Restorative Dentistry
Restore your smile to full form and function
At our office in Santa Rosa, CA perhaps the most important procedures we provide fall under the category of general dentistry. Dr Erlach has had extensive training beyond what is provided in dental school. He completed an Advanced Education in General Dentistry with the US Army and earned the designator as a Comprehensive Dentist. You can be confident that Dr Erlach has the expertise to handle your treatment needs in a comfortable and caring environment. Below is a description of most of the procedures that Dr. Erlach performs. Rest assured that the skilled staff and dentists at Fountaingrove Dentistry will do everything possible to make your visit comfortable while we determine which procedure will meet your individual dental needs.
Composite Fillings
Dr Erlach is highly skilled at placing white composite fillings in the front or back teeth. A tooth may be damaged by a cavity; crack or sometimes patients just want to get rid of their old silver/mercury fillings. After the decay or old restoration is removed, a ceramic/plastic composite filling is bonded in place to mimic the shape and color of the original tooth. This is one of the most common procedures we perform, and is entirely done in our Santa Rosa, CA office. Dr. Erlach has lectured nationally and internationally on this topic.
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"Here are three teeth with old fillings and cavities were
restored with posterior composite" |
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After |
"Posterior composites can make your teeth look new again" |
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Crowns
Fountaingrove Dentistry, of Santa Rosa, CA, uses dental crown to restore form, function, and strength when a tooth is more badly damaged. The crown can be made of either gold, porcelain, or a combination of the two. A gold crown is the clear choice for strength if it will not show in the patient's smile. A porcelain crown gives the best esthetic results. In both case, the patients is comfortable and the tooth is fully anesthetized. Dr. Erlach removes enough of the outside of the tooth to allow for a custom made crown to restore the shape and function of the tooth. The crown is generally made in a Dental Laboratory under magnification by skilled technicians. The result is a tooth that is both strong and beautiful.
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"George chose gold crowns to restore his back teeth due to strength and durability" |
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After |
"These upper teeth were restored with a combination of a
porcelain crown and posterior composites" |
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Endodontic (Root Canal) Therapy
Dr. Erlach often performs endodontic therapy, or a root canal as a way to help treat a badly infected tooth, which would otherwise have to be extracted. The patient may be in pain by the time this procedure is necessary, and a closer examination reveals exactly why. Even when no visible damage is apparent the root of a tooth can die when it has experienced some sort of trauma, or if has become infected. Regardless of the cause the result is a rotting of the pulp inside the tooth, which causes pain to the patient and therefore must be removed.; The dentist begins the procedure by drilling through the top of the tooth of the anesthetized patient and removing all the infected tissue. The inside of the tooth is cleansed, shaped and filled with a biocompatible material so it will not get infected again. For very challenging cases, Dr. Erlach teams up with Dr Jared Fortman and Dr. Brian Bozeman, who are both root canal specialists in Santa Rosa, CA. They can handle to the tough cases comfortably and with great results. Depending on the situation, Dr. Erlach may refer you so you get the best treatment possible. After the root canal is completed, a titanium or ceramic post may be bonded into the root of the tooth. Then it can be capped with a porcelain or gold crown which will provide the patient with a strong and pain free tooth.
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"The abcessed molar on the left was treated by Dr. Bozeman. After 6
months,
the area healed and the tooth was saved." |
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"Kevin had a dark tooth, indicating that the nerve had died. By performing a root canal and whitening the tooth from inside, Dr Erlach was able to improve his smile and self esteem." |
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Extractions
Extraction is the process used to completely remove a tooth. At Fountaingrove Dentistry we always work toward retaining natural functionality, so we try to avoid extractions by doing everything possible to save the tooth. However, if the tooth is badly infected, or has decayed beyond a certain point, then extraction may be the only option. Also, extractions may be used before dental implants are mounted or to remove the few remaining teeth when a patient is fitted for dentures. If a tooth does need to be removed the patient may be sedated or given excellent local anesthesia to maintain comfort. To replace the missing tooth our Santa Rosa, CA practice can use either dental implant or bridge procedures (detailed below) to fill the gap.
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Dental Implants
Dr. Erlach uses the dental implant restorative procedure as an option for replacing missing teeth. Single teeth or many teeth can be replaced using this outstanding procedure. It can be a somewhat complicated process, but Dr. Erlach is highly skilled at performing it and achieves excellent results. While the patient is fully anesthetized a titanium implant is fixed into the jaw bone such that the implant protrudes from the gum in the gap of the missing tooth. Dr. Erlach is the only dentist in Santa Rosa, CA to offer immediate single tooth placement on implants so that his patients do not have to wait to enjoy their new smile. Dr. Erlach is a Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantology and his techniques have been published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry. Not only will you be able to bite and chew normally, but the outcome is a tooth so strong that you may forget that it is a replacement.
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"Chris broke his front tooth off. Dr. Erlach restored his
smile with an implant and porcelain dental crown." |
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"Tamara loves her new smile. The dentures supported by
implants are both comfortable and beautiful." |
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"Robert is a successful real estate agent, but his six front teeth were severely affected by gum disease. Dr Erlach and Dr Jarvis placed four implants supporting custom bridges. Robert has the confidence to eat anything and smile to his clients." |
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Dental Bridge
At our Santa Rosa, CA office we use dental bridges, along with dental implants, as an option for filling in the space left by missing teeth. The procedure is a simple, yet effective and ingenious way to replace the tooth without the use of surgery. First Dr. Erlach will help you decide which type of bridge is best for you. This depends on the condition of the anchor teeth, the size of the space and esthetic requirements. For a conventional bridge, the two teeth adjacent to the space are prepared for crowns and the three or more tooth bridge slips over these teeth. Once bonded, they sturdily hold the bridge in place so it can be used for normal chewing. If the anchor teeth are in excellent shape and the forces on the bridge are not too heavy, a bridge can be simply bonded to the tongue side of the teeth with little or no preparation. Please contact us right away so Dr. Erlach can make your smile full and beautiful.
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"Dr Erlach restored Bart's missing and small teeth with two dental bridges." |
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After |
"Missing teeth can be replaced by fixed bridges, as in this case, or dental implants." |
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Dentures
When there are no teeth or the remaining teeth are in very poor condition, Full or Partial Dentures may be the only option to restore a patient's appearance and function. The transition to full dentures can be emotionally very difficult, but Dr. Erlach and his expert team have the experience needed to help patients through this process. At the Fountaingrove Dentistry office, in Santa Rosa, CA, Dr. Erlach provides total patient treatment. From evaluation, surgery, denture fabrication, and follow up, all our patients can be sure they are getting the best care. The esthetic results can be outstanding! Thanks to the addition of dental implants to the list of options, dentures can be very functional as well.
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Implant Dentures
Dr. Erlach highly recommends implant dentures for those patients who currently wear dentures, and seem to have constant problems with keeping them in place during everyday use. The purpose of dentures is to provide a natural feel and function for the wearer, and this is entirely defeated when they unintentionally slip out of place. Dentures should be completely forgotten about all day long until nighttime when they are removed. This is exactly what implant dentures achieves by attaching directly to the dentures and holding them in place. At our Santa Rosa, CA office the patient will be sedated while two or four metal implants are secured into the jaw bone. The denture snaps over the implants and makes a tight secure fit so the patient can chew much more confidently without the fear of accidentally dislodging the dentures.
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After |
"Even some of the most difficult cases can be restored to natural
look and better function using implant supported dentures" |
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