At Streamside Dental we take great pride in helping people with damaged teeth regain health, function, and esthetics. No matter what the state of your current oral health know that Dr. Distelhorst can examine your unique needs to find the best procedure and course of treatment. Browse through our list of restorative procedures and remember that if you are currently in any pain please contact our office in Vail, CO to set up an immediate appointment.
Dental Implants
At Streamside Dental we offer several procedures that can replace missing teeth. We have dental implants, dental bridges, and partial denture retainers. Dental implants provide the most permanent and sturdy option. Our patients (usually coming from Vail, Edwards, Avon, Minturn, Eagle, Silverthorne, and Frisco) are fortunate to have a dentist with the skills to accommodate a dental implant. Dr. Distelhorst works closely with expert oral surgeons and periodontists who place the implant surgically. Dr. Distelhorst is then able to use the implant as the base for a crown. A surgical grade titanium implant, similar to a tapered screw, is anchored into the jawbone and placed so it is partially exposed. As the jaw bone heals it grows into the groves of the implant, (a process called Osseointegration) making for a very strong substitute root. The small metal end of the implant, which is still protruding through the gum, is then capped with a porcelain dental crown and colored to match the surrounding teeth, completing the restoration. If you have missing teeth and want a permanent solution, consider contacting Dr. Distelhorst and her staff in Vail, CO.
Dental Bridges
Another option available to replace missing teeth is the dental bridge. The procedure gets the name because it uses crowns, placed over the surrounding teeth, to create a bridge and fill the gap. Dr. Distelhorst is very skilled at this procedure and will work closely with an excellent dental technician to match your tooth color, allowing the restoration to fit with your natural smile.
To start the procedure Dr. Distelhorst first takes measurements to get precise dimensions, then uses these to carve a replacement tooth from a block of porcelain ceramic. Then, two porcelain dental crowns are bonded to opposite sides of the newly created tooth in such a way that they can be fitted over the teeth adjacent to the gap. At this point the restoration is ready to be bonded into place, and will provide the wearer with the stability needed to be used for everyday chewing. If you are looking for dental bridges in the Vail, Edwards, Avon, Minturn, Eagle, Silverthorne, or Frisco areas there is no better choice than Streamside Dental.
Porcelain Dental Crowns
Dental crown are really a staple of restorative dentistry, and we use them extensively here at Streamside Dental. As well as being used for dental bridges (detailed above) they can be used for individual teeth that have been compromised by cracks, chips, or have perhaps become extra sensitive to food temperatures. Also, by strategically fabricating the crowns for your specific situation, Dr. Distelhorst can use them to close gaps between teeth.
After making imprints of the affected teeth they are sent to a dental lab where the crown is created. At your next appointment the crown is slipped over the tooth and bonded into place, sealing and strengthening the tooth. The crowns themselves are either IPS E-max® or Lava®, porcelain fused to high noble metal (PFM), or high noble metal crowns. The porcelain portion is colored to match your natural shade of white so it will not be noticeable.
Dentures
Dentures are one of the options available for those patients who have lost their natural teeth. At Streamside Dental our goal is to provide dentures that replicate the lost teeth as closely as possible, both in functionality and appearance. To achieve this requires Dr. Distelhorst to get exact measurements by taking molds of the gums and surrounding supportive tissue. This will prevent slippage by ensuring as tight a fit as possible and will help create an aesthetic appearance by determining the best position in the mouth. Remember that as a person ages, their gum and mouth tissues can distort, altering the effectiveness of the current dentures. If you have not been measured for dentures recently and this is what you are experiencing, it may be necessary to get a re-fitting. Dr. Distelhorst provides excellent dentures in the Vail, Edwards, Avon, Minturn, Eagle, Silverthorne, and Frisco areas, so contact her office for a consultation.
TMJ Therapy
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders are types of alignment issues affecting the joint connecting the lower jaw to the skull. TMJD pain can be caused by muscle and/ or structural changes in the joint. The Temporomandibular joint can be affected by the same disorders as other body joints such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, degenerative joint disorders, ankylosis, infection, and neoplasia. Symptoms include swelling or deterioration of joint tissue and/or muscle pain, but occasionally TMJ disorder can be characterized by symptoms seemingly unrelated such as repeated headaches. This makes sense because the jaw bone is connected to the sides of the skull with powerful muscles, and the misalignments can cause these muscles to pull unevenly, causing headaches. TMJ pain is often caused or exacerbated by clenching and/or bruxing (grinding) your teeth.
At Streamside Dental we offer a variety of therapies to correct the alignment problems and address the muscle pain. Dr. Distelhorst may recommend a special mouthpiece or retainer to gradually correct the way the jaw aligns, or in more extreme cases will work with an oral surgeon, physical therapist, orthodontist and/or chiropractor to get you functioning comfortably again. Contact our office if you are in the Vail, Edwards, Avon, Minturn, Eagle, Silverthorne, or Frisco areas.