Our Dental Services in Cypress, TX
Click on the bullet points below to learn more about the specific services and technologies! When you roll over the words and they turn blue,
you know they're expandable.
General Dentistry
General dentistry involves diagnosis and treatment of general conditions affecting the teeth, gums, and jaw. General dentists can care for the overall oral health of patients of all ages, and at Cypress Springs Family Dentistry our arms are open to everyone in your family from age 1 to 121! We believe prevention should be the primary goal, so we aim to identify and treat problems before they grow to be serious, often painful and expensive. Regular checkups with us (every six months) combined with proper home care result in a healthier mouth and a healthier life.
Routine & Preventive Care
- Consultations & Dental Exams
- Dental Cleanings
- Digital X-rays (Less Radiation Exposure)
- Small areas of decay between teeth or below existing restorations
- Deep cavities
- Infections in the jaw bones
- Deep gum disease
- Abscesses or cysts
- Developmental abnormalities
- Some types of tumors
Digital x-rays are comfortable for you and faster than traditional x-rays, with the images available to be viewed on a computer or TV screen in seconds. Digital x-rays are also safe and can even be used during pregnancy. Some studies cite that they emit up to 90% less radiation! With no chemical processing needed, digital x-rays are easy on you and the environment, too.
X-rays, also known as radiographs, are commonly used in dental exams of patients of all ages. Many problems with teeth and the surrounding tissues cannot be seen by the naked eye. An x-ray is needed to reveal:
Back to Top ↑ - Dental Sealants
Diligent oral hygiene is essential for preventing cavities, but toothbrushes cannot always reach down into the deepest crevices of teeth. Dental sealants can compensate for this with a resin material that bonds into the grooves of teeth, creating a barrier against food particles, plaque, and acidic food and drink. Sealants can last up to 10 years before needing to be replaced, and children and adults alike can benefit from their protection.
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 general dentistry treatments.
Restorative Dentistry
Basic, everyday activities such as eating, talking, and laughing can be challenging for people who have damaged or missing teeth, but these can all become easier again with restorative dentistry. The word restore means to return something to a former condition. Dr. Todd desires not only to restore your smile to its former health, but also to make it look and feel even better than before!
Restorative Dental Treatments
- Porcelain Crowns
Dental crowns are often called "caps." They cover teeth to restore them to their appropriate shape and size after large fillings, fractures, or weakening forces such as intense grinding. In all these cases, crowns not only cover teeth but also provide added support. They can be used to attach fixed dental 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 can be made of all-porcelain (ceramic) material, porcelain fused to metal, and gold alloys (high noble). Each restorative material has its advantages and disadvantages. We prefer porcelain crowns because they are the most natural looking.
Back to Top ↑ - Fixed Dental Bridges
Dental bridges do exactly what their name implies: bridge gaps left by one or multiple missing teeth. The two teeth on either side of the gap to be bridged 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 ↑ - Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings
Tooth-colored dental fillings, often called "composite fillings" or "filled resins," are a mixture of quartz or glass filler in a resin medium that makes a natural looking filling. The material is cured with a special light and the surface is shaped and polished, so the end result is a virtually undetectable restoration that feels natural in your mouth. Composites are strong and durable. Additionally, because these fillings are bonded to teeth instead of mechanically held in place, the process is more conservative in relation to tooth structure removal, therefore more healthy natural tooth is able to remain. This results in smaller fillings.
Back to Top ↑ - Endodontics (Root Canal Therapy)
The inside of each tooth contains soft tissue with nerves and blood vessels running from the root to the crown. A crack, deep cavity, or other injury to a tooth can cause the nerve to become damaged or diseased, allowing bacteria to enter the tooth and kill the living tissue. Without treatment, the resulting infection can cause pain, swelling and abscesses, loss of the diseased tooth, and eventually damage to the surrounding bone. With endodontic treatment, also called root canal therapy, we carefully remove the diseased tissue and nerve from the tooth and gently clean and seal the root canal to protect it from bacteria. If needed, medication or an antibiotic can also be used to control the spread of bacteria and stop infection. Finally, a crown is placed over the reshaped tooth to restore and strengthen it.
Back to Top ↑ - Dentures & Removable Partial Dentures
Dr. Todd can determine the best of several options available for denture wearers. Complete dentures can be made and inserted in the mouth either immediately after the removal of remaining teeth (immediate dentures), or after the gums have healed for 6-8 weeks (conventional dentures). With immediate dentures, measurements are taken and models are made before the removal of teeth, for dentures ready to be worn immediately. 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 can be prepared and placed. Some denture wearers are candidates for another option called an “overdenture,” which fits over some remaining natural teeth, crowns, and/or implants to provide additional stability and strength. Removable partial dentures act as replacement for missing teeth similar to other dentures, they just fit around natural teeth still in the mouth.
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. Over time, dentures may need to be adjusted or replaced as they show signs of age and wear, or become loose. Sores and infections caused by ill-fitting dentures are not only uncomfortable, but they can also cause other health problems. Dentures are delicate and must be treated with care and properly stored when not being worn.
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!
Back to Top ↑ - Implant-Supported Crowns
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/crown 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! Ask us for more information.
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. Sounds life changing, huh? That's because it really can be! There are several subtle, yet noticeable ways we can enhance your smile. 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
- 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. Todd 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 ↑ - Porcelain Crowns
Dental crowns are often called "caps." They cover teeth to restore them to their appropriate shape and size after large fillings, fractures, or weakening forces such as intense grinding. In all these cases, crowns not only cover teeth but also provide added support. They can be used to attach fixed dental 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 can be made of all-porcelain (ceramic) material, porcelain fused to metal, and gold alloys (high noble). Each restorative material has its advantages and disadvantages. We prefer porcelain crowns because they are the most natural looking.
Back to Top ↑ - Fixed Dental Bridges
Dental bridges do exactly what their name implies: bridge gaps left by one or multiple missing teeth. The two teeth on either side of the gap to be bridged 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 ↑ - Tooth-Colored Dental Fillings
Tooth-colored dental fillings, often called "composite fillings" or "filled resins," are a mixture of quartz or glass filler in a resin medium that makes a natural looking filling. The material is cured with a special light and the surface is shaped and polished, so the end result is a virtually undetectable restoration that feels natural in your mouth. Composites are strong and durable. Additionally, because these fillings are bonded to teeth instead of mechanically held in place, the process is more conservative in relation to tooth structure removal, therefore more healthy natural tooth is able to remain. This results in smaller fillings.
Back to Top ↑ - Professional Teeth Whitening Options
KoR® Deep Bleaching™
KoR® Deep Bleaching™ is widely recognized as the most effective teeth whitening system available today. It provides a solution to unpredictable whitening results and acute tooth sensitivity, both of which are common with other bleaching systems. In addition, Deep Bleaching has been shown to whiten tetracycline-stained teeth in a short time. Tetracycline is a broad-spectrum antibiotic prescribed for use against many bacterial infections and even to treat acne. One of its side effects is that it can cause permanent stains to teeth. Since tetracycline stains are often dark and deep in teeth, they do not respond very well to most whitening techniques so porcelain veneers are many dentists’ corrective treatment of choice. Deep Bleaching offers a different option to try first.
The Deep Bleaching process involves two in-office whitening sessions several days apart with custom bleaching trays worn at home (at night) between the two in-office visits. The bleaching trays fit closely at the gumline to create a seal that keeps the special bleaching gel in the tray. As you sleep wearing the trays, the bleaching goes deeper and deeper through the layers of stain (hence “deep bleaching”), which allows the final in-office whitening session to reach levels of white you probably never thought possible.
Take Home Tray Whitening
Take-home whitening trays are custom made to fit your mouth and enable you to whiten your teeth in the convenience of your own home. The whitening gel given is made from a lower concentration of hydrogen peroxide, which allows it to remain safely on your teeth longer (sometimes overnight). Take-home whitening can achieve the same stain-free look as one-visit in-office whitening, it just takes a little longer.
Orthodontics
If you are dissatisfied with the position of your teeth but don't want to spend years wearing traditional braces, consider scheduling a free orthodontic consultation with Dr. Todd. Getting straight teeth means getting a better looking smile, but the benefits go beyond cosmetics. Straight teeth make it easier to brush and floss correctly and thoroughly, which improves your overall oral health.
Oral Surgery
A number of dental conditions may require oral surgery, including impacted wisdom teeth, dental implant placement, jaw-related problems, and emergency care and repair.
Sedation
We want you to get the dental care you need and feel at ease during the process. If you have felt anxiety or even fear about dental treatment in the past, you're not alone. We want you to know such feelings are common and people of any age can experience them. We also want you to know that we can help!
Periodontal (Gum) Care
According to the American Academy of Periodontology, gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults over age 35. Gum disease ranges from gingivitis to the various forms and stages of periodontitis, and the prevalence of gum disease increases with age because teeth wear down and become more sensitive as time passes, gums naturally recede, and medications can affect oral health.
Additional Technologies & Systems
In addition to making dentistry more efficient and interesting for us, advancements in dental technology also make more comfortable and convenient care possible for patients. New technologies and ever-improving treatment methods give patients more choices, too, many times more affordably than ever before
- Intraoral Camera
Like digital x-rays, digital photographs with our intraoral camera are a diagnostic and patient education tool we think you will appreciate. Using the camera, we can give you a “tour” of your mouth on a TV or computer screen. This shows you what we see, guiding you through your diagnosis and treatment options. On our end, the camera allows us to visualize more and diagnose issues we might not have been able to see without the up-close view the intraoral camera gives us.
Back to Top ↑ - Less Time & More Comfort with Isolite
The Isolite® System is a small addition to our practice that can make a big difference in your dental experiences. It has a light to illuminate your mouth from the inside, so treatments are shadowless and more efficient. This means you spend less time in the dental chair! The Isolite promotes comfort, as well, by allowing you to rest your jaw during treatment. In addition, it completely eliminates the need for cotton rolls and rinse breaks. Come in and experience the difference!
Back to Top ↑ - Dental Magnification Loupes
Excellent dental care requires attention to detail and exacting precision. We must work in very small spaces and be accurate to a fraction of a millimeter. To help him, Dr. Todd uses the same special prismatic magnification glasses, or “loupes,” that surgeons use. Yes, we take your teeth that seriously.
