Dental Veneers

If you’re unhappy with the way your teeth look, veneers are an effective method for reshaping and redesigning your smile. Whether your teeth have gaps, stain, cracks, chips or other issues, these thin, ceramic shells can cover the existing tooth structure in your mouth to give you a smile you will be proud to show off.

 

Having veneers placed usually only takes two to three visits to our office in Fairfield, CT. During the first visit, you will discuss the shape and look of the smile you want to accomplish with Dr. Keith Rudolph, and then your teeth will be prepared for your upcoming veneers. The dentist will do this by removing a small amount of enamel to ensure a secure and natural-feeling bond.

 

Once the enamel has been removed, an impression is taken of your mouth so that the veneers can be fabricated to fit your existing teeth. After the veneers have been created, they are bonded to your existing teeth to create an attractive smile that looks and feels natural. With proper home care and the help of Dr. Rudolph, you can enjoy your new smile for 5 to 10 years the veneers should be replaced.  

 

To schedule an appointment at our office, call 203-930-1214. For more information, visit www.drkeithrudolph.com. 

Wisdom Teeth Extractions

Your third and final molars to emerge are your wisdom teeth, which usually come in when you are between 17 and 25 years old. While many people do not experience problems with these new teeth, many others find that theirs must be removed. If your mouth does not have enough room for these molars to come in, a wisdom tooth extraction is necessary, and at our office in Fairfield, CT, Dr. Keith Rudolph can determine whether a wisdom tooth extraction is the best course of action for you.

Wisdom teeth are usually removed because they become impacted, which means that the tooth does not have enough room to come in straight through the gums and instead emerges at an angle. This can cause pain, damage to the jaw and a more crooked smile. Additionally, the site of impaction can become a bacterial hotspot since impacted wisdom teeth are hard to clean.

Wisdom teeth extractions can range from removing a single tooth to removing all four teeth at once. Dr. Rudolph will let you know what he thinks is best for you. For the procedure, she will use either a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate you while the teeth are extracted. The tooth will then be accessed through an incision in the gums and wiggled until it is loose enough to be lifted out. If the tooth is too deeply embedded to be removed this way, it will be broken up into pieces before being removed.

Whether you are already feeling pain due to impacted wisdom teeth or have not yet felt them come in, we can determine if your wisdom teeth will cause problems for you. To schedule an appointment, call 203-930-1214. For more information, visit www.drkeithrudolph.com

Gum Disease

Caring for your teeth is an essential part of maintaining good oral health, but your gums also play an important role, and proper care is crucial. Gum disease can be a serious detriment to both your oral health and overall wellness, and Dr. Keith Rudolph provides the type of regular periodontal care and checkups you need to maintain peak health and prevent gum disease.

With periodontal disease responsible for 75 percent of all adult tooth loss cases in the United States, it is critical to check for and treat periodontal issues when they first arise. Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums that starts when a build-up of plaque on your teeth hardens, providing the ideal environment for bacteria to collect and attack the surrounding gums. In its early stages, this gum disease is gingivitis, but if it is left untreated, it becomes periodontis, which can destroy your gum tissue and lead to tooth loss. Periodontis can even result in a loss of bone mass in your jawbone, and heart disease, diabetes and stroke have also been linked to poor periodontal health.

The state of your gums affects the health of your entire body, so come to our office in Fairfield, CT to receive periodontal cleanings and treatment. It is easier to prevent gum disease or treat it early on than to reverse the effects of periodontis. Call 203-930-1214 to schedule an appointment at our practice. For more information, visit www.drkeithrudolph.com.

Dentures

Many of our patients in Fairfield, CT choose dentures to replace their missing teeth. Cost effective and removable, dentures are available as both full and partial devices.  

 

Full dentures can be used in two ways: conventionally or immediately. Conventional full dentures are used after all of a patient’s teeth are removed, but only once the gum tissue has healed for a few months. During that healing time, the patient would have no teeth in place. Immediate full dentures are more popular since patients do not have to be toothless for any period of time. For this type, Dr. Keith Rudolph takes measurements of your mouth prior to removing the teeth. Then when the teeth are removed at the next appointment, the dentures are immediately placed in your mouth. With this method, a follow-up visit is required so that the dentures can be refitted and tightened since the jawbone changes shape slightly as it heals with no teeth.

 

Partial dentures are an option for those who do not need all their teeth removed. This type is very similar to bridges, except they are removable instead of permanent.

 

Whichever dentures our patients choose, the device takes some time getting used to, but as you practice, eating and speaking will get easier. Even though they are not real teeth, dentures should still be cared for as if they were. To ensure your dentures last, be sure to brush them before removal and place them in room temperature water or cleaning solution overnight.

 

To find out if dentures are the right choice for you, schedule an appointment with our office by calling 203-930-1214. For more information, visit