Dental Solutions

Our digitized radiography system provides quality dental images with 80% less radiation than conventional x-rays. Unlike small x-ray films, digital x-ray images can be magnified up to 300 times their normal size and can be viewed instantaneously on a screen right beside you!

Digital radiography is an invaluable tool for diagnosis. We can adjust contrast and colour to reveal hidden problems, make more accurate measurements, and even back-light teeth to see things that can’t be seen with conventional film. Our high-magnification camera and large-screen monitor allow you to see exactly what we see. We want you to understand the treatment we recommend.

Philips Zoom! Whitening can make your teeth up to 8 shades whiter in just 45 minutes. Thanks to our light-activated technology, you can see dramatic results in less time than your lunch break.
If you choose in-office-whitening, your treatment starts with your dentist checking your current shade, so you can both see the dramatic difference after your treatment is complete. With Philips Whitespeed you can reverse staining of foods and drinks, aging, and even discolorations from some types of medication.

Once you’re ready, just sit back as your dental professional handles the next steps:

• We prep your mouth for whitening and applies a layer of advanced whitening gel to your teeth.
• To speed up the whitening process, they’ll shine our WhiteSpeed blue LED lamp onto your teeth. This accelerates the whitening, plus the lamp’s variable settings ensure you’ll get a comfortable experience.
• This is repeated three times – and is completed in just 45 minutes!
• Once you’ve reached your desired shade, your dentist will apply our post-treatment gel to help protect enamel and reduce sensitivity.

Before you leave your dentist’s office, you’ll receive customized whitening trays and a take home whitening kit, which is included in the price of your treatment. This way, you can top-up the brightness of your smile whenever you want to.

Tooth Desensitization Lets You Eat What You Want Without Tooth Sensitivity.

There is nothing worse than being unable to enjoy the foods and drinks you love. Whether it is sipping on something hot or eating something cold, tooth sensitivity can impact your quality of life. Instead of avoiding the foods you really want to eat, you could benefit from tooth desensitization.

Home Remedies Not Working? Ask Your Dentist about a Tooth Desensitization Treatment.
Sometimes you need the assistance of your dental professional to desensitize your teeth. Your dentist can apply a thin layer of a fluoride gel or another type of desensitizing agent to strengthen your enamel which will help reduce teeth sensitivity and stop the transmissions to your nerves causing pain.

These appointments only take a few minutes and have long-lasting effects. In some cases, your insurance may cover a portion of this tooth desensitization treatment, and if not, it is a relatively affordable procedure.

A composite filling is a tooth-colored plastic and glass mixture used to restore decayed teeth. Composites are also used for cosmetic improvements of the smile by changing the color of the teeth or reshaping disfigured teeth.

The main advantage many people like about composite fillings is unlike amalgam (silver fillings) there is no lead. Another advantage is that it is more aesthetically pleasing, since dentists can blend shades to create a color nearly identical to your natural tooth color. Composites bond to the tooth to support the remaining tooth structure, which helps to prevent breakage and insulate the tooth from excessive temperature changes.

Here at Hollick-Kenyon Dental we only use composite fillings for restorative and some cosmetic procedures.

Root canal treatment is an often straightforward procedure to relieve dental pain and save your teeth. Patients typically need a root canal when there is inflammation or infection in the roots of a tooth. During root canal treatment, your dentist carefully removes the pulp inside the tooth, cleans, disinfects and shapes the root canals, and places a filling to seal the space.

Once the Root Canal is completed we usually like to wait 2-3 months to ensure the tooth has settled then, a crown will be placed to prevent a fracture that could potentially cause you to lose your tooth. *See Crowns for specific information

If your tooth is damaged but not lost, a crown can be used to restore its shape, appearance and function. You may need a crown if you have a root canal, a large filling in a tooth or a broken tooth.
A crown, also called a cap, is a hollow, artificial tooth used to cover a damaged or decayed tooth. The crown restores the tooth and protects it from further damage. Crowns can also be used to cover a discoloured or misshapen tooth. A tooth that has been fixed with a crown looks and works very much like a natural tooth.

How is a Crown done?

1. Your dentist gives you a local anesthetic.
2. To make room for the crown, your dentist files down the tooth that needs to be restored.
3. An impression of the filed-down tooth and nearby teeth is taken. This impression is used to custom make your final crown. The crown is built using the choice of metal, porcelain, zirconia, gold, etc. The final crown will be the right shape for your mouth.
4. Until your final crown is ready (usually 7-10 business days), your dentist places a temporary crown over the tooth that needs to be restored. The temporary crown is made from an impression of your tooth before it was filed down. It protects your tooth until the final crown is ready. A temporary crown may not have the same shape and colour as a final crown.
5. On your next visit, your dentist takes off the temporary crown and puts on the final one. Your dentist checks to make sure the crown is the right fit, shape, colour and bite. If it is, your dentist cements the crown into place.

These are the steps dentists most often follow in making a crown, but your tooth may need special care. You may need orthodontic treatment, gum treatment or root canal treatment. It may take more than 2 visits to your dentist, or your visits may last longer.

Dental treatments like dental bonding and veneers are not only used to fix cavities or broken teeth but can also be used to improve the look of healthy teeth. Veneers are applied to the entire front surface of the tooth, whereas bonding is applied to a smaller portion of the tooth. Bonding and veneers make your teeth look better by changing their colour, shape, angle or spacing. Your dentist can fix teeth that are broken, chipped or cracked, that have spaces between them or that are discoloured. Cosmetic dental treatment can improve your smile and give you more confidence.

Bonding, also known as bonded restoration, is a painless way to make minor repairs to teeth. In most cases, several teeth can be bonded in one dental visit. Bonding uses tooth-coloured material, called composite resin. Composite resin is put on the tooth, then shaped and hardened with light. The composite resin can be:

• Matched to your teeth.
• Shaped to look like the missing part of a chipped tooth.
• Used to build up teeth and fill between them.
• Used on a broken tooth to restore it to size.
• Painted over a stained tooth to make it match the colour of your other teeth.

Veneers are very thin shells that are attached to the front part of teeth. They are often made of porcelain or composite resin. Porcelain veneers are stronger than composite resin veneers and do not change colour or stain. Generally, porcelain veneers take at least 2 dental visits to apply and composite resin veneers can be done in 1 visit. Porcelain veneers generally last longer than composite resin veneers.
Not everyone is a good candidate for veneers. Here are some reasons why your dentist may suggest treatments other than veneers:

• If a tooth has decay or is in an area that has periodontal disease (gum disease). These problems must be treated first.
• If a tooth has little enamel left, a veneer will not stick to it properly.
• If too much of the tooth is missing, a crown may be another option.
• If a person grinds or clenches his or her teeth. This habit is called bruxism and can chip or break porcelain veneers.

The world’s #1 oral cancer screening device. The VELscope system is used to conduct more oral cancer exams than any other adjunctive device in the world.

The leader in fluorescence visualization. The VELscope system is the first oral cancer screening device to incorporate fluorescence visualization technology to help detect abnormal tissue, including cancer and precancerous tissue. The science behind tissue this technology has been supported by over $50 million in research funded by the National Institutes of Health and other prestigious organizations.
A detection device—not a diagnostic device. It is important to understand that the VELscope system is not a diagnostic device. It is used to detect tissue that appears to be abnormal. If the dentist is sufficiently suspicious of the tissue detected, a surgical biopsy should be conducted. Only when an oral pathologist reads the results of this surgical biopsy can a diagnosis be made.

Easy for clinicians – and for patients. VELscope exams may be given as part of a normal hygiene exam. The exam is easy for dentists and hygienists to administer, taking only 2-to-3 minutes. It is completely free of pain or discomfort for the patients, and it involves no distasteful rinses or messy dyes like some other systems.

Sometimes, you may feel anxious before or during treatment. You may need more support than a gentle, caring manner to feel comfortable. Nitrous Oxide is a safe, effective sedative agent used to help calm your fear of the dental visit and enhance effective communication. Additionally, it works well for those who have severe gag reflexes that interfere with dental treatment.

Nitrous Oxide (also known as laughing gas) is a blend of two gases – Oxygen and Nitrous Oxide. A fitted mask is placed over the nose and, as the patient breathes normally, uptake occurs through the lungs. At the end of treatment, it is eliminated after a short period of breathing pure oxygen and has no lingering effects.

Nitrous Oxide is perhaps the safest sedative in dentistry. It is well tolerated, has a rapid onset, is reversible, can be adjusted in various concentrations and is non-allergenic. You will remain fully conscious – keeps all your natural reflexes when breathing Nitrous Oxide. You will be capable of responding to a question or request.

We ask that you have little to no food in the 2 hours preceding your dental visit. Occasionally, nausea or vomiting occurs when you have a full stomach (liquids and a light snack 30 minutes before is okay). Tell your dentist about any respiratory conditions that makes breathing through the nose difficult, as it may limit the effectiveness of the sedative. Also, tell your dentist is you have taken any medication on the day of your appointment and if you are pregnant. Lastly, if you are a parent and your child is coming in for an appointment, we ask that you wait outside until the appointment is finished. Children tend to respond better without their parents in the room.

Here at Hollick-Kenyon Dental we use Clearline Tooth Alignment System, a Canadian based company that specializes in clear orthodontic trays.

Clear aligners are designed for the cosmetic correction of misaligned teeth. A series of progressive tooth arrangement set-ups are created and Clearline trays are fabricated for dental correction.

Clearline Aligners are comfortable, have little effect on speech, and are nearly invisible.

TMJ = Temporomandibular Joint, TMD = Temporomandibular Joint Disorder

The temporomandibular joint is the joint that connects your jaw to your skull. When this joint is injured or damaged, it can lead to a localized pain disorder called temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome.
Causes of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) syndrome include injury to the teeth or jaw, misalignment of the teeth or jaw, teeth grinding, teeth clenching, poor posture, stress, arthritis, and gum chewing.
TMJ appliances may reduce the symptoms of TMD by reducing pressure on the jaw joints or realigning the bite. The standard TMJ appliance is a stabilization splint, which is also called a bite guard or bite plate. A splint is a hard dental appliance made of acrylic resin that fits over the upper or lower teeth. The device prevents contact between the teeth, and when the teeth touch the splint, they’re in the least harmful and most correct position. Splints are generally worn 24 hours a day, but dentists may also prescribe night guards that the patient wears while sleeping.

Another option to look at to help relieve TMD symptoms is Botox. *See BOTOX for more specific information

A Mouthgaurd is a flexible custom fitted device worn over teeth during athletic and recreational activities to protect them from damage. A good-fitting Mouthgaurd may be especially important if you wear braces, have fixed anterior bridgework or just want to protect your teeth from potential trauma.

The ideal Mouthgaurd should:

• Allows speaking and does not limit breathing.
• Provides a high degree of comfort.
• Stays firmly in place during action.
• Is durable and easy to clean.
• Is resilient, tear-resistant, odorless and tasteless.

At Hollick-Kenyon Dental you can choose your own design including, color, name tag, sparkles, pictures and so much more!

Botox is a natural purified protein that is used as a quick, non-surgical treatment for men and women that will reduce or eliminate the appearance of crow’s feet, frown lines and forehead creases. It has been extremely successful in providing relief to the jaw muscles due to intense clenching and/or grinding when injected into that area.

The quick treatment consists of several, tiny injections and is administered in small doses, and typically takes between 10-15 minutes. The injected muscle is the only affected area. The effect lasts 3-4 months; longer after repeated treatments. Your facial expressions will not be altered as the treatment only relaxes the muscle beneath the injection line; creating natural-looking results. Look younger, feel more confident and smile more brightly!

Contact us to book you in for your complimentary consultation!