Restorative Dentistry
Restorative dentistry includes procedures to restore the function and appearance of teeth. We also offer some periodontal and endodontic services.

• White/Composite Fillings: These are made of tooth-colored material rather than mercury. Composite fillings restore the teeth's natural beauty. Composite fillings can be matched very closely to your natural tooth color and are virtually indistinguishable from non-restored teeth.
  
  
• Bonding: This is a process in which tooth-colored composite resin is applied to tooth surfaces, sculpted into shape, hardened, and polished to match surrounding teeth. Bonding can close gaps, repair chipped or fractured teeth, and disguise discolored teeth. It usually requires one office visit and no anesthetic. This is especially helpful if your child falls and cracks a front tooth.
  
  
• Whitening: Significantly reduces external surface stains caused by food and drink. Our Brite Smile and Zoom processes can give you a whiter, brighter smile in a single visit.
  
  
• Veneers: Usually customized from porcelain, veneers are thin, semi-translucent facings bonded to the fronts of teeth. Veneers are durable, stain resistant, and natural looking. They conceal broken, chipped, discolored, crooked, and misshapen teeth.
  
  
• Crown: A crown is a restoration that covers a tooth in order to strengthen the tooth and restore it to its normal shape and size. A crown may be placed to support a large filling when there is little remaining tooth structure, to attach a bridge, to protect weak teeth from fracturing, or to restore fractured teeth.
  
  
• Bridge: A fixed bridge, usually mage of gold (or porcelain-faced gold), is used to replace missing teeth. A bridge helps to create a normal bite, prevents stress on the dental ridge, prevents the drifting and tilt of adjacent teeth, inhibits decay in abnormal areas, and slows the onset of periodontal disease.
  
  
• Onlays: When you are not in need of a full crown, onlays may be the solution. The onlay procedure is a conservative restoration in which composite, porcelain, or gold is applied to a tooth that is not strong enough to support a filling.
  
  
• Porcelain Laminates: These are thin veneers applied to teeth that reshape or change the color of the front teeth.
  
  
• Implant Prosthetics and Maintenance: After surgical placement in the bone, implant replacements can range from a single tooth restoration, to an entire jaw. The implant prosthesis is the tooth that fits on top of the implant. Dr. Hellickson's implant training allows him to use the best system for each patient. He has lectured widely on implant dentistry and is a graduate of the Misch Implant Institute.

Therapeutic Services Non-Surgical
Periodontal Therapy

• Scaling and Root Planing: When plaque extends below the gum line, gingivitis can deteriorate into a condition known as periodontitis. Periodontitis is an inflammation that can erode the ligament and bone beneath you gums, creating deep pockets that foster the growth of destructive bacteria. Treatment may include the use of antibiotics and root planing (deep scaling of the bacteria-filled pockets).

Endodontic Procedures

• Endodontic (Root Canal) Treatment: Root canal therapy is needed if your tooth's pulp is irreversibly damaged. The procedure can save teeth that would otherwise require extraction. The development of modern anesthetics, analgesics, and techniques has greatly reduced the discomfort associated with root canal therapy.