Dental Services

Tooth discoloration and staining is a relatively common problem. Teeth are porous and are therefore not stain resistant. Red wine, soda, coffee, and tea, among other food and drink, contribute to the discoloration of teeth over time. Medications such as the antibiotic tetracycline may cause significant staining, and smokers’ teeth may become permanently stained if the discoloration is not treated in a timely manner.

Cosmetic Dentistry of Stuart offers professional teeth whitening options, including Opalescence take-home tray bleaching, which will help to eliminate unsightly staining. Imagine yourself with a restored sense of self confidence resulting from whiter, brighter, more attractive smile.

Dental bonding is a procedure in which a tooth-colored resin material (a durable plastic material) is applied and hardened with a special light, which ultimately "bonds" the material to the tooth to restore or improve person's smile. 

Dental bonding may be indicated to: 

• repair decayed teeth (composite resins are used to fill cavities)
• repair chipped or cracked teeth
• improve the appearance of discolored teeth
• close spaces between teeth
• make teeth appear longer
• change the shape of teeth
• protect a portion of the tooth's root that has been exposed when gums recede

A porcelain crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" that is placed over a tooth — covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance. The crown, when cemented into place, fully encases the visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line.

Why Is a Dental Crown Needed?

• To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
• To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
• To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of teeth left
• To hold a dental bridge in place
• To cover misshaped or severely discolored teeth
• To cover a dental implant

Dental bridges literally bridge the gap created by one or more missing teeth. A bridge is made up of two crowns for the teeth on either side of the gap — these two anchoring teeth are called abutment teeth — and a false tooth/teeth in between. These false teeth are called pontics and can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials. Dental bridges are supported by natural teeth or implants.

What Are the Benefits of Dental Bridges?

• Restores your smile
• Restores your ability to properly chew and speak
• Maintains the shape of your face
• Distribute the forces in your bite properly by replacing missing teeth
• ​Prevent remaining teeth from drifting out of position

Dental veneers (sometimes called porcelain veneers or dental porcelain laminates) are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size or length. 

What Types of Problems Do Dental Veneers Fix? 

• Teeth that are discolored – either because of root canal treatment; stains from tetracycline or other drugs, excessive fluoride or other causes; or the presence of large resin fillings that have discolored the tooth
• Teeth that are worn down
• Teeth that are chipped or broken
• Teeth that are misaligned, uneven, or irregularly shaped (for example, have craters or bulges in them)
• Teeth with gaps between them (to close the space between these teeth)

A dental implant is an artificial tooth root that is placed into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants are an ideal option for people in good general oral health who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or some other reason.

While high-tech in nature, dental implants are actually more tooth-saving than traditional bridgework, since implants do not rely on neighboring teeth for support.

Dental implants are so natural-looking and feeling, you may forget that you ever lost a tooth. You know that your confidence about your teeth affects how you feel about yourself, both personally and professionally. Perhaps you hide your smile because of spaces from missing teeth. Maybe your dentures don't feel secure. Perhaps you have difficulty chewing. If you are missing one or more teeth and would like to smile, speak and eat again with comfort and confidence, there is good news! Dental implants are teeth that can look and feel just like your own! Under proper conditions, implants can last a lifetime.

What can dental implants do?

• Replace one or more teeth without affecting bordering teeth.
• Support a bridge and eliminate the need for a removable partial denture.
• Provide support for a denture, making it more secure and comfortable.

What are the advantages of dental implants?

• Dental implants look and feel like your own teeth! Since dental implants integrate into the structure of your bone, they prevent the bone loss and gum recession that often accompany bridgework and dentures. No one will ever know that you have a replacement tooth.
• Dental implants don't sacrifice the quality of your adjacent teeth like a bridge does because neighboring teeth are not altered to support the implant. More of your own teeth are left untouched, a significant long-term benefit to your oral health!
• Dental implants will allow you to once again speak and eat with comfort and confidence! They are secure and offer freedom from the irksome clicks and wobbles of dentures. They'll allow you to say goodbye to worries about misplaced dentures and messy pastes and glues.
• The success rate of dental implants is highly predictable. They are considered an excellent option for tooth replacement.

Please ask us about our dental implant options, including the new Teeth-In-A-Day™ and Teeth-In-An-Hour™ procedures.

A root canal (also called an endodontic treatment) is necessary when the pulp, which is the soft tissue inside the root canal, becomes inflamed or infected. The inflammation or infection can have a variety of causes: deep decay, repeated dental procedures on the tooth, or a crack or chip in the tooth. In addition, an injury to a tooth may cause pulp damage even if the tooth has no visible chips or cracks. If pulp inflammation or infection is left untreated, it can cause pain or lead to an abscess.

How can a root canal save my tooth?

Dr. Vincenzo will remove the inflamed or infected pulp, carefully clean and shape the inside of the canal - a channel inside the root - and then fill and seal the space. Afterwards, a crown or other restoration is placed on the tooth to protect and restore it to full function. After restoration, the tooth continues to function like any other tooth.

What are the signs and symptoms?

Signs to look for include pain, prolonged sensitivity to heat or cold, tenderness to touch and chewing, discoloration of the tooth, and swelling, drainage and tenderness in the lymph nodes as well as nearby bone and gingival tissues. Sometimes, however, there are no symptoms.

A tooth extraction may be indicated if repairing a damaged tooth is not practical. Tooth decay that has tooth structure damaged enough to prevent restoration is the most frequent indication for extraction of teeth. Extractions of impacted or problematic wisdom teeth are routinely performed, as are extractions of some permanent teeth to make space for orthodontic treatment.

The most common reason for extracting a tooth is tooth damage such as breakage or fracture. Other possible reasons for tooth extraction include:

• Extra teeth which are blocking other teeth from coming in
• Severe gum disease which may affect the supporting tissues and bone structures of teeth
• Severe tooth decay or infection
• Preparation for orthodontic treatment (braces)
• Insufficient space for wisdom teeth (impacted wisdom teeth)

Periodontal (gum) diseases, including gingivitis and periodontitis, are serious infections that, left untreated, can lead to tooth loss. The word periodontal literally means "around the tooth." Periodontal disease is a chronic bacterial infection that affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth.

The main goal of gum treatment is to control the infection. The number and types of treatment will vary depending on the extent of the gum disease, but Dr. Vincenzo will determine the option that is best suited for you and your individual needs. Further, any type of treatment requires that the patient keep up good daily care at home. Modifying certain behaviors, such as quitting tobacco use, might also be suggested as a way to improve treatment outcome.

Tooth-colored fillings restore the natural appearance of a decayed or previously filled teeth.

What are the advantages to composite fillings?

• As compared with other dental restorations, they require less of the healthy part of a tooth to be removed to hold the filling in place. This is due to composite material's ability to bond to teeth adhesively.
• A tight seal is created between the filling, the tooth and the nerve, which cannot be accomplished with conventional silver fillings.
• They look great!
• In the event of future problems, these fillings can be added to or repaired while silver fillings need to be replaced entirely.

A dental sealant is an acrylic-like material that helps shield out bacteria that cause decay from the chewing surfaces of the back teeth. Our goal is to seal decay in susceptible teeth in children as early as possible. Dr Vincenzo can reliably determine whether a tooth is decay susceptible with the use of a laser cavity detection device called a Kavodent.

Some patients suffer from bruxism (teeth grinding), TMJ or TMD (jaw pain), or obstructive sleep apnea / snoring. If appropriate a custom made nightguard or snoreguard can be fabricated to help treat these conditions.

Regular visits are crucial to maintaining good oral health. Semiannual visits to our office for cleanings by our hygienist as well as examinations to screen for specific tooth problems, oral cancer and gum disease are recommended to help keep you healthy and prevent dental emergencies and big dental problems.

With the use of Oral Medications a fearful, anxious or phobic patient can receive all sorts of dental procedures with no pain and little memory of the experience. The patients vital signs are closely monitored throughout for their safety.