Are you embarrassed by your incomplete smile?  Do you shy away from friends and family, turn down social invitations, and worry that your career may suffer, all because of missing teeth?  Dr. Gerlach is your partner in the quest for a renewed smile and optimal oral health.  He designs and fits custom dentures and partials to give patients a new lease on life.

Full dentures contain complete upper and/or lower rows of prosthetic teeth.  They're an ideal solution to rejuvenate smiles ravaged by decay, disease, or injury.  We'll create your dentures to fit securely and give you a natural-looking smile you can be proud of.  Typically, dentures are held in place with over-the-counter adhesive or natural suction.  Dr. Gerlach offers dentures supported by dental implants for his patients who have trouble achieving an optimal fit.

Partial dentures fill gaps left by missing teeth and prevent existing teeth from drifting out of position.  We'll use unobtrusive clasps to attach your partial to healthy neighboring teeth or to dental implants.  A partial can complete your smile and return the beauty, comfort, and function you've been missing.

To restore teeth damaged by decay, Dr. Gerlach uses composite resin for strong, aesthetically pleasing fillings, inlays, and onlays. Durable composite resin is the closest material to natural tooth structure available and beautifully renews compromised smiles.  Teeth restored with this material look, feel, and perform like Mother Nature intended.mmIn addition, composite resin is resistant to decay and protects teeth from further damage.

It's never too late to achieve the beautiful, healthy smile you deserve.  If you need a new restoration or want old metal ones replaced, then you'll want to learn more about this fantastic dental solution.

A Stable Solution that Renews Your Smile

If you've lost teeth due to accident, injury, or gum disease, we can create a permanent bridge to restore your solid smile.  A bridge not only fills the gap, but it also prevents repositioning of remaining teeth.  It can also correct a misaligned bite, improve chewing function and speech articulation, and provide internal structure for the face to give you a more youthful appearance.

What is a Fixed Bridge?

First of all, a bridge is a prosthetic tooth (or teeth) that attaches on one or both sides to teeth prepared with dental crowns.  A fixed bridge is permanently joined onto the neighboring abutment teeth (crowned teeth) and consists of three basic units: the false tooth or teeth (called a pontic) and two abutment crowns.  The style of bridge we suggest will depend upon the strength and health of the abutment teeth, as well as the location of the gap in relation to the rest of your dentition.  If healthy adjacent abutment teeth aren't available, a surgically-implanted metal post, known as a dental implant, may offer a solid alternative.  For a bridge that replaces many teeth, we may recommend a removable partial denture or implant-supported prosthesis.  With proper care, a fixed bridge may last at least 8 to10 years.

If you're self-conscious about cracked, broken, decayed, or worn teeth, we can bring back your healthy, natural-looking smile with dental crowns, also called caps.  A crown can return structure, strength, and function to a tooth with extensive decay or damage.  Designed to fit snugly and function as a healthy tooth, a crown will protect your tooth from further damage and preserve the jaw's correct natural alignment.

We use precious metal, porcelain pressed (or fused) to metal, or all-porcelain crowns.  To maintain a fully white smile, we recommend all-ceramic crowns.  Our precise color-matching system allows us to find the right shade of porcelain to blend with your natural tooth color.  Porcelain crowns are also extremely durable and long lasting, and these benefits make them popular with dentists as well as patients.

Typically, we can design, fit, and place your crowns in just a couple of short appointments.  Once a crown is placed, you can care for it as you do your natural teeth.  Conscientious brushing twice a day and daily flossing will protect the base of your crown from bacterial growth.  Be sure to see us at least two times each year for professional cleanings and a preventive exam, too.

Now patients who are missing teeth have a strong, beautiful alternative to bridges, partials, or full dentures. Dental implants will improve your smile and your lifestyle. They look, feel, and function like natural teeth because of a titanium anchor attached to the jawbone. Dental implants can also anchor bridges, partials, or full dentures to eliminate slipping.

After a thorough evaluation, your dentist can tell you whether you’re a candidate for dental implants. They require adequate bone structure for placement. The first stage of the procedure involves oral surgery in which a titanium post is implanted into the jawbone for each missing tooth or for the new teeth that will anchor a bridge or denture. Nature will take its course, allowing your bone tissue to fuse with the titanium post. This creates a solid foundation.

Once the implants are secured, your dentist will attach a handcrafted, permanent crown to each post. The restorations will match your natural teeth and blend seamlessly with your smile.

By imitating an entire natural tooth, from the root up, dental implants offer a prosthetic that closely mimics nature. The result? Dental implant patients enjoy restored function, which allows a healthy diet of hard-to-chew foods. Speech may also improve. Strong and secure, your new smile will boost your confidence, enhance your appearance, and improve your quality of life.

Dr. Gerlach provides functionally aesthetic dental restorations that renew oral health and deliver lasting smiles. He uses quality materials and modern technology to give you the benefits of a healthy smile, improve your quality of life, and boost your self-image. Whether you need to restore or replace one tooth or many, we'll perform your dental work with professionalism and skill for an outstanding experience and a life-changing smile.

Know Your Options

Dr. Gerlach offers state-of-the-art restorative therapies to beautifully renew smiles. He may suggest bridgework, traditional or implant-supported dentures, a partial, or dental implants to replace missing teeth and promote optimal function and comfort. We revitalize compromised smiles with tooth-colored fillings, inlays, and onlays, as well as all-porcelain crowns that return structural integrity and protect against future damage. Following your consultation and exam, we'll help you decide which restorative options will suit your lifestyle, meet your goals, and fit within your budget. Your smile is important - let us become your partner for a lifetime of dental health and beauty.