Lafayette, Colorado

General/Family Dentistry

 

Dr. Newsome also offers high quality General/Family Dentistry.  We strive to go above and beyond to provide our patients with the best dentistry available.

 

Dental Hygiene/Preventative Care: Baseline Dental is committed to helping patients keep their regular periodontal maintenance and oral cancer examination appointments. Patients that maintain regular hygiene appointments and keep up with any needed dental treatment spend less money on dental care than patients who only see the dentist for emergency care.  The American Dental Association recommends at least two dental check-ups and cleanings per year in the absence of periodontal disease.  Regular dental cleanings is the best preventative way to ensure that your natural teeth last a lifetime.  Dr. Newsome and her staff are very thorough to ensure that all tartar, plaque and calculus are removed in order to make your teeth look good, feel good and function well.

 

Dental Crowns

A crown is similar to a thimble fitting over a finger and fits the tooth precisely.  The purpose of a crown is to protect and strengthen a brittle, weakened, or badly broken tooth; i.e. a root canal tooth, a tooth with a very large filling, or a tooth with a fracture.  Crowns can also be used to improve and whitening your smile.  In cases of extreme wear due to age or bruxism, crowns rather than orthodontics may be the treatment of choice.  Crown can be tooth colored without metal (all ceramic), tooth colored with metal or just metal.

 

Dental Bridges

When a tooth is missing due to loss or extraction, other teeth usually shift in a short period of time.  This change in tooth position can cause a variety of bite and gum problems that can be expensive and time-consuming to correct.  Therefore, it is wise to replace missing teeth as quickly as possible.  One way to do so is with a fixed bridge.  A fixed bridge replaces a missing tooth which is supported by two of your natural teeth or dental implants, this can also replace a removable partial denture. A bridge will bring your bite back to normal function, maintain your facial shape and create a beautiful smile. 

 

White (Composite) Fillings

No more amalgam (silver) fillings.  Dr. Newsome only places composite fillings.  Composite is a filling material that is a mixture of a resin medium with a quartz or glass filler which is what makes a tooth colored filling.  Composites are placed in one appointment.  The new composite filling is placed after the decay is removed and is bonded to the tooth.  These fillings are very durable and wear like natural teeth.

 

Acid from the plaque dissolves enamel causing a cavity which can spread to the dentin.  If left untreated, the cavity enlarges until it reaches the pulp, which becomes infected.  Tooth decay (cavity or caries) can develop on any surface of any tooth.  Cavities grow.  They are much easier and less expensive to treat when they are small.  Cavities may or may not cause discomfort.  Even though it may not hurt, the tooth is still deteriorating.  If left untreated the tooth will abscess and required root canal treatment in order to be saved. 

 

The size of a filling depends on the number of surfaces needed to be restored.

 

Root Canal Therapy

Deep tooth decay, or an injury, can cause serious damage and infection to the pulp’s nerves and vessels.  Root canal, or endodontic, treatment cleans out the infected pulp chamber and repairs the damage.  A tooth that has had root canal treatment can usually be restored to last as long as any other tooth.  Dr. Newsome utilizes modern dentistry therefore root canal treatment can be performed with no discomfort.  After root canal treatment, the tooth would need to be restored.  This is often done by using a crown.  The cost of a root canal and a restoration is usually less than the cost of removing the tooth and replacing it with an artificial one.

 

Some indications of the need for root canal treatment may be:

 

• Spontaneous pain or throbbing while biting

• Sensitivity to hot and cold foods

• Severe decay or an injury that creates an abscess (infection) in the bone