Preventive Services
Keeping Up with Your Dental Care
The Smile That Lasts a Lifetime
Daily brushing and flossing are essential, as they keep dental calculus to a minimum. Still, it is paramount that patients have regular professional cleanings that remove plaque and tartar in places your toothbrush and floss can’t reach. These appointments play a significant role in preventing gum disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss.
Preventive Dental Protection
Dental sealants act as a barrier to prevent cavities and protect enamel from plaque and acids. Thorough brushing and flossing help remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth, but that’s never enough. Toothbrush bristles cannot reach into depressions and grooves to extract all the food and plaque.
Sealants are a plastic material usually applied to the back teeth’s chewing surfaces (premolars and molars), where decay occurs most often. At Ideal Dental Solutions, our expert providers allow for an almost seamless application to the teeth. The sealant is painted onto the tooth enamel, where it bonds directly to the tooth and hardens. This plastic resin bonds into the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) of the chewing surfaces of back teeth. As long as the sealant remains intact, the tooth surface will be protected from decay.
During your regular dental visits, we will check the condition of the sealants and reapply them when necessary.
Improving Jaw Comfort and Function
TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders are a family of problems related to your complex jaw joint that can manifest themselves as a misaligned bite, pain in your jaw, a clicking or grating noise when you open your mouth, or trouble opening your mouth wide. Our dentists are experts at diagnosing TMJ and offer a range of solutions that help you have a healthier and more comfortable jaw.
At Ideal Dental Solutions, there are various treatment options we can utilize to improve your jaw’s comfort and function. Once an evaluation confirms a diagnosis of TMJ disorder, we will determine the proper course of treatment. No one treatment can resolve TMJ disorders completely, and treatment takes time to become effective. Our collaborative approach to our patients’ care enables us to be one of Tysons Corner and Arlington’s best dentists to treat TMJ.
Guard Your Smile Against Grinding
Bruxism, the medical term for clenching the jaw and grinding the teeth during sleep, damages your teeth, your jaw, and any dental restorations (crowns, implants, bridges) you may have. That’s why, at Ideal Dental Solutions, we help our patients identify this unconscious behavior and offer solutions to address it before it escalates to TMJ or broken restorative dentistry work.
Our dentists also know that not all mouth guards are the same, which is why we offer custom-fit guards that are minimally invasive and that our patients can regularly use without interrupted sleep patterns. We not only take a precision impression for your custom night guard so that it precisely conforms to the unique shape of your teeth, mouth, jaw, and bite; we also create custom specifications for your individual grinding or clenching pattern, to ensure the best possible results.
Why use us for your custom mouth guard? Easy — we make it fit, form, and function as it was intended. Bring your guard to your regular appointments with IDS and we will have it cleaned and adjusted.
Restorative Services
Restoring Your Ideal Smile
The Royal Treatment for Your Teeth
Every tooth can be a king or queen! Weak or damaged teeth can be restored to their normal size, shape, and function with a crown. Dental crowns are “indirect restorations” that can be used to attach a bridge, prevent brittle or weak teeth from breaking, or restore a tooth that is already broken. Made of gold and/or porcelain, crowns cover a tooth and, by extension, any discoloration, shape, or misalignment.
Our dentist are experts at dental crown procedures. During the first visit, we work collaboratively to choose the best material for your crown, prepare the tooth, take a digital image of it, and remove enough of the natural tooth so that a temporary crown that is the size and shape of the original tooth can fit comfortably over it. At the next visit, the fabricated permanent crown is bonded over the prepared tooth and is adjusted as needed for fit, comfort, and bite.
Bridging Capability and Cosmetics
Missing teeth have much more than just an aesthetic impact for people. They also limit some of the jaw’s functionality. Bridges can be used to replace missing teeth, returning the lost functionality and restoring your ideal smile. A bridge, or a “fixed bridge,” replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth, literally bridging the gap where one or more teeth used to be present.
While bridges were once the preferred treatment choice for missing teeth, dental implants have now taken that role for a variety of reasons. There are still a number of cases where a bridge could be used, for example, when the teeth surrounding a missing tooth (or group of teeth) are already compromised and/or crowned. Sometimes, if the missing teeth are quite visible, a patient may choose a bridge over implants because they do not want to wait six months for the missing teeth to be replaced.
Bridges are anchored by crowning the teeth adjacent to the missing tooth or teeth, which then holds the prosthetic tooth or teeth in place. Similar to crowns, bridges can be made of gold, porcelain fused to gold, or all ceramic. Should you and your team of dentists decide to proceed with a bridge procedure, IDS will work collaboratively to decide which material will best suit your needs
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Tooth!
Composite fillings are long-lasting, tooth-colored fillings for patients who have decay in more visible areas of their mouths. Used to repair a tooth that is affected by decay, cracks, fractures, defective or old fillings, and more, composite fillings can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth for a more natural-looking solution.
Composite fillings are usually placed in one appointment. While the tooth is numb, we will remove decay as necessary. The space will then be thoroughly cleaned and carefully prepared before the new filling is placed. The composite filling will then be precisely placed, shaped, and polished, restoring your tooth to its original shape and function. There are many types of filling materials available, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. We discuss the best options for restoring your teeth during your visit
Getting to the Root of the Issue
Infected, injured, or dead root pulp can manifest itself through moderate to severe pain, swelling, and bad breath. If left untreated, the damaged root could lead to other, more serious, health problems. If you are experiencing those symptoms, a root canal is your best option for restoring the infected tooth to a state of health and function.
Root canal treatment, also known as endodontic treatment, is the process of removing infected, injured, or dead pulp from your tooth. To perform this procedure, you are anesthetized, your tooth is protected from saliva, an opening is made to the infected pulp, and by the use of very fine and specialized instruments, the root canals are cleaned and then filled.
This can be done over a one-to-two-appointment period, as you may be tender after the initial procedure. After a root canal treatment, your tooth will be restored to look, feel, and work as much like a natural tooth as possible by our fabricating a post and crown.
Your Health and Comfort Are Our Priority
A tooth extraction may need to be done for numerous reasons, including, but not limited to, the following situations: decay has reached deep into the tooth, infection has destroyed a large portion of the tooth or surrounding bone, or there is not enough room for all the teeth in your mouth. Depending on the severity of the reason and whether the tooth/teeth are impacted or not, our dentists may recommend a nonsurgical or surgical extraction. This decision would be a collaborative effort with your Ideal Dental Solutions team.
Before a tooth is removed, your medical and dental history will be thoroughly reviewed and the appropriate X-rays will be taken. X-rays reveal the length, shape, and position of the tooth and surrounding bone. From this information, we can estimate the degree of difficulty of the procedure and decide whether to refer you to an oral surgeon. Before removal, the area around your tooth will be anesthetized. It is critical to keep the area clean and prevent infection immediately following the removal of a tooth. For the next 24 hours, you shouldn’t smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously, or clean the teeth next to the extraction site.
A Crafted Smile
Missing teeth, no matter how many, shouldn’t ruin your smile. Depending on your unique circumstances, our dentists might recommend dentures. Dentures are artificial replacements for your natural teeth and gums. Depending on the level of damage your mouth has sustained, our dentists will recommend partial or complete dentures. For both types of dentures, we make models of your teeth by taking impressions. The models are used to custom make your dentures for your ideal smile.
Partial dentures are also called “removable partial denture prostheses” or “partials.” They may be used when nearby teeth are not strong enough to hold a bridge or when more than just a few teeth are missing. Partial dentures are made of one or more artificial teeth held in place by clasps that fit onto nearby natural teeth. You can take the partial denture out yourself for cleaning and sleeping. Complete dentures are held in by suction and are used when you have lost all your natural teeth. Our collaborative team of dentists will work with you to find the best solution for you.
Recreating Your Ideal Smile
Age, disease, trauma, grinding, crowding, and more can necessitate the treatment and replacement of your teeth. More extensive and sophisticated reconstruction includes patients whose jaws and teeth have been compromised due to cancer or genetic defects. While all licensed dentists can treat worn or broken dentition, only a prosthodontist has received the extensive and sophisticated additional training needed to possess the expertise, knowledge, and skill to perform full dental reconstruction. You’ll find this expertise, as well as state-of-the-art technology and techniques, at Ideal Dental Solutions.
Periodontal Gum Therapy Services
Your Ideal Smile Starts With Healthy Gums
Periodontitis, or gum disease, occurs when bacteria create an infection in your gums that causes damage to the surrounding soft tissue and the supporting bone. Good dental hygiene is the best preventive measure for periodontitis, but if you need treatment, our dentists are some of the top periodontitis experts in Tysons Corner and Arlington. We offer the full suite of services listed below:
A Bigger, More Beautiful Smile
Although your teeth appear short, they may be the proper length and just covered by too much gum tissue. Crown lengthening can also help reduce the amount of gum shown in your smile or cover up a tooth damaged below the gum line.
A surgical procedure performed to expose more tooth structure in order to properly restore a tooth, the crown lengthening procedure allows us to reach the edge of the restoration, ensuring a proper fit. The tooth becomes easier to clean and less prone to new decay. If the procedure is not done, the deep filling or crown will cause chronic inflammation, redness, and soreness.
Controlling Gum Inflammation
When bacterial plaques are left to accumulate on the teeth for a long period of time, they form deposits called calculus. Unfortunately, due to their nature, the calculus deposits cannot be removed by brushing and flossing. Only professional scaling and root planing can remove all deposits by accessing root surfaces using special instruments. Our professional deep cleanings remove plaque, calculus, and bacterial toxins from your teeth’s roots. Removal of the calculus combined with proper oral hygiene will allow the gum tissue to reform a tight, healthy seal at the neck of the tooth.
Special hand instruments called scalers and curettes have been developed to remove the calculus in an effective and comfortable manner. Scaling and root planing are meticulous processes and may take a number of appointments. A quality professional cleaning will be the first step necessary in establishing your periodontal health. There are limits to the extent of healing possible through scaling and root planing procedures alone, but we will discuss this with you prior to your procedure.
Getting More of Your Gum Back
If you are experiencing receding gums, then a connective tissue graft may be your best solution. Our team of expert dentists can cover areas where the gum has shrunk with connective tissue grafts, bringing back your ideal smile. Gum recession causes a loss of natural defense against bacteria, as the exposed root surface is also softer than enamel, which can lead to damage from toothbrushing and acidic food. In some cases, the problem can be quite serious.
During the procedure, tissue is taken from the roof of your mouth and grafted onto the area of recession. In certain cases, we can care for multiple locations at once. There are different types of grafts, such as the gingival graft and the CT graph. Our team of the top dentists in Tysons Corner and Arlington will work collaboratively with you to decide on the best course of action.
Delivering Cutting-Edge Dental Treatments
We are one of the few dental offices in the United States using the patented and FDA-approved Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP). This new-generation laser therapy allows us to treat periodontal disease with a minimally invasive procedure that eliminates the need, in most cases, for conventional blade surgery.
LANAP provides an environment in which new bone, cementum, and periodontal ligament can form on previously diseased root surfaces. The laser’s fiber optic tip removes diseased tissue and kills bacteria in the pockets. An ultrasonic scaler and/or hand tools then remove the loosened calculus deposits.
We believe LANAP will usher in a new standard of care in the preservation of teeth, just like dental implants offered a new standard of care in tooth replacement. In addition to the clinical benefits, laser therapy benefits for patients include significantly less pain, recession, bleeding, and root sensitivity, and minimal swelling and downtime after treatment. Laser treatment can be achieved, in most cases, in only one visit because the new laser therapy eliminates the separate deep-scaling visits.
A Permanent, Natural-Looking Solution
At Ideal Dental Solutions, we strive to deliver our patient’s ideal smile. For some, that can mean replacing missing, broken, or dead teeth with dental implants. Our solutions look and function just like your natural teeth, while also strengthening the underlying bone of the surrounding healthy teeth.
Our doctors at Ideal Dental Solutions are the top dentists for dental implants in Tysons Corner and Arlington. Both our practices offer affordable rates and convenient times for your implant appointments.
