Family Dentistry with Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS

With a busy family, sometimes dental care can take a back seat for parents. However, Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS offers whole family dentistry to the Fairfield, CT area, making it easy for everyone in the family to schedule dental care.

With sports, after school activities, dinner, and homework, it can be difficult to fit in time to see the dentist. However, routine check-ups and cleanings are vital to the health of your gums and your teeth. A family dentist makes it so you only need to schedule appointments with one dentist in one location.

Dr. Rudolph can provide routine care, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry to children, adults, and seniors. Dr. Rudolph specializes in implants, cosmetic procedures, orthodontics, pediatric procedures, and endodontics. Whether your dental needs include a routine check-up, a cleaning, restorative work, prevention, or cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Rudolph has the experience and knowledge to help you to a healthy and-good looking smile.

Dr. Rudolph also prefers using the most advanced technology in his office. Successful patient outcomes rely on accuracy and efficiency. Dr. Rudolph implements this idea by using advanced technology like digital x-ray, oral cancer screening, rotary endodontics, electric handpieces, CEREC, and multiple forms of sedation.

Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS of Fairfield, CT has the expertise and the technology to treat the whole family. To schedule appointments for your family, call us at (203) 254-9533 or visit our website, www.drkeithrudolph.com. 

Post-Extraction Care

Having tooth or multiple teeth extracted is an experience most people do not look forward to. However, with Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS of Fairfield, CT you can feel at ease knowing the important things to remember about post-extraction care.

After a tooth extraction, it is important to remember that bleeding should be minimized. It is recommended to relax for the rest of the day of surgery and any strenuous activity should be avoided until healing has progressed. It is also advised not to lie completely flat. Lie with your head propped up as not to increase blood flow to the head.

Make sure to take painkillers as directed by Dr. Rudolph. An icepack or warm salt water rinse may help with pain and swelling, as well. Brushing your teeth and tongue is still advised but do so carefully and avoid the extraction site as much as possible.

Soft foods such as mashed potatoes and pudding should be eaten until healing progresses. Make sure to drink plenty of water, but do not drink through a straw, as this could un-clot blood and promote more bleeding. Also refrain from smoking and other tobacco products as this could slow down healing and also can lead to infection.

For a full list of post-op and post-extraction instructions, visit our website, www.drkeithrudolph.com. To schedule an appointment, call Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS at (203) 254-9533 or visit our website. 

Dr. Rudolph's Cosmetic Dentistry Specialties

Luminous pearly whites no longer have to be a dream. Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS specializes in cosmetic dentistry and has been improving the smiles of his patients in the Fairfield, CT area one smile at a time. Whether you have discolored teeth, crooked teeth, cracked, gapped, or misaligned teeth, Dr. Rudolph has an option for you.

Veneers and Lumineers are similar options. They are both very thin ceramic shells that are bonded to the front of your existing teeth. They are long lasting, durable and instant aesthetic improvements for a variety of cosmetic issues.

Bonding is a process using composite resin to be shaped over the tooth to fix gaps, cracks, misalignment, and provide long lasting white teeth. This is an affordable and simple procedure for a fresh smile that can last over ten years.

Teeth whitening, one of the most-requested procedures currently, is most effective under dentist supervision. This is why we recommended using our custom tray whitening system. This take-home system is specifically created for your unique situation and can result in a smile four to eight shades whiter within a few days!

Straight teeth are sometimes a necessity, but are also on the cosmetic wish-list of many. For this reason, Dr. Rudolph provides his clients with Invisalign, the nearly invisible teeth straightening system. Now straight teeth are possible without the noticeable and irritating metal braces.

A brand-new smile is possible here with Dr. Keith Rudolph, DDS in Fairfield, CT. To schedule a consultation, call (203) 254-9533 or visit our website, www.drkeithrudolph.com. 

Whitening and Bleaching

When staining agents such as coffee, wine or acidic foods are able to penetrate the enamel of the teeth, it can be difficult to return to the original teeth shade through brushing and flossing alone. Patients in the Fairfield, CT area with brown or yellow teeth are now utilizing tooth bleaching with Dr. Keith Rudolph. His Family, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentistry offers the most advanced tray whitening systems available to help brighten patient’s teeth quickly and effectively. Unlike over the counter whitening products that are messy and tend to slide off teeth, professional whitening provided by Dr. Rudolph whitens teeth 4-8 shades in just a couple of steps.

During the first visit, Dr. Rudolph will need to determine if the teeth are intrinsically or extrinsically stained. Extrinsic stains are on the surface, having barely penetrated the enamel. These stains are caused things like coffee, smoking and even aging, they are, however, reversible through bleaching.  On the other hand, intrinsic stains develop from the inside of the teeth and are often caused by more permanent staining agents such as antibiotics. The teeth are darkened as a result of bacteria buildup and cannot be reversed by whitening alone. Once it is determined what type of staining your teeth has, Dr. Rudolph and his staff will explain the whitening process and how it will affect your type of staining.

Patients can be fitted with custom-made mouth guards that are used during the whitening process.  Tray whitening is performed by applying a high concentration of oxidizing agent to the teeth with custom-fitted thin plastic trays for a short period of time, which produces quick results in most cases. The application trays ideally should be well-fitted to retain the bleaching gel, ensuring even and full tooth exposure to the gel. Trays will typically stay on the teeth anywhere from 45 minutes to overnight depending on your staining and sensitivity.

To learn more about custom tray whitening visit www.drkeithrudolph.com or call 203-930-1214 to schedule an appointment with Dr. Keith Rudolph at his Fairfield, CT Family, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentistry.

Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy is a method to save a severely decayed tooth that cannot support a traditional filling. However, at Dr. Keith Rudolph’s Family, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentistry, his experienced team offers root canal therapy using rotary endodontics, a special tool that makes the root canal process faster and more precise.

When bacteria invade the tooth, it can multiply and penetrate near the tooth’s nerves. This can cause sensitivity and pain at the tooth. This pain and discomfort is one signal that the decay is significant. After evaluating the tooth to determine if the tooth decay is significant enough, Dr. Rudolph may recommend a root canal. Root canal therapy can save an otherwise highly decayed tooth from extraction.

A root canal involves removing the infected tooth roots and nerves, cleaning the canals and filling the canals with antibacterial medications to reduce the likelihood infection will occur. After numbing the gum and tooth area, Dr. Rudolph will use a specialized tool using an electrical rotary hand piece. This hand piece benefits the patients by allowing the doctor to access the inner portion of the tooth more quickly. This reduces chair time for a patient, allowing them to return to their lives.

For more information on root canal therapy and rotary endodontics at Dr. Keith Rudolph’s Family, Cosmetic and Reconstructive Dentistry, visit www.drkeithrudolph.com. You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Keith Rudolph by calling 203-930-1214.

White Composite Fillings

Everyone wants to have a nice, healthy smile. Even if you take great care of your teeth and do everything you can in order to prevent a cavity, it may occasionally develop. Dr. Keith Rudolph gives his Fairfield, CT patients the best options in dental fillings by using white composite fillings.

Dr. Rudolph and his experienced and knowledgeable staff want you to leave their office completely satisfied with your dental experience. In the past, fillings were often made of different metals including gold and silver. This type of filling is known as an amalgam filling. Although in some instances amalgam fillings may still be used, newer options exist, which look natural and improves a patient’s smile.

White composite fillings offer several advantages over other types of fillings. For instance, aesthetics are one of the major benefits of white composite fillings. Dr. Rudolph is able to blend colors together in order to match the shade of the tooth being filled and surrounding teeth. This creates a natural appearance and allows the filling to blend in, so it is not noticeable. Composite fillings also strengthen the integrity of the tooth.

With other types of fillings, it may be necessary to drill more in order to shape a space, which will securely hold the filling. Since the bonding process helps hold the filling in place, less drilling is involved. That means less time spent in the dental chair. In some instances, white composite filling can be used with other materials in order to get the best possible results.

For more information on white composite filling or other dental procedures offered by Dr. Keith Rudolph in Fairfield, CT call 203-930-1214. 

Mini Dental Implants

Mini dental implants are an effective and durable alternative to traditional dental implants. While dental implants are useful for many dental problems, mini implants are used for restoring missing, broken or infected teeth in narrow areas. Dr. Keith Rudolph utilizes this alternative treatment for patients do not qualify for traditional dental implants at his practice in Fairfield, CT.

Mini implants are about half the size in diameter of a regular dental implant and are composed of titanium. Since they are so small, mini implants are great for restoring small teeth, pre-molars and frontal teeth. One of the main functions of mini implants is for patients who lack the bone to support the larger size of conventional dental implants. Mini implants are also great when it comes to installing full upper or lower dentures. A series of mini implants, between four and six, will be places along the gum line and serve as the base of the denture.

Placement of mini dental implants is not surgical like traditional implants. The devices can be inserted right through the gum into the bone. Since the procedure is non-invasive, recovery time is much less than that of traditional dental implants. Dental implants need between three and six months to graft to the jawbone while mini implants can be completed in as little as one procedure. Mini implants are directly attached to the gum line rather than the jawbone.

Thanks to their durability, small size and affordability, mini dental implants are one of the best options for securing dentures and restoring teeth. To learn more about mini implants, as well as standard dental implants, visit www.drkeithrudolph.com.