I've heard a lot about whitening lately. There are the kits on TV, the kits in the stores, and the kits at my dentist's office. What's the difference?

Some of the key differences are that in the store and TV kits, the solutions are a weaker concentration and you don't get the close, sustained contact of the gel on  your teeth because the trays do not fit as well as from your dentist. That leads to rapid loss of a weaker concentrated gel. You'll wind up buying many refills and you won't get the same whitening effect as you would from your dentist's kit. Plus, there is always the potential for gum problems unnoticed in an unsupervised procedure.

Why replace missing teeth with a Bridge?

If missing teeth are not replaced, the adjacent teeth will shift into the space lost. This will cause changes in bite, poor chewing ability, and put stress on the other teeth in the jaw. Also, there will be sinking in of the cheeks with a change in facial appearance. Missing teeth will also lead to increased plaque build up and increase chances of decay and gum disease.

What is air abrasion?

Air abrasion is a technology that, in most cases, allows your teeth to be worked on without anesthesia or the use of a dental drill. By using  a gentle stream of powder, cavities can be removed and less tooth is removed than with a dental drill. Then a tooth colored resin filling is placed in the tooth.

What is the difference between silver and tooth colored fillings?

Besides a cosmetic difference, there are several. What has been noticed is that due to the expansion of silver fillings (due to the mercury) and because silver fillings are wedged inside of a tooth to retain the filling, stress can occur to your natural enamel. This could lead to a premature fracture of your tooth which might necessitate a crown. With a properly placed tooth colored filling, your tooth is actually strengthened by the filling, not weakened, because it is bonded (connected) to your tooth, not wedged in.

Do tooth colored fillings last as long as silver?

Since tooth colored fillings don't have the track history that silver has, that question can't be answered yet. But from the initial studies, it seems that they can.

Why Non-extraction orthodontics?

By starting early treatment it is rarely necessary to extract permanent teeth. Treating patients by developing the arches and preserving arch size results in fuller smiles and natural developed faces. Many times extracting permanent teeth results in sunken faces and narrow arches.