Dental Implant Placement & Restoration
Dental implants are a modern and long-lasting way to restore incomplete smiles. Whether you need to replace a single tooth or secure a denture, partial, or bridge, dental implants can give you the comfort, function, and longevity you're seeking.

At our Queen Creek dental office, implant dentist Dr. Kerbs place and restores dental implants. This means that you won't need to see a specialist or drive all over town for appointments at different offices. Instead, you'll receive quality care from a dentist and team dedicated to your smile.

What is a dental implant?
A dental implant is a tiny, titanium post inserted in your jaw to secure a custom crown or other prosthetic. Implants are virtually indistinguishable from natural teeth and deliver unsurpassed results.

What are the benefits of dental implants?
This state-of-the-art restorative solution:

• Prevents the bone loss that can occur when teeth are lost
• Fleshes out lips and cheeks for a more youthful appearance
• Eliminates the need for adhesives to secure replacement teeth
• Renews clear articulation
• Lets patients eat crunchy and chewy foods without discomfort
• Restores confidence

How do I get started?
Schedule an implant dentistry consultation. Dr. Kerbs will conduct a thorough examination to determine your candidacy. If you qualify, he'll precisely plan your treatment and surgically insert your prosthetic tooth roots. After your jawbone fuses with the titanium posts, your implant dentist will attach your custom replacement teeth. You'll have a beautiful, comfortable smile and a new lease on life!

Dentures & Partials
If you have missing teeth, you're not alone. Sixty-nine percent of adults have lost at least one tooth, and 50 million Americans have lost all of their teeth. So while missing teeth are common, you don't have to settle for an incomplete smile. At Copper Family Dental, Dr. Kerbs creates custom dentures and partials to restore oral comfort, function, and appearance.

Your denture choices include:

• Full Dentures – If you've lost all or most of your teeth, full dentures can return your ability to eat, laugh, and smile with confidence. We'll design your upper and/or lower rows of prosthetic teeth to fit comfortably, look natural, and provide long-lasting satisfaction.

• Implant-Retained Dentures – Dr. Kerbs may suggest dental implant-retained dentures if you have trouble achieving an optimal fit, especially with a lower denture. He'll insert tiny titanium posts in your jawbone and fit your new or existing denture with attachments that snap on to the implants. You'll experience newfound security and freedom.

  We offer traditional implants as well as mini dental implants to secure dentures. Mini dental implants involve a minimally invasive, one-step procedure that Dr. Kerbs completes in a single office visit. Come in for an examination to see if you qualify.

• Partial Dentures – Patients with some healthy teeth remaining may opt for a partial denture, or partial. This restorative solution contains prosthetic teeth to fill gaps left by missing teeth – no matter where the gaps occur in your smile. A partial can renew your appearance and oral health and prevent existing teeth from drifting out of position. We'll use unobtrusive metal clasps to attach your partial to healthy neighboring teeth or dental implants. Dr. Kerbs also offers metal-free Valplast Flexible Partials.

Fixed Bridges
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 to 10 years.

Full-Mouth Reconstruction
When disease, decay, or damage wreck a smile, a patient may feel embarrassed about seeking professional help. Our office welcomes patients with broken-down smiles. We applaud you for taking a step toward reclaiming a strong and healthy smile for a healthier life! You'll feel better emotionally and physically when you have a comfortable, beautiful smile to share with the world.

Sometimes a few crowns, fillings, or replacement teeth aren't enough to completely restore dental health. When you visit, the dentist will evaluate your teeth, gums, and soft tissues, as well as your occlusion (how your teeth fit together when you shut your mouth). We will take X-rays, intra- and extra-oral images, and possibly a Panorex image to provide us with detailed information to create your full-mouth reconstruction plan.

We will also talk with you about your concerns. Do you have pain? Does dental work make you nervous? What do you want to achieve from your dental work? The dentist will address your concerns and present a plan to restore your optimal oral health. We will explain our suggestions, your options, and the time and financial commitment involved. With creative scheduling and financing, as well as options for anesthesia and sedation, you can enjoy the healthy, comfortable, beautiful smile you deserve.

We may recommend fillings, crowns, inlays, or onlays to restore teeth. Crown and bridgework, partials, dentures, and dental implants offer exciting, lifelike solutions to replace missing teeth. Orthodontics, oral appliances, and other treatments may help your unique situation, as well. We sometimes work with specialists in an interdisciplinary approach to ensure that patients receive the treatment they need. Our goal is to deliver the smile you want, then help you maintain it for life.

Inlays & Onlays
You have a big filling that needs replacement. Do you have to get a full crown? Not necessarily. A more conservative option, inlays and onlays fit into a tooth similar to a filling, yet they are milled restorations, much like a crown. The bumps on top of a tooth are called cusps. Inlays fit between cusps, while onlays fit over one or more cusps. Inlays and onlays allow a patient to retain more natural tooth structure, which is always best.

Not every situation is right for an inlay or onlay, but the dentist will assess your problem and determine the best solution for you. Because they are created in a lab like a crown, inlays and onlays require two appointments. At the first visit, we will prepare your tooth by removing your tooth decay or old filling and cleaning the area. We will take a dental impression and send it to our dental lab so that a technician can create a custom inlay or onlay for you. The dentist will determine the best material to use, but in most cases, teeth that show when you smile or speak can have a white restoration. Back teeth incur extreme pressure, so a metal inlay or onlay may be indicated. You'll wear a temporary until the lab delivers your final restoration.

At the second appointment, the dentist will remove your temporary and permanently cement your final inlay or onlay into position. After polishing and modifying the restoration as necessary to ensure proper bite alignment, you'll enjoy your stronger, healthier smile for years to come.

Root Canals
If you have an internally damaged tooth, a root canal can preserve your tooth and strengthen your smile. Dr. Kerbs has advanced training in endodontics – the study of internal tooth structure. He offers modern, comfortable root canal therapy to eliminate discomfort and save teeth from extraction.

When the canals that lead from the tooth pulp, or nerve, are compromised by a deep cavity, tooth fracture, or other trauma, they become susceptible to infection. The resulting pain and pressure can severely impact your daily life. Left untreated, the infection only worsens, resulting in acute pain and possiblu bone, gum, and tooth loss.

A root canal alleviates the infection and prevents the need for a replacement tooth. Dr. Kerbs will clean out the canals, insert a biocompatible substance, and seal the tooth with a custom crown. Your preserved tooth will remain strong and healthy for years to come.

Tooth-Colored Fillings
If you're embarrassed about your smile because of decay or dark fillings in your teeth, you may be a good candidate for composite resins. A silicon dioxide-filled, tooth-colored plastic mixture, composite resins can restore teeth to an attractive, healthy state. Composite resins represent several advantages over traditional silver or amalgam fillings.

Because composite resins are not made of metal, we can blend and mix shades to find the perfect color to match your natural teeth. This means only you and your dentist will know you have fillings. Another pro is that the tooth/composite bond actually supports the remaining tooth structure, deterring breakage and insulating against temperature changes. Medium and small composites can last seven to ten years – that's as long as the tried and true amalgams. Best of all, composite resins allow us to keep more of your natural tooth structure intact than amalgams. We believe in conservative dentistry – the more natural tooth structure you keep, the better teeth you'll likely have in the future.

Some patients experience mild and temporary post-placement sensitivity from composite resin fillings. The only caution we usually mention is that coffee, tea, and other staining foods and beverages may discolor your composites unless you ask to have them coated with a clear plastic sealant.