and many factors to consider before commencing treatment.
Why may you need a dental bridge?
• To replace a missing tooth or teeth
• Preventing further bite issues with teeth tilting, tipping and supra-erupting (overgrowing)
• Provides a greater function to assist with chewing and speech
• Prevention of recession and gum disease for neighbouring teeth of a space
Restorative dentistry has the ability to correct more complex dental problems
Complex dental problems can stem from lack of dental hygiene maintenance, trauma or infection or simply unfortunate developmental factors beyond our control. Our team at Lifelong Dental always use the highest quality, locally owned and operated laboratories and state of the art materials to ensure that our tooth restorations not only recreate the aesthetic of your natural teeth but also normal feel and function.
Your comfort is always our main priority
Each treatment will be tailored to suit your individual needs, and a detailed and comprehensive dental plan will be created for you.
Whatever restorative dentistry needs you may have, the team at Lifelong Dental will ensure you receive the best treatment and outcome for your needs and will work closely with you throughout your treatment.
Inlays & Onlays
An alternative to fillings, Inlays & Onlays is restorative options for teeth that have lost some of the overall structure due to decay or trauma. They can be produced from either gold, composite resin or porcelain materials.
Difference Between Inlays and Onlays
Although they are similar to traditional dental fillings, both inlays and Onlays are cemented into place.
The Onlays are large in size and sit on the top of the tooth structure. In most cases, they are referred to as partial crowns as they look the same whilst preserving much of your natural tooth structure.
The inlays are smaller inside and are inserted within the grooves and fissures and corner area of the biting surface on the tooth (also known as the cusps).
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain Veneers are an effective treatment in cosmetic dentistry to help achieve your new smile. Porcelain veneers can be a fast, painless, and affordable solution for discoloured, worn or unsightly teeth. Dr Geoff Storeys years of experience in cosmetic dentistry allows for your beautiful and natural-looking new smile to be customised for you in less time than ever before.
What are Porcelain Veneers?
Porcelain Veneers are thin tooth-coloured porcelain (ceramic) facing crafted to bond to the frontal surface of the tooth. Porcelain Veneers can also be made from composite resin layered directly on to your tooth. There are numerous options available and Dr Geoff Storey and the team at Lifelong Dental are more than happy to assess and discuss all benefits and any considerations or concerns with you before you decide on which option is right for you.
Advantages of Porcelain Veneers
• Minimal dental visits to achieve your desired result
• Pain-free and fast
• Less invasive compared to other fixed prosthetic procedures
• Efficient and affordable
• Super strong, ultra-thin Porcelain Veneers
You may be able to achieve your desired cosmetic results without any orthodontic work.
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening is a great treatment option to help enhance and brighten up your smile, it is a safe and easy process that will make your teeth clean, bright and vibrant in a few easy steps. In consultation with your oral health therapist at Lifelong Dental, we will discuss which whitening product is best suited to you, and most importantly we tailor our whitening options so that you are in control of how light and white you wish to go.
In-office Teeth Whitening
For people who require instant results, there are numerous options for “in-chair” whitening treatments available on the market. Regularly, this treatment option is promoted as an “in-office” treatment, which still requires follow up the whitening at home to get optimal results. This may be seen as a double up and commonly we have found in chair boosting becomes more time consuming and expensive and almost always exacerbates increased tooth sensitivity. Our clinicians will be able to discuss your options and suitability as with all treatment.
Take-home Teeth Whitening
This proven and long-standing process allows you to whiten your teeth in the comfort of your own home and offers you the best long term colour stability.
Custom made trays are fabricated from an impression of your mouth and then a whitening gel kit is supplied. Then following the prescribed instructions for whitening you can watch your smile become brighter after each application.
An added benefit of this system is that it enables you to refresh your smile at your convenience and additional tubes of the whitening solution can be purchased. Looking after your custom made trays, will ensure they will last you many, many years with the only additional cost is the cost of the gel.
It is imperative that before we begin or revisit the whitening process you are up to date with your regular examinations. This ensures there are no underlying concerns that may be exacerbated by the whitening procedure.
Porcelain Crowns
Porcelain dental crowns re-establish the original structure and function of the tooth, replacing the exterior portion to create a natural appearance. Crowns are the best treatment where decay has destroyed most of the tooth, where there has been trauma to the tooth causing damage, or cases of severe enamel erosion. Porcelain crowns can also be an option for people who grind and clench their teeth to the extent that the original structure of their teeth has been compromised.
The great benefit of porcelain crowns is not only the fact that they can replicate the form and function of the original tooth, but they are also designed to look like the original, or usually even better! Porcelain crowns can be used to cover up the front portion of the tooth that has some visible flaw, improving the overall aesthetics of the smile.
Why Choose Us for Cosmetic and Restorative
We understand that no two customers are the same. We offer personalised treatment plans that are tailored to your individual needs to ensure you receive the best possible results. At Lifelong Dental, you can rest assured that you are in the safe hands of experienced and qualified professionals. Our staff’s spectrum of expertise in cosmetic and restorative dental services gives us the ability to provide you with solutions to a wide range of oral health issues.
Benefits of our services and treatments
All treatments are carried out within our dental centre. When we say we are a multi-skilled dental practice we really do mean it. Several advantages of choosing our practice include:
• Our multi-skilled team
• Professional and highly trained staff
• Commitment to continuing education to ensure the latest dental techniques and innovations are available to our patients
• Friendly and helpful long term and experienced staff
• A calm and supportive environment
• Experience in the Geelong and wider community for over 25 years
If you are seeking to achieve your perfect smile by enhancing your aesthetics and maintaining strong and healthy teeth and foundations and optimal oral health, come and see Dr Geoff Storey, Ms Dani Dragojlovic and Ms Bridget Childs at Lifelong Dental to see why so many entrust us and our wonderful support staff with their dental and overall health goals.
FAQs
What is cosmetic dentistry?
Cosmetic dentistry generally refers to any dental work that improves the appearance of teeth, gums and smile. The primary focus is on the improvement in dental aesthetics in colour, position, shape, size, alignment and overall appearance. We understand that you may not be happy with your natural smile, or maybe you wish to improve or enhance a certain feature. We can help you to achieve your goal, improve your smile and perhaps improve your overall oral health.
What can Dr Geoffrey Storey do to help?
At Lifelong Dental we recognise that your needs in improving the appearance of your smile is unique to you. With over 25 years’ experience in cosmetic dentistry, Dr Geoff Storey, can discuss the many treatment options available to help you achieve your goals, and individualise your personal dental rejuvenation needs.
An initial comprehensive consultation will allow us to listen to you and understand what you wish to achieve. For new patients, undertaking a comprehensive examination of your mouth will be necessary to assist us in developing your personal treatment plan. In this consultation, we will discuss all of the treatment options available to you, associated fees and you can ask any questions you may have.
What kind of issues could cosmetic dentistry help?
• Crooked Teeth
• Crowded Teeth
• Developmental Defects
• Teeth with large gaps
• Discoloured Teeth
• Chipped Teeth
• Misaligned Teeth
Cosmetic procedures can be successfully employed to correct crooked teeth, crowded or gappy teeth where orthodontics may not be necessary. Discoloured, worn or chipped teeth can also be repaired and restored to give the appearance of straight, white, perfectly aligned teeth. The result is you individualised and very own custom-designed smile you’ll be proud to show.
Veneers
Veneers are an effective treatment in cosmetic dentistry to help achieve your new aesthetically pleasing smile. A veneer is a layer of material placed over a tooth to improve the aesthetics of a smile and/or protect the tooth’s surface from damage. The two main types of material used are composite resin and dental porcelain. There are numerous options Dr Geoffrey Storey and the team at Lifelong Dental will be able to discuss both benefits and concerns with you before you decide on which treatment option is right for you.
What Is Cosmetic Treatment?
These days there are a range of options to help your teeth look great. There is little doubt that enhancing your smile can improve our self-confidence and the results of cosmetic dentistry can be remarkable with the right treatment. Stained teeth, dark teeth, chipped teeth, crooked teeth, and even teeth that are missing altogether, can be repaired or replaced. If this is something you have been thinking about, now would be the best time to arrange your cosmetic consultation with our team at Lifelong Dental, to assess the most suitable treatment for you. Following your assessment, a treatment plan will be provided to you outlining the most suitable treatment for your current and long-term dental and general health needs.
What is a bridge?
A bridge is secured by crowns on either side of a space and fills the area with a high quality porcelain prosthetic replacement. If a bridge is a suitable treatment option to restore your smile, the process of appointments will be similar to those required for Crowns.
As there are a whole range of factors that need to be considered with crown and bridge treatment. Dr Geoff Storey’s many years of experience and highly successful and pleasing outcomes with fixed dental Crowns and Bridges will ensure we find what treatment is most suitable for your mouth. Contact us today for your consultation and we will discuss all of the relevant options and considerations with you.
What are the procedures for Inlays and Onlays?
With any dental procedure, it is always important to book in for a comprehensive examination and consultation so your dentist can assess and discuss which option is best for the condition of the tooth.
Inlay and Onlay treatment procedures are done in 2 visits. Similar to a Crown appointment.
The first appointment – During the initial appointment, the dentist will clean the area thoroughly while also removing any old fillings that have been applied previously. Once all clean, an impression of the tooth will be taken and sent to the laboratory. This is where your inlay or Onlay is made. A temporary fixture is applied in the area until the completed inlay or Onlay returns from the lab usually 3weeks later.
The second appointment – This is when the temporary fixture that was previously installed is removed and the newly constructed inlay or Onlay is fitted.
What happens post the fitment appointment?
As with all bonded materials, to ensure maximum longevity, anything that is overly hard and sticky in nature (commonly sticky sweets such as minties) should most definitely be avoided as continual consumption can result in destruction to the bonding and the inlay or onlay being pulled out. Generally, they can be recemented hassle-free, however, as with all our Lifelong Dental treatments, we strive for the most successful outcomes and to make the process as least complicated as possible for you.
If you are considering inlays or onlays and want more information about the procedure, please contact Dr Geoff Storey and our experienced team today.
What are the benefits of porcelain crowns?
- Improved appearance – Porcelain crowns are tooth coloured, smooth and are made to blend in almost perfectly with natural teeth. The natural appearance of porcelain crowns is extremely helpful for patients who require dental work in the front of their mouth, where it would be easy to see.
- Durable and strong – Porcelain crowns are actually nearly as strong as natural tooth enamel, which is one of the hardest materials in the human body. These crowns have the ability to withstand years of wear and are sturdy enough to repair broken or missing teeth.
- Natural feeling – Porcelain crowns have a much more natural feel than other options. They can be custom designed specifically to fit the shape, appearance and functionality of your tooth. The durability and feel of the crowns resemble that of your own natural teeth.
Contact Dr Geoffrey Storey and our friendly team today for your individualised cosmetic and functional assessment for lifelong strong and healthy smiles.
What causes discolouration?
The discolouration is a natural part of the ‘ageing process’. When the enamel that covers the teeth thins, the dentin begins to show through. Chips, cracks and other injuries can cause some discolouration. Asides from natural discolouration, it is often caused by highly pigmented foods and drinks that can stain the teeth, including tea, coffee, red wine, and naturally occurring dark berries, and sauces etc. Smoking can also cause teeth to stain.
What whitening treatments are available?
At Lifelong Dental, we offer tooth whitening in forms suited to your individual circumstance. We will work with you to provide all options available for your fast and efficient and comfortable whitening journey.
How does a take-home teeth whitening treatment work?
Custom-made whitening trays are created from an impression of your mouth. Your clinician will then explain how to use your whitening kit at home. The kit will include your customised trays, as well as a special whitening solution, and a whitening toothpaste. Before you begin whitening treatment, we will check that you have no underlying conditions that may need to be treated first.