Common Procedures

Cosmetic Dentistry

Your smile is one of the most important aspects of your appearance. With the advent of new aesthetic dental treatments, a stunning, memorable smile is now easily within your reach!

Are you ready for a Smile Makeover?

Do you hesitate when you smile?
Would you like to increase your self-confidence?
Do you want to look your best in social or professional situations?
Are you ready to reverse dental imperfections caused by Mother Nature or an accident?

Our office can help you achieve your smile goals. Cosmetic dentistry is art and science working seamlessly together to offer smile enhancement, restoration, and maintenance for your optimal dental health. Using cutting-edge techniques and advanced materials, our office proudly offers you a beautiful, natural smile and all the benefits that come with it. You will look and feel better because a beautiful smile is a healthy smile.

You no longer have to suffer missing, chipped, discolored, or crooked teeth. We encourage you to visit our Smile Gallery to find a treatment that works for you.

Invisalign®

Dr. Rick Ganji is a Certified Invisalign® Provider

Consider Invisalign to get the beautiful straight teeth you've always wanted — without braces. A complimentary consultation with Dr. Rick Ganji can determine if Invisalign is right for you.

What is it?

Invisalign uses a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners that no one can tell you're wearing. So, you can smile more during treatment as well as after. Invisalign is made with 3-D computer imaging technology and has been proven effective. More than 70% of orthodontists in the US and Canada are certified to treat with Invisalign.

Why would I want it?

Not only are the aligners invisible, they are removable, so you can eat and drink what you want while in treatment. Plus, brushing and flossing are no problem. They are also comfortable, with no metal to cause mouth abrasions during treatment. And no metal and wires usually means you spend less time in your doctor's office getting adjustments. Invisalign also allows you to view your own virtual treatment plan when you start so you can see how your straight teeth will look when your treatment is complete.

How does it work?

You wear each set of aligners for about 2 weeks, removing them only to eat, drink, brush, and floss. As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will move — little by little, week by week — until they have straightened to the final position Dr. Rick Ganji has prescribed. You'll visit Dr. Rick Ganji about once every 6 weeks to ensure that your treatment is progressing as planned. Total treatment time averages 9-15 months and the average number of aligners worn during treatment is between 18 and 30, but both will vary from case to case.

Learn more about Invisalign on their web site at www.invisalign.com.

Teeth Whitening

Everybody loves a bright white smile, and there are a variety of products and procedures available to help you improve the look of yours.

Many people are satisfied with the sparkle they get from brushing twice daily with fluoride toothpaste, flossing once a day, and regular cleanings at the dentist's office. However, if you decide you would like to go beyond regular care to make your smile look brighter, you should investigate all of your options.

Finding the Best Treatment for You

Schedule a visit with your dentist to learn whether whitening procedures would be effective for you. Whiteners do not correct all types of discoloration. For example, yellowish teeth will probably bleach well, brownish teeth may bleach less well, and grayish teeth may not bleach well at all. Likewise, whitening may not enhance your smile if you have had tooth-colored fillings or crowns. The whitener will not affect the color of these materials and they will stand out in your newly whitened smile. In these cases, you do have other options, such as porcelain veneers.

Tooth Whitening Treatments

Professional teeth whitening with your doctor
At-home whitening system
Whitening toothpaste

When selecting a whitener or any dental product, be sure to look for the ADA Seal of Acceptance — your assurance that a product has met ADA standards of safety and effectiveness.

Professional Teeth Whitening

Professional teeth whitening by your doctor is your best choice when you need immediate whitening results. This procedure is called chair-side bleaching and may require more than one office visit. Each visit may take from sixty to ninety minutes.

During chair-side bleaching, the dentist will apply either a protective gel to your gums or a rubber shield to protect the oral soft tissues. A bleaching agent is then applied to the teeth and a special light may be used to enhance the action of the agent.

At-Home Whitening System

There are several types of products available for use at home which can either be dispensed by your doctor or purchased over the counter. They are generally teeth whitening trays (mouthguards), strips, or paint-on products.

Teeth Whitening Trays

These products contain peroxide(s) which actually bleach the tooth enamel. Carbamide peroxide is the bleaching agent and comes in several different concentrations (10%, 16%, and 22%). Peroxide-containing whiteners typically come in a gel and are placed in a mouthguard. Usage regimens vary. Some products are used twice a day for 2 weeks, while others are intended for overnight use for 1-2 weeks. If you obtain the bleaching solution from your doctor's office, they can make a custom-fitted mouthguard for you that will fit your teeth precisely. Currently, only dentist-dispensed, home-use, 10% carbamide peroxide tray-applied gels carry the ADA Seal.

Teeth Whitening Strips

Teeth whitening strips are thin, flexible plastic (polyethylene) strips with a thin film of hydrogen peroxide bleaching on one side. Whitening strip kits come with two types of strips: strips for the upper teeth and strips for the lower teeth. The bleaching agent is applied by placing the strips across your teeth and gently pressing the strips into place to ensure contact with all your teeth. Teeth whitening strips are typically worn for 30 minutes a day, twice a day. The duration of treatment will vary.

Paint-On Teeth Whitening

Paint-on teeth whitening allows you to apply a bleaching agent directly to your teeth without an appliance or strip. You simply "paint" the whitener onto the surface of clean, dry teeth and wait about 30 minutes while the paint turns to a dry film. To remove this film, you simply brush your teeth with a toothbrush. Paint-on whitening products require twice-daily applications to be effective. The duration of treatment will vary. An advantage in this process is that you can selectively paint individual teeth.

Teeth whitening can have minor side-effects and you should speak with your doctor if these become bothersome. For example, teeth can become sensitive during the period when you are using the bleaching solution. In most cases, this sensitivity is temporary and should lessen once the treatment is finished. Some people also experience soft tissue irritation, either from a tray that doesn't fit properly or from solution that may come in contact with the tissues. If you have concerns about such side effects, you should discuss them with the doctor.

Whitening Toothpaste

All toothpastes help remove surface stain from your teeth through the action of mild abrasives. "Whitening" toothpastes in the ADA Seal of Acceptance program have special chemical or polishing agents that provide additional stain removal effectiveness. Unlike bleaches, these ADA Accepted products do not alter the intrinsic color of teeth.

Zoom!®

Dr. Ganji Provides Professional Teeth Whitening with Zoom!®

Zoom! is a professional teeth whitening treatment that gets your teeth an average of eight shades whiter — in just one hour. The treatment is safe, simple, and relaxing! Plus, Zoom! is championed by dentists and patients as a pain-free process.

To prepare for Zoom! whitening, your dentist will examine your teeth and gums to make sure they are healthy.
Your lips and gums will be covered with an isolation material to protect them during the treatment.
Then, we apply the Zoom! whitening gel, which is activated by the Zoom! light source. The gel and light work together to gently break up the stains on your teeth.
After three 15-minute applications within one hour, you rinse and the treatment is complete — leaving you with a brighter, whiter smile.

Learn more about Zoom! on their web site at www.zoomnow.com.

Lumineers®

Are your teeth chipped or stained? Would you like to improve your smile permanently, without any painful processes? We are pleased to offer Lumineers as an alternative to traditional porcelain veneers.

Veneers provide a way to conceal stains, chips, discoloration and misaligned teeth, by covering your actual teeth with a permanent layer of tooth-colored material.

You may be familiar with the conventional process of applying veneers. This generally involves shaving away a significant portion of the tooth, and requires an anesthetic shot to numb the resulting pain. In many cases, temporary veneers must be worn while the permanent veneers are manufactured in a lab.

Because Lumineers are as thin as a contact lens, their application requires little to no tooth reduction, and no anesthetic is necessary. Lumineers are bonded to your teeth and set in place with a curing light. Because the process is less invasive than with traditional veneers, Lumineers patients find that they immediately enjoy their new smiles without any post-procedure discomfort or sensitivity.

Cerinate®, the company that makes Lumineers, offers a five-year warranty on its veneers, and their clinical trials show that Lumineers can last up to 20 years.

Take control of your smile — ask us whether Lumineers are a good choice for you.

Bonding

Bonding is a conservative way to repair slightly chipped, discolored, or crooked teeth. During dental bonding, a white filling is placed onto your tooth to improve its appearance. The filling "bonds" with your teeth, and because it comes in a variety of tooth-colored shades it closely matches the appearance of your natural teeth.

Tooth bonding can also be used for teeth fillings instead of amalgam fillings. Many patients prefer bonding fillings because the white color is much less noticeable than the silver amalgam fillings. Bonding fillings can be used on front and back teeth depending on the location and extent of tooth decay.

Bonding is less expensive than other cosmetic treatments and usually can be completed in one visit to our office. However, bonding can stain and is easier to break than other cosmetic treatments such as porcelain veneers. If it does break or chip, tell your doctor. The bonding can generally be easily patched or repaired in one visit.

Bridges

A bridge may be used to replace missing teeth, help maintain the shape of your face, and alleviate stress in your bite.

A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth, looks great, and literally bridges the gap where one or more teeth may have been. Your bridge can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials and is bonded onto surrounding teeth for support.

The success of any bridge depends on its foundation — the other teeth, gums, or bone to which it is attached. Therefore, it's very important to keep your existing teeth, gums, and jaw healthy and strong.

Crowns

Crowns are a cosmetic restoration used to improve your tooth's shape or to strengthen a tooth. Crowns are most often used for teeth that are broken, worn, or have portions destroyed by tooth decay.

Crowns are "caps" cemented onto an existing tooth which fully cover the portion of your tooth above the gum line. In effect, the crown becomes your tooth's new outer surface. Crowns can be made of porcelain, metal, or both. Porcelain crowns are most often preferred because they mimic the translucency of natural teeth and are very strong.

Crowns are often preferable to silver amalgam fillings. Unlike fillings which apply metal directly into your mouth, a crown is fabricated away from your mouth. Your crown is created in a lab from your unique tooth impression which allows a dental laboratory technician to examine all aspects of your bite and jaw movements. Your crown is then sculpted just for you so that your bite and jaw movements function normally once the crown is placed.

Implants

If you have missing teeth, it is crucial to replace them. Without all your teeth, chewing and eating can destabilize your bite and cause you discomfort. When teeth are missing, your mouth can shift and even cause your face to look older. Implants are a great way to replace your missing teeth.

An implant is a new tooth made of steel and porcelain that looks just like your natural tooth. Your implant is composed of two parts that mimic a tooth's root and crown. The implant's "root" is a titanium steel rod placed into the jaw bone to act as a root. Once the rod is in place, a porcelain crown is attached to replace the top part of your tooth.

Implants may also be used to anchor dentures, especially lower dentures that tend to shift when you talk or chew. Plus, for patients with removable partial dentures, implants can replace missing teeth so that you have a more natural-looking smile.

Veneers

There's no reason to put up with gaps in your teeth or with teeth that are stained, discolored, badly shaped, chipped, or crooked. Today, a veneer placed on top of your teeth can correct nature's mistake or the results of an injury and help you have a beautiful smile. Veneers are a highly popular solution among dental patients because of their lifelike tooth appearance.

Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials (such as porcelain) designed to cover the front side of your teeth. To prepare for veneers, your doctor will create a unique model of your teeth. This model is sent to the dental technician to create your veneers. Before placing your new veneer, your doctor will remove a small amount of your tooth to make room for the veneer.

When placed, you'll be pleased to see that veneers look like your natural teeth and even resist staining. Though veneers are stain resistant, your doctor may recommend that you avoid coffee, tea, red wine, and tobacco to maintain the beauty of your veneer.

Periolase

Have you been told you have gum disease?

Periodontitis, commonly known as gum disease, is diagnosed in almost 50 percent of adult dental patients in the United States. While gum disease is treatable, it remains the #1 cause of tooth loss. If you show any signs of having gum disease, let your dentist know as soon as possible.

Common symptoms of gum disease:

Tender, swollen, or bleeding gums
Increased tartar and plaque buildup
Abnormally bad breath
Gums that pull away from the teeth

Many patients neglect receiving treatment when they are diagnosed with gum disease, because conventional periodontal surgery can be painful and may take an extended amount of time to heal. Dental surgery can also have a negative effect on patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease. Dr. Ganji utilizes the periolase - the ONLY laser approved by the FDA for periodontal surgery. Using an advanced laser assisted new attachment procedure (LANAP) Dr. Ganji is able to treat gum disease safely, gently, and with maximum precision.

What does LANAP do?

Kills the bacteria that causes gum disease
Loosens and removes the tartar and plaque buildup below the gums
Regenerates the gum tissue
Creates a healthy environment for the body to heal
Restores your smile giving it a new, healthy, natural look and feel

LANAP is a great option for patients who have been diagnosed with gum disease. To learn more, please contact our practice and schedule an appointment with Dr. Ganji.