General Dentistry
General dentistry involves diagnosis and treatment of general conditions affecting the teeth, gums, and jaw. If you need treatment provided by a dental specialist, Dr. Temesgen considers it part of her responsibility as your general dentist and primary dental healthcare provider to assist you in coordinating that treatment. General dentists can provide overall oral healthcare for patients of all ages. Dr. Temesgen is highly educated and trained to provide a variety of dental services.
At Premier Family Dental in Austin, we believe prevention should be the main objective of general dentistry. We aim to identify and treat problems before they grow to become serious, more painful and more expensive. Regular checkups with us (every 3-6 months), combined with proper home care, will result in better oral health. We believe a healthy body needs a healthy mouth!
Click on the bullet points below to learn more about the specific services and technologies! When you roll over the words and they change color, you know they're expandable.
Routine & Preventive Care
We are pleased to develop comprehensive treatment plans to help patients achieve and maintain smiles that maximize their personal health and appearance, including restorative and cosmetic procedures in addition to preventive general dentistry treatments.
Restorative Dentistry
Some of the most basic activities in life—including eating, talking, smiling, and laughing—can be challenging for people who are missing teeth, but these can all become easier again with restorative dentistry! The word restore means to return something to a former condition. Dr. Temesgen desires not only to restore your smile to its former health, but also to make it look and feel even better than before. From natural looking dental fillings and crowns to dental implant restorations and dentures, Premier Family Dental offers a range of restorative treatments for patients whose smiles need a second chance.
Restorative Dental Treatments
- Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings
Tooth-colored dental fillings, often called "composite fillings," are made of quartz filler in a resin medium. Composite fillings can be adhesively held in place or “bonded.” Because they can be bonded to teeth, composite fillings allow for more conservative preparations where less healthy tooth structure is removed. This often results in smaller fillings than that of amalgam (silver fillings), and composite fillings are more natural looking. The composite filling is cured with a special light and then the surface is shaped and polished, rendering the final result undetectable to the eye and very natural feeling in the mouth.
Back to Top ↑ - Dental Crowns & Fixed Bridges
Dental crowns are necessary to restore teeth to their appropriate shape and size once they have been compromised by large fillings, fractures, parafunctional habits, or weakening forces such as intense clenching and grinding. Crowns can be used to attach bridges, cover dental implants, restore seriously discolored or misshapen teeth, and even as a preventive measure to protect a tooth in danger of breaking. Crowns provide added support by completely covering the worn tooth, thereby creating an even disbursement of forces placed on the tooth. Crowns can be made of all-porcelain (ceramic) material, porcelain fused to metal, and gold alloys (high noble).
Because we use CEREC® technology to make crowns in our office, the majority of crowns we make are all-porcelain. However, Dr. Temesgen will assess your dental needs and concerns to determine the best crown option for your customized treatment plan.
Fixed bridges bridge gaps left by one or multiple missing teeth. The teeth on either side of the gap serve as anchor teeth, also called "abutment teeth." Each anchor tooth has a crown that attaches to the false tooth/teeth of the bridge. Dental bridges can be supported by natural teeth with crowns on top, or by implant-supported crowns.
Back to Top ↑ - One-Visit Crowns (With the CEREC® System)
- Dental Implant Restorations (Permanently Replace Missing Teeth)
A dental implant is a small titanium post that serves as a replacement for the root portion of a missing natural tooth, and a dental implant restoration is the replacement tooth that goes on top of the post. Dental implants can be placed in both the upper and lower jaws and, thanks to the biocompatible properties of titanium, they fuse with the jaw bone to become a solid anchor for replacement teeth. Implants can be used as solutions for replacing single or multiple missing teeth, and there are a number of reasons to consider them. Without the root structure of a natural tooth present, the jawbone can shrink and cause bone loss. Not only is bone loss unhealthy, but jawbone shrinkage can also make you look older than you are. Best of all, dental implants function like natural teeth, so you can chew, talk, smile, and laugh with confidence again! Ask Dr. Temesgen more about how dental implants will benefit you.
Back to Top ↑ - Dentures & Removable Partial Dentures
Rigid Partial Dentures
Flexible Partial Dentures
Complete Dentures
Dentures have changed significantly over the years. Now there are several options available for denture wearers, offering more stability and comfort. Removable partial dentures are a good option for people who are only missing some of their teeth, but not all their teeth. Removable partial dentures are designed to fit around natural teeth. These dentures can be rigid or flexible depending on your specific need. Complete dentures can be made and inserted in the mouth either immediately after the removal of remaining teeth (immediate dentures), after the gums have healed for a period of time (conventional dentures), or fixed to the bone by support of implants (implant-supported overdentures). With immediate dentures, measurements are taken and models are made before the removal of teeth so the dentures are ready to be worn immediately after removal of the teeth. Because gums and bones can shrink during healing, immediate dentures often need to be rebased or relined later to continue fitting properly. Once the mouth tissues have completely healed, a conventional denture or an implant-supported overdenture can be prepared and placed.
Even with dentures, good dental hygiene and a balanced diet are very important to help keep the mouth healthy. Brush gums, tongue, and palate daily with a soft toothbrush to remove plaque and stimulate circulation. Dentures should also be brushed daily. Since they are delicate, they must be treated with care and properly stored when not being worn. Over time, dentures may need to be adjusted or replaced as they show signs of age and wear, or become loose. Ill-fitting dentures may result in sores and infection that are not only uncomfortable, but they can also cause other health problems. Proper follow-up care is important in order to resolve such areas of discomfort.
If desired, dentures can be fashioned to look like your natural teeth did, to minimize any change in your appearance. And, like millions of other denture wearers, after a little practice and patience, you too can eat foods you love, speak with greater ease, and smile with confidence again!
Cosmetic Dentistry
A healthy, beautiful smile can make life more beautiful. It can raise self-esteem, increase confidence, help you make better first impressions on others, and improve your personal and professional life. There are several subtle yet noticeable ways we can enhance your smile, and there are also more dramatic cosmetic dental treatments, often called “smile makeovers,” that can make the smile of your dreams a reality! Ask us at your visit about the possibilities for your smile.
Cosmetic Dental Treatments
- Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings
Tooth-colored dental fillings, often called "composite fillings," are made of quartz filler in a resin medium. Composite fillings can be adhesively held in place or “bonded.” Because they can be bonded to teeth, composite fillings allow for more conservative preparations where less healthy tooth structure is removed. This often results in smaller fillings than that of amalgam (silver fillings), and composite fillings are more natural looking. The composite filling is cured with a special light and then the surface is shaped and polished, rendering the final result undetectable to the eye and very natural feeling in the mouth.
Back to Top ↑ - Dental Crowns & Fixed Bridges
Dental crowns are necessary to restore teeth to their appropriate shape and size once they have been compromised by large fillings, fractures, parafunctional habits, or weakening forces such as intense clenching and grinding. Crowns can be used to attach bridges, cover dental implants, restore seriously discolored or misshapen teeth, and even as a preventive measure to protect a tooth in danger of breaking. Crowns provide added support by completely covering the worn tooth, thereby creating an even disbursement of forces placed on the tooth. Crowns can be made of all-porcelain (ceramic) material, porcelain fused to metal, and gold alloys (high noble).
Because we use CEREC® technology to make crowns in our office, the majority of crowns we make are all-porcelain. However, Dr. Temesgen will assess your dental needs and concerns to determine the best crown option for your customized treatment plan.
Fixed bridges bridge gaps left by one or multiple missing teeth. The teeth on either side of the gap serve as anchor teeth, also called "abutment teeth." Each anchor tooth has a crown that attaches to the false tooth/teeth of the bridge. Dental bridges can be supported by natural teeth with crowns on top, or by implant-supported crowns.
Back to Top ↑ - One-Visit Crowns (With the CEREC® System)
- Porcelain Veneers
For a dramatic smile makeover, porcelain veneers can totally change the appearance of your teeth to give you the smile of your dreams! Veneers are thin, custom-made casings applied to the front side of teeth to change their shape, color, or general appearance in practically any way you desire. After consulting with you about your treatment options, Dr. Temesgen will create a model based on the smile makeover look of your choice. We will send the model to a dental technician in a lab who will then make your actual veneers with durable, tooth-colored materials that will look and feel natural in your mouth.
When veneers are applied, a small amount of tooth enamel usually needs to be removed to fit the veneers onto the teeth. For this reason, veneers are typically an irreversible treatment so it is important to be prepared for a permanent improvement in the look and feel of your smile!
Back to Top ↑ - Professional Teeth Whitening (With Custom Trays)
Our take-home teeth whitening trays are custom fit to your mouth, and they enable you to brighten your teeth in the convenience of your own home. The professional teeth bleaching solution we give has a safe concentration of peroxide that allows it to remain on your teeth longer (sometimes overnight), while still giving you professional-strength results!
Periodontal (Gum & Bone) Disease
According to MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health, over 80 percent of U.S. adults have some form of periodontal disease, ranging from gingivitis to the various forms and stages of periodontitis. The prevalence of periodontal disease increases with age, because teeth wear down and become more sensitive as time passes, gums naturally recede, and systemic conditions and medications can affect oral health.
Warning Signs of Periodontal Disease
If your gums feel tender or sore, or if they look red and swollen, you may have periodontal disease. Other warning signs include bleeding and/or receding gums, pain or sensitivity in your teeth, loose teeth caused by weakening gum fibers or bone loss, and persistent bad breath. If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss as well as various serious health problems.
Treatment for Periodontal Disease
If you have any degree of periodontal disease, we want to help. Periodontal disease used to require surgery more often than not. While surgery is still an option and sometimes needed, many cases are now treated with less invasive techniques first, such as deep dental cleanings, local antibiotics, and special mouth rinses.