Sinus Lift (Augmentation)

If you lose posterior teeth, it causes an increase in force to be placed on your remaining teeth, which can affect both your bite and oral health. This is why replacing extracted teeth is so important. Dental implants provide a long-lasting solution to filling gaps in patients’ smiles, but sometimes there is not enough room in the upper jaw for dental implants to be placed. This can be because of the position of the sinus or because of bone loss.

A sinus lift or augmentation, allows the sinus floor to be repositioned and bone added so that there is enough space for the implant to be inserted. For this procedure, Dr. Michael Corsello uses a variety of grafting materials to encourage bone to grow more quickly into the area and help stabilize the dental implant.

The bone used in a sinus lift may come from your own body (autogenous bone), a donor (allogeneic bone) or from cow bone (xenograft). During the procedure, the doctor will cut the gum tissue where the missing back teeth used to be in order to expose the bone. Then he will open a small oval window to the bone to gain access to where the sinus meets the jaw. The sinus is pushed up and away from the jaw, and granules of bone-graft material are then packed into the space where the sinus was, adding several millimeters of bone to the jaw.

Once the bone is in place, the tissue is closed with stitches and left to heal. Implants are usually installed four to nine months later while the grafted material meshes with your bone.

To schedule an appointment with our office, call 412-453-5344. For more information on Northland Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA, visit www.NorthlandDentalMedicine.com. 

Scaling and Root Planing

At Northland Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA, we strive to help our patients maintain optimal oral health and retain their original teeth. By offering scaling and root planing to treat early gum disease, Dr. Michael Corsello can restore your health and save your smile in a noninvasive way.

Periodontal disease is responsible for 75 percent of all adult tooth loss cases in the United States, making it critical to check for and treat periodontal issues when they first arise. An infection of the gums, periodontal disease starts when a buildup of plaque on your teeth hardens into tartar and creates a suitable environment for bacteria to collect and attack the surrounding gums. In its early stages, this gum disease is gingivitis, but if it is left untreated, it becomes periodontis, and periodontis can destroy your gum tissue, lead to tooth loss and even result in a loss of bone mass in your jawbone. Heart disease, diabetes and stroke have also been linked to poor periodontal health.

Scaling and root planing is one of the most effective ways to treat gum disease before it develops into more serious periodontal disease. The procedure allows the dentist to clean between your gums and teeth all the way down to the roots in order to smooth the root structure and remove the tartar that is causing your inflammation.

The procedure is an incredibly effective and can stop the progression of gum disease before it irreversibly damages your teeth. If you’ve been diagnosed with gum disease or you have red, swollen or bleeding gums, schedule an appointment with our office by calling 412-453-5344. For more information, visit www.NorthlandDentalMedicine.com.

Frenectomy

A frenulum is a small fold or ridge of tissue that either supports or prevents the motion of that to which it is attached. In the mouth, there are two frenulums: the one that connects the upper lip to the gums above your two front teeth and the one that connects the tongue to the base of your mouth. If a frenulum is too short or thick, it can cause speech impediments and gaps between teeth, so corrective action is necessary to resolve the situation.

At Northland Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, Dr. Michael Corsello performs frenectomies to resolve frenulums that have proved troublesome. A frenectomy is a safe and effective surgical procedure to remove this fold of skin. Frenectomies are performed with either a scalpel or a laser, but at our office we use a laser, which causes very little bleeding and doesn’t require stitches. The laser is also preferable to the scalpel method because there is less discomfort and healing time after the procedure. If performed on a young child, a conscious anesthesia is used to relax and numb the child, while adults usually receive just a local anesthesia to numb the area while the fold is removed. A typical frenectomy takes less than 15 minutes.

If your frenulum is causing problems for your smile, schedule an appointment with our office by calling 412-453-5344. For more information, visit www.NorthlandDentalMedicine.com.

Bonding

Of all the cosmetic and restorative procedures, dental bonding is one of the easiest and most affordable. Called bonding because tooth-colored resin is bonded to your teeth, the procedure is used to repair teeth that are discolored, unevenly shaped or chipped. At our office, we can even use bonding as an alternative to amalgam fillings if only a small filling is required.

Bonding is achieved by applying incredibly strong resin to the tooth in need of restoration. The procedure can usually be accomplished in one visit and allows you to keep most of your tooth’s original enamel, which makes bonding preferable to veneers or crowns in many cases. Once the right color resin has been chosen for your smile, Dr. Michael Corsello will slightly abrade your teeth to roughen the surface. Then a conditioning liquid is applied to help the resin adhere. The putty-like resin is then applied to your tooth and molded and smoothed until it is in the proper shape. It is hardened with an ultraviolet light or laser. After the bonding material has hardened, Dr. Corsello will trim and shape it even more and then polish it until it shines like a tooth. Altogether, the procedure usually takes between 30 minutes to an hour for one tooth.

If you’re unhappy with your teeth but unwilling to go as far as veneers, bonding can be used to improve your smile quickly and effectively. The schedule an appointment with Northland Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA, call us at 412-453-5344. For more information, visit www.NorthlandDentalMedicine.com.

VIP Amentities

Our goal is to keep you happy and healthy! At Northland Dental Medicine, we are always looking for ways to improve our patient’s experience. Our office is completely state-of-the-art and offers amenities that no other dental practice in the area can offer. 

 

Not only is our staff extremely well trained, our facility has some of the most recent technological advances ready and waiting for your next appointment. We offer the following amenities at our Pittsburgh, PA practice:

• Fresh juices & warm beverages
• CEREC – 1 hour premium ceramic restorations with no additional cost
• Emergency care access – free to our regular patients
• Implant placement with complete surgical and prosthetic care in one office
• Digital X-Ray & CT Scans with low, low radiation exposure and handheld units available
• Online registration, hygiene scheduling, e-account review & payment, & more
• Video entertainment in every room
• Rewards for your thoughtful referrals

When it comes to your comfort, especially during your procedure, we do whatever we can to facilitate your needs. One of the best amenities we offer at Northland Dental Medicine is known as "the chair." Our patients are offered a serene escape with a relaxing massage, while lumbar heat warms muscles for further relaxation. Personal preferences are easily adjusted with your remote control. Call today to schedule your appointment! 

Inlays/Onlays

At Northland Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA, Dr. Michael Corsello wants to provide you with options when it comes to repairing damaged teeth. Since each everyone’s dental needs are different, the best treatment for one patient may not be the best treatment for another.  That’s why we provide options for replacing teeth damaged by decay or injury.

 

Inlays/onlays are used to repair a tooth that has been damaged by decay or injury. These molded dental prosthetics are applied to the damaged tooth, preserving its structure and the health of your smile. Some advantages of an inlay/onlay are it often covers less area of a tooth than a traditional filling. This means more of the natural tooth is preserved. In addition, inlays/onlays fit precisely, which reduces the amount of bacteria that can get between gaps or spaces. Inlays/onlays are also stronger than traditional fillings and tend to last longer.

 

Dr. Corsello will be happy to discuss inlays/onlays with you and help you decide what works best for you. For more information or to schedule an appointment call us at 412-453-5344!

TMJ

If you regularly experience morning migraines, swollen cheeks and sore jaw muscles, they could be caused by a condition known as TMJ. TMJ occurs when night grinding, stress or injury put a lot of pressure on the temporomandibular joint.  Fortunately, this common condition can be easily fixed. 

 

Patients that visit our office can find relief with custom night guards that reduce pressure on the affected joint.  In addition to the long term relief that night guards provide, you can take a few steps to relieve pressure at home:

• Eat soft foods
•  Avoid chewing gum
• Perform exercises that stretch and strengthen the jaw muscles
• Apply heat or ice to temporarily relieve pain

For long term relief from TMJ, visit us at Northland Dental Medicine in Pittsburgh, PA where we can better diagnose any issues.  We look forward to helping all of our patients better their dental health and find relief from your pain.