Dental Crowns

Sakura Dental Arts focuses on keeping your natural teeth as long as possible. When decay leaves more filling than tooth, crowns address cracks and breaks.

For cavities or other dental issues, we often recommend a white filling. If a tooth has advanced decay or too much filling, it’s at risk of cracks and breaks.

We don't want that to happen, so a crown may be the answer.

What is a dental crown?

A dental crown covers the entire visible portion, protecting its remaining structure and restoring its original shape, size, and color.

We design crowns to restore the strength, health, and appearance of your smile. With advanced technology and attention to comfort, we ensure successful crown treatment.

Is getting a dental crown painful?

Dental crown treatments are now easier and more tolerable thanks to advanced technology and better techniques.

We also provide various sedation dentistry options for anxious patients, but if the patient does not require pain relief or anesthesia, numbing gel and local anesthetic are usually enough.

Learn more about crowns here.

Dental Fillings

What are dental fillings?

Dental fillings are used to fill small holes in a tooth where decay has been removed. A filling can be made from a variety of materials. The most common are amalgam, a mixture of metals, or composite, a glass-and-acrylic resin.

Traditional fillings can have a downside. As noted in a literature review published in the Journal of Dental Health, Oral Disorders & Therapy, metal fillings can weaken tooth strength by up to 50%. In comparison, inlays and onlays made of porcelain or composite materials can increase tooth strength by up to 75% and last 10-30 years!

Fillings do not require moulds, and several can be done in one appointment. They are less expensive and appropriate for small cavities. In contrast, inlays and onlays are for larger damaged areas. Think of inlays and onlays as a middle ground between fillings and crowns.

Filling cavities is a simple procedure completed at our practice in a short appointment. Fillings are used to repair teeth damaged by decay or other wear. As an alternative, fillings can also be treated with a tooth-colored composite material to restore a natural look and feel to the tooth.

What are Inlays and Onlays?

A dental inlay is a filling for a cavity on the inside of a tooth.

The procedure is simple and painless. After numbing, decay is removed. We take an impression, then use porcelain or resin to make a color-matched inlay. Inlays provide nearly invisible, durable restoration.

How an Inlay Differs from an Onlay or Filling

The onlay covers damage to the cusps and biting surfaces, while a crown covers the entire tooth.

For an onlay or crown, we numb the area, clean out decay, remove damaged material, and take a mold for the permanent piece.

Implants

Dental implants are a safe and reliable tooth replacement that can improve your quality of life.

Dental implants are a long-term replacement option that improves chewing, speech, and appearance. If well-maintained, they can last a lifetime.

Designed for your health: Titanium and zirconium implants encourage healthy bone and gum tissue growth, which provide a strong foundation for future oral health.

Long-lasting: Dental implants are an excellent investment, usually lasting 30 or more years with proper oral hygiene.

Looks and feels natural: Dental implants are custom-made to look and function like your natural teeth. You will be able to eat and speak without feeling self-conscious about your smile.

Easy to care for: Your dental implant is easy to care for. Just brush and floss as usual, and visit the clinic regularly for teeth cleanings.

Learn more about dental implants here.

Bone Grafts

A dental bone graft procedure increases bone in a part of the jaw and provides support for dental implants, or when tooth and gum health has deteriorated due to bone loss.

Procedures may differ in the methods used, but they all have one main similarity: An incision is made, and the grafting of other bone material, synthetic or natural, to the jaw is performed by your dentist.

Loss of teeth or advanced gum disease can result in bone loss in the jaw.

Bone grafting restores and strengthens the area.

The gold standard of dental bone grafting is to use your bone from the hip, tibia, or back of the jaw, known as an autograft. Autografts are preferred because they increase bony support in the jaw and promote faster healing and new bone formation.

Dentures and Partials

Dentures include both artificial teeth and gums, custom-made to fit a patient's mouth. Dentures might replace a few missing teeth (partial dentures) or all the teeth on the top or bottom of the mouth. There are some essential things to know about these prosthetics.

Dentures are made from hard resin materials. But they can crack or chip, so they need to be handled with care. Above the teeth, the prosthetic gums may be made from the same hard resin as the teeth, or from a flexible polymer. Over time, dentures can wear down and will need to be replaced.

Extractions

Reasons for Removing Teeth

Although adult teeth are considered permanent, extractions are a standard procedure for optimal oral health and to treat pain or discomfort while chewing, biting, swallowing, or speaking.

Overcrowding: Crowding, caused by teeth that are too big or unevenly shaped, can lead to misalignment. Extracting a tooth is sometimes necessary to make room for other teeth. Overcrowding can also prevent teeth from erupting through the gum, causing severe pain.

Extraction may be necessary before orthodontic work.

Infection: When a tooth is damaged and pulp tissue is infected, an extraction may be necessary. Your dentist might prescribe antibiotics first, but they are often ineffective for severe infections, and extraction may be needed.

Periodontal disease: When the tissues and bones that hold teeth in place become infected or inflamed, the tooth roots loosen, requiring extraction.

Injury: A tooth damaged in an accident may require extraction.

Root Canals

Dr. Oyama takes great pride in her ability to complete a root canal in one appointment, made possible by her skill and on-site cutting-edge technology.

These symptoms may indicate you require a root canal procedure:

• A chipped or cracked tooth

• Lingering sensitivity to hot or cold

• Dark gums under a tooth, or deep decay

• Tender, swollen gums

• Pimples on the gums.

• Severe pain while chewing or biting.

Click here to learn more about root canals.