Patient Education

Dental care and treatment can improve your smile and boost your self-confidence. Our highly experienced, board-certified dental professionals and compassionate staff make keeping healthy, attractive teeth for your lifetime a reality.

Perellis Family Dentistry provides a full range of dental services including the following:

CEREC® System

The CEREC® (Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics) system allows a dentist to design, create and fit a new crown, veneer or inlay in a single visit. Using conventional procedures, this process can take up to three weeks to complete.

The multi-instrument CEREC system consists of an infrared digital camera, a computer with 3-D imaging software, and a milling unit with diamond blades for quick, precise and highly detailed construction of restorations. ...

Cosmetic Dentistry FAQs

Why should a missing tooth be replaced?

The healthiest thing to do when a tooth is missing is to have it replaced. Otherwise, there is a risk of problems that may include:

• Difficulty biting and chewing
• Difficulty speaking
• Headaches
• Muscle pain
• Unattractive appearance

What are dental implants?

Dental implants serve as the base for many tooth-replacement options, including bridges, dentures and individual artificial teeth. Implants are surgically implanted in the jaw to provide a comfortable, secure fit. ...

Cosmetic Gum Surgery

As cosmetic surgery has become more mainstream, patients are seeking surgical options that will help them achieve their physical and aesthetic goals. Dentistry is no exception to this trend. Many people who are unhappy with their gums and the way their gums affect their smile, may choose to have cosmetic gum surgery to improve their appearance. ...

Crown Lengthening

Crown lengthening, also known as crown exposure, is a surgical procedure performed when there is not enough exposed tooth structure to place a restoration on the tooth. This procedure removes gum tissue and/or bone to expose more of the tooth, allowing a crown or filling to be put in place. Crown lengthening is often performed after a tooth breaks off at the gum or a crown or filling is removed and the tooth underneath is significantly decayed. A decent amount of healthy tooth structure is needed in order to properly perform a restoration. ...

Dental Bonding

Dental bonding is a special procedure used to restore, reshape and rejuvenate teeth, improving both their function and appearance. Dentists apply a thin layer of tooth-colored plastic to the front of the tooth and sculpt it to perfect the patient's appearance. Dental bonding is used to repair chipped, cracked, broken, misshapen teeth or stained teeth or to fill in the spaces between teeth. ...

Dental Bridges

Dental bridges are natural-looking tooth replacements that help maintain facial structure, reduce stress on the jaw and fill in the gaps caused by missing teeth. Dental bridges replace missing teeth with a short row of prosthetics that rely on the strength of surrounding natural teeth, called abutment teeth, to help stabilize the bite. Bridges also help keep adjacent teeth from moving into the open space left by the missing tooth. ...

Dental Crowns

A dental crown is a restoration that covers or caps a tooth, restoring it to its normal size and shape while strengthening and improving its appearance. Crowns are a very reliable solution for major dental problems that have resulted in a severely damaged or missing tooth. Crowns provide a strong, sturdy, aesthetically pleasing replacement that can tolerate the same pressures as a regular tooth, letting patients enjoy the convenience of eating, speaking and smiling without any difficulties. Crowns are necessary when the tooth is broken down to the point where a filling will not be effective. ...

Dental Implants

Dental implants are an option to replace missing teeth and provide a fixed solution to removable dentures. Dental implants are natural-looking replacement teeth that are fixed in the jaw. Implant treatment provides an option to correct the most troublesome cases associated with missing teeth and ill-fitting dentures. ...

Dental Implants FAQs

What are dental implants?

Dental implants are titanium anchors implanted into the jawbone that hold replacement teeth in place. The root of the implant sits in the jawbone beneath the gum line and the visible tooth, or crown, is attached to the root. Implants look and feel much like natural teeth. They support individual artificial teeth, bridges, and dentures. ...

Dental Trauma

Dental trauma involves any kind of injury to the face, teeth, gums or jaw line. Patients may experience trauma as a result of a sports injury, motor vehicle accident, or other type of incident. Dental trauma can also occur from eating foods that are too hard or drinking liquids that are too hot. These injuries can range from facial cuts and lacerations to more serious problems such as broken teeth and fractures. Trauma is most common among children, and the most common type of injury is a fracture of the tooth crown. ...

Dentures

Custom dentures can effectively replace missing or damaged teeth throughout the mouth, restoring a patient's ability to smile, speak and eat without difficulty or worry. Unlike dentures produced in the past, which were often uncomfortable or prone to slippage, custom dentures are specifically crafted with the individual patient's needs in mind. ...

Full Mouth Restoration

Full mouth restoration involves reconstructing all of the teeth in both the upper and lower jaws through the use of restorative materials like crowns, bridges, veneers and dentures. Full mouth reconstruction can be a necessary treatment performed to preserve the patient's oral health. This treatment may be performed on patients who have missing or severely damaged teeth caused by decay, injury, acid erosion, tooth grinding or malocclusion. ...

Implant Bridges

Dental bridges are natural looking tooth replacements that help maintain facial structure, reduce stress on the jaw and fill in the gaps caused by missing teeth. Bridges are used to replace one or more missing teeth and rely on surrounding healthy teeth for support. This causes damage to healthy teeth and may lead to future tooth loss. ...

Implant Crowns

Dental implants are used to replace missing teeth with strong, durable materials that enhance the smile. Implants are a permanent solution to replace missing teeth and can be used in conjunction with other procedures, such as crowns, to restore a healthy smile.

Dental implant crowns often look and feel like natural teeth and are fused to the bone to provide stability. They may be indistinguishable from natural teeth. The use of porcelain crowns creates a smooth, metal-free appearance that fits in seamlessly with the other teeth. ...

Implant Overdentures

Implant overdentures are dentures that are anchored directly to the jaw bone. Implants are posts that are surgically placed in the upper or lower jaw, where they function as a strong anchor for replacement teeth or dentures. Implants are usually made out of titanium. Implant overdentures are an option that makes dentures more secure, and are not as costly as replacing each individual tooth with a single implant. ...

Implant Supported Dentures

Implant-supported dentures are dentures that are anchored directly to the jaw bone. Implants are posts that are surgically placed in the upper or lower jaw, where they function as a strong anchor for replacement teeth or dentures. Implants are usually made out of titanium. Implant-supported dentures are an option that makes dentures more secure, and are not as costly as replacing each individual tooth with a single implant. ...

In-Office Tooth Whitening

In-office tooth whitening is a whitening procedure performed in the dentist's office. It is designed to make the patient's teeth up to five to seven shades brighter. Teeth discolor for a number of reasons; they may become stained or darkened by food, tobacco, injury or aging. Various methods of bleaching are available to alter the shade of the patient's teeth to the preferred degree of whiteness, one appropriate to the patient's age and coloring. ...

Inlays and Onlays

Inlays and onlays can often be used in place of traditional dental fillings to treat tooth decay or similar structural damage. Similar to a filling but designed to strengthen a tooth, an inlay or onlay can be made of porcelain, gold or composite resin. The material is bonded to the damaged area of the tooth. An inlay is typically adhered inside the cusp tips of the tooth, whereas an onlay is used for more substantial reconstructions. An onlay is designed to extend beyond one or more of the cusps of the tooth. ...

Invisalign® Orthodontic Treatment

For people who are dissatisfied with their smiles but have not done anything about them because they are not interested in a mouthful of metal, Invisalign® "braces" may be a good option. They eliminate both the discomfort of metal wires and the inconvenience of adjustments. The Invisalign system uses virtually invisible aligners that straighten teeth without metal bands, brackets or wires. The custom-made trays are comfortable, and easy to remove for eating, brushing, flossing and special occasions. The clear-plastic Invisalign aligners are so inconspicuous that it is difficult to tell when someone is wearing them. ...

Laser Gum Treatment

Laser gum treatment is a noninvasive, painless procedure that uses advanced laser technology to treat a wide range of gum conditions. More commonly used than they once were to treat certain types of gum problems, lasers allow many procedures to be performed with great precision, few complications and little pain. ...

Porcelain Crowns

A dental crown (cap) is a restoration that covers a tooth, restoring it to its normal size and shape, while strengthening and improving its appearance. A crown is necessary when a tooth is broken to the point where a filling will not be effective. A dental crown can be used for various reasons, including covering discolored or misshapen teeth, or restoring a broken tooth. It may also be used in conjunction with bridges and dental implants. A porcelain crown is made entirely of porcelain. ...

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are very thin, tooth-colored shells of ceramic that are custom-fit and bonded to the front of the teeth. They can create an attractively white and even smile. Veneers can address a variety of issues, including chipped, yellow, stained, misshapen or crooked teeth, or teeth with spaces between them. A veneer placed on top of a tooth can quickly and easily improve the look of a smile. ...

Sedation Dentistry

Many people experience anxiety about undergoing dental work or visiting the dentist at all, a fear known as dental phobia. It can keep them from seeking dental care, and may compromise their dental health. Dental phobia can be helped by sedation dentistry.

Sedation dentistry involves the use of medication to provide a relaxing and anxiety-free experience for people undergoing dental treatment. Although sometimes referred to as "sleep dentistry," most patients remain awake but feel sleepy. There are several different methods available to achieve varying degrees of sedation. Which method is used depends on the type of procedure and the preference of the patient. ...

Sinus Lift

A sinus lift is a surgical procedure that raises the membrane on the floor of the sinus to create a space that can be filled with enough bone to support rear-upper-jaw dental implants. The bone is added between the jaw and the maxillary sinuses, which are located on both sides of the nose. Sinus lifts are performed on patients who need dental implants, but do not have enough bone to support them. ...