All Treatment Completed by Dr. Pa Yang at Minneapolis Dentistry Company

Occasionally, when we are young, we bump or fall and hit our faces. There may be times when a bump causes a tooth to hurt, resulting in bruising and death of the nerve inside the tooth. This was Maddie's problem. While she had always noticed that her upper right tooth was always darker than the rest of her teeth, she did not know why. It was not painful; it was simply a dark color that occasionally bothered her. Despite her efforts to whiten her teeth, this one tooth would always remain dark. After performing a tooth nerve test, we found that the nerve was not responding to stimulation in any way. The tooth was necrotic; it was essentially dead.

Her options:

1. Do nothing 

Risk: Tooth necrosis could lead to the tooth flaring up and causing an abscess later on in life.

2. Root canal treatment and porcelain crown on tooth 

Option to veneer adjacent front tooth to match well. She was open to that, but Dr. Yang decided to stay conservative and do one tooth restoration only. 

She chose Option 2. To protect the tooth, we performed a root canal treatment and placed a strong porcelain crown. The attainment of beautiful natural esthetics is always going to be one of the results of dental treatment that we strive for. She now has a natural-looking tooth that complements the rest of her beautiful smile. It was my pleasure to work with ceramicist Edgar Jimenez on the aesthetics of her crown.

Dentist: Dr. Pa Yang, DDS

Ceramist: Edgar Jimenez, FAACD

Lab: Jimenez Dental Studio, Minneapolis, MN 

It is a traumatizing experience to lose many teeth at once due to gum disease or cavities. The situation is made worse if you do not have anything to replace the teeth that were missing. There was severe periodontitis in Cory's mouth as well as a significant number of cavities in his mouth that had developed over time.

Option 1: Restore teeth with crowns, crown lengthening, scaling and root planing therapy, medication to gum sites -- Guarded prognosis.

Option 2: Remove all severely decayed teeth on top jaw, remove the bad teeth on the lower jaw, scaling and root planing periodontal therapy on lower front teeth. Immediate Same-Day Dentures on top and bottom, heal for 6 months then replace with Permanent Denture on Top and Partial Denture on the bottom

During the process of weighing his options, his teeth continued to break, and he finally made a decision. His choice was Option 2. The periodontal gum therapy was completed first, followed by the surgical procedure. In order to prevent him from going without teeth after the surgery, we sent him home with dentures in his mouth on the day of the procedure. The dentures also served as a large bandage to hold the gum tissues in place. Following surgery, he was seen for follow-up visits to ensure that he was as comfortable as possible. He was able to speak with his dentures the following day, and we saw his smile grow with confidence as we worked with him. It is our pleasure to have been able to help him restore his dental health.

It is essential that we work with a lab that understands how the mouth functions and that can make dentures that are both comfortable and effective based on the impressions and information we send them. For this reason, we selected Renstrom because we are confident that they are dedicated to providing our patients with beautiful smiles. The immediate denture as well as the final denture were both of excellent quality. Thank you so much to Ken and the team at Renstrom Dental Studio for their artistic excellence!

Dentist: Dr. Pa Yang

Lab: Renstrom Dental Studio, White Bear Lake, MN

The loss of a tooth can be a frightening experience for many people. You are losing a part of yourself that is sensitive to extreme conditions, such as extreme temperatures, pressures, and vibrations. In the center of each tooth there is a nerve that allows the tooth to feel. Normally, we do not feel much with our teeth because they are protected by a strong layer of dentin and enamel. When a tooth breaks, that layer of protection is compromised, resulting in intense discomfort, sensitivity, or pain. In Anna's case, she had always felt discomfort with the tooth and had also felt it move. This tooth had a previous root canal treatment that never fully healed. As a result of the heavy bite forces and the unhealed root canal, the tooth became loose in the jawbone.

Options:

1. Root canals may need to be performed again on the tooth along with periodontal surgery.

2. Place an implant in place of the loose tooth.

She opted for the latter. The tooth was removed and an implant was placed during the same surgery. After letting it heal, we restored it with a porcelain crown and custom abutment. To relieve the pressure on this tooth as well as the others, the patient now wears a custom night guard.

Renstrom Dental Studio did an excellent job customizing the ceramics of this smile!

Dentist: Dr. Pa Yang, DDS

Lab: Renstrom Dental Studio, White Bear Lake, MN

Clear aligner therapy can be used to treat mild to moderate levels of crowding.

I have been seeing Fue since I graduated from dental school. His moderate crowding in the lower jaw made it difficult for him to maintain a clean mouth and prevent calculus, tartar, and stains from accumulating. My recommendation was to straighten his lower teeth to make it easier to keep clean and healthy. He never imagined he could get orthodontic treatment as an adult.

His options:

Option 1: Comprehensive Orthodontics with Fixed Appliances (Metal Brackets)

Option 2: Comprehensive Orthodontics with Removable Clear Aligners

In the end, he chose the third option: clear aligner orthodontics. It took him one year to complete the treatment and he took excellent care of his teeth. Again, we see the development of esthetics as a result of dental treatment that was needed to maintain the health of a patient's smile.

Retainers: A clear retainer is worn top and bottom every night.

Dentist:  Dr. Pa Yang

Lab: Sun Dental Lab,  Florida, USA

A hole in a tooth can grow quite large when a cavity festers quietly without causing any pain. During the course of some months and years, parts of the tooth's structure are decayed away, unbeknownst to the individual who is harboring the decay. When a cavity extends below the gum line, fillings, root canals, and crowns can be very difficult to place. When decay gets too deep, there is not enough tooth structure to bond a filling or hold a crown. A large cavity was breaking the tooth apart and it had extended below the gum line.

His options:

Option 1: Root Canal Treatment, Crown Lengthening, Porcelain Crown

A compromise is made and some bone is removed in between teeth, further compromising the mouth. The prognosis is guarded.

Option 2: Extraction, Ridge Preservation Bone Graft & Membrane, Dental Implant with Porcelain Crown

Considering the large cavity and guarded prognosis, he opted for Option 2. The severely decayed tooth was removed and replaced with a dental implant. As soon as the implant was fully integrated into the jawbone, an "abutment" and permanent porcelain crown were attached. With the implant in, he no longer has a gap in his smile, he can eat normally, and he doesn't have to worry about his teeth tipping into the gap.

Check out this smile and see if you can identify the implant tooth.

Dentist: Dr. Pa Yang

Lab: Renstrom Dental Studio, White Bear Lake, MN