Ambiance Dental

Stephen Avenue Dentistry

dental care offered in Calgary’s downtown core

Emergency Dental Service

What constitutes a dental emergency? Or, put another way, when should you seek emergency dental service? Emergency dental service is designed to address unanticipated, acute dental problems. These types of issues require professional intervention as they will not resolve themselves. Furthermore, they are the types of medical events that if left untreated will worsen, amplifying a patient’s physical pain and possibly complicating treatment.

Thus, if you have endured multiple days of pain or inflammation for which standard, recommended doses of over-the-counter pain medication are not sufficient, then it’s advisable that you engage a professional to administer emergency treatment.

Common emergency dental problems

Scenarios that you are likely to encounter which require emergency treatment include:

  • General tooth pain
  • A chipped or cracked tooth
  • Loose filling
  • Gum infection
  • Facial swelling that may extend to your jaw or even neck
  • A foreign body that has become lodged in your gum.

Typical treatments and follow-up

Because of the nature of emergency intervention, you will likely require additional treatment. Emergency dental service is intended to address discomfort and halt trauma or prevent further damage. With that said, a future appointment to conduct X-rays, complete treatment, file protruding edges, and assess for future treatment protocols will likely be necessary.

While not all dentists offer emergency dental services, we include this level of care in our practice during both evenings and holidays and are delighted to see new patients.

Dental Implants Periodontist

Periodontology is a dental specialty focused on preventative care and treatment of disease processes related to structures that support teeth, things like gums, the portion of the jaw bone in which teeth are rooted, and the ligaments or connective tissues that anchor teeth to the jaw bone. This specialty is practiced by Periodontists.

Periodontists are specialists

While all dentists study preventative treatment protocols, some pursue additional training in order to specialize in Periodontology and address more complex medical cases. Within this subspecialty, some practitioners elect to study unique procedures designed to remediate functional and cosmetic issues resulting from missing teeth, procedures like implant therapy and placing dental implants. Ambiance Dental practitioners offer both general dental and periodontal treatments but are General Dentists and are not classified as Periodontists.

What are dental implants?

Technological advances create opportunities for improved outcomes across many contexts, and dental health is no exception. Dental implants are intended to permanently replace missing teeth without the need for bridges, dentures, or other older, sometimes less efficacious solutions. What’s more, they are designed to both look and feel like real teeth.

A Periodontist integrates cosmetic concerns with the equally critical medical concerns of preserving bone integrity and jaw structure, and promoting general dental health such that no further tooth loss results from associated dental health issues.

Dental Hygienist

Every dental practice requires a team of professionals to deliver excellent patient care, and a critical member of that team is the dental hygienist. This role is the primary patient liaison who helps educate individuals about oral health. Through special training and keen observation of patients over time, they are best positioned to catch issues before they become problems.

What does a dental hygienist do?

The dental hygienist engages with patients in a variety of ways, executing tasks include:

  • Careful assessment of dental health, emphasizing decay detection

  • Patient education through demonstration and discussion

  • Cleaning and polishing the surface of the teeth

  • Prevention screening for oral health issues

  • Providing guidance on dental health best practices

  • Dental anxiety support

  • Treatment option review and education

  • Aesthetic consulting

Dental hygienist visits

In addition to the routine scaling and polishing provided by dental hygienists, these regular visits are critical wellness checks. They offer longitudinal insights about changes to your dental health profile that enable your dental team to anticipate possible future dental health issues, including oral cancer.

Aesthetic treatments with a dental hygienist

Staining is an unavoidable part of life, and while your routine cleaning visits will remove a portion of the stains on the surface of your teeth, you may elect to purchase additional aesthetic treatments. This is another subject upon which a dental hygienist can offer education and guidance, serving as a trusted advisor to clarify which orthodontic treatments or aesthetic procedures will best meet your objectives.

Cosmetic Dentist

Have you always dreamed of a brighter smile, a beaming row of perfectly straight teeth? A cosmetic dentist specializes in remediating dental issues like yellowing, broken or crooked teeth.

While our governing body does not formally recognize the term “Cosmetic Dentist”, Ambiance Dental employs general dentists who offer a wide array of cosmetic dentistry services.

How you look impacts how you feel, and everyone deserves to move through the world with confidence. Advances in cosmetic dentistry have driven costs down in the industry thus making a brilliant smile something that anyone can afford.

What are popular cosmetic dental procedures?

Cosmetic dentists provide treatments that include:

  • Whitening

  • Porcelain crowns and veneers

  • Dental implants to replace missing teeth

  • Straightening (orthodontic treatment)

How do you determine the best course of treatment?

Designing your new smile is a consultative process that begins with an assessment and discussion of your goals. In order to achieve your desired outcome, a cosmetic dentist will listen to your concerns and answer questions, and then provide a specific treatment plan. The plan will be divided between required preparatory procedures, such as plaque removal or tooth extractions to relieve overcrowding, and enhancement treatments.

How do you maintain your new smile?

Following your dental transformation, a cosmetic dentist will provide guidelines for preserving your stunning new smile, which may include at-home teeth whitening options or use of a custom retainer.

Teeth Whitening Service

Tired of yellow teeth? Dreaming of a whiter smile? Todays’ teeth whitening services employ a hydrogen peroxide solution to erase stains and deliver brighter, whiter teeth. This process restores a natural white through the removal of stains and discolouration that occurs organically over time.

Comfort and convenience of whitening services

Teeth whitening is a perfectly comfortable, pain-free treatment option for enhancing your smile. which can be completed in the comfort of your home or by a professional in a clinic setting. Typically multiple treatments are required to achieve the desired results and preserve brilliance.

Teeth whitening for natural teeth

Veneers and implants cannot be whitened through teeth whitening treatments as these treatments work exclusively with natural enamel. When considering whether to embark on a course of teeth whitening, existing dental restorations should be considered so there is the desired level of colour uniformity following whitening.

Teeth whitening safety

As with any medical service, it is important to choose a well-respected team of professionals to provide your treatment services. It is possible to experience some sensitivity to heat and cold following a professionally administered course of teeth whitening treatments, however this should subside after a few days. Poorly administered treatments could result in enamel discolouration.

Dental Clinic

Dental clinics are a one-stop-shop for a variety of different types of routine and elective dental services. From wellness visits that focus on assessment, education and maintenance like scaling and polishing, to cosmetic enhancements like teeth whitening, to after-hours and holiday emergency care, dental clinics offer a robust suite of services in a single location.

Clinic teams

Comprised of generalists and specialists, dental clinics feature:

  • Dentists, Orthodontists, and Periodontists
  • Dental surgeons
  • Prosthodontists
  • Endodontists
  • Dental hygienists and nurse
  • Support staff

Patients benefit from both the close professional relationships and the flow of information between these different specialists and the convenience of a single location for a diverse array of dental health needs. While clinics typically have a portfolio of regular patients, they often also reserve some capacity to meet the needs of prospective, walk-in patients.

Selecting a dental clinic

Fundamentally, a dental clinic should offer the services that you and your family need in a geographically convenient location. Because lapsed dental healthcare or delayed treatment can result in significant dental health consequences, you want to remove any friction from the process of seeking your routine healthcare or addressing emergent issues. Thus, it’s also important that you have a positive feeling about the service level at the dental clinic. It should be easy to schedule and you should feel that you’ve received expert care.

Specialist dental clinics

If most dental clinics offer a suite of dental services, then why do specialist dental clinics exist? Some dental problems or cosmetic procedures are particularly challenging or are infrequent enough to merit referral to a group of specialists who have elected to operate as a clinic. This may simply be a more practical approach under certain circumstances than remaining within your standard dental clinic.

Sedation Dentistry

Some patients experience a significant amount of anxiety or fear when it comes to dental visits or dental procedures. In order to accommodate these patients and allay these feelings, dental practitioners employ sedation and one of a series of tools and techniques to make sure that patients receive both the routine and specialized dental care that they need.

Defining sedation dentistry

Depending on the type of procedure and the degree of anxiety experienced by the patient, a dental professional can elect to administer different levels of sedation ranging from minimal to general. A patient will experience this range as moving from a fully alert but relaxed state all the way to a completely unconscious state. Medication can be given in gas form, orally as a liquid or pill, or intravenously.

Sedation dentistry treatments

Sometimes sedation dentistry is used simply to make a procedure more comfortable rather than to address phobic feelings, specifically for procedures like:

  • Tooth removal
  • Root canal
  • Dental implants
  • Dental fillings and crowns

Remove dental health obstacles with sedation dentistry

Poor dental health negatively impacts many systems within the human body. While dental anxiety is a very uncomfortable reality for many people, sedation dentistry makes it possible to ease the experience and preserve your overall health.

Porcelain Veneers

Unhappy with the shape of your teeth? Have you tried teeth whitening treatments but still struggle with embarrassing stains? Makeover your smile with porcelain veneers! Indistinguishable from real teeth, these cosmetic wonders fit over your natural teeth to address the following problem areas:

  • Discoloured or misshapen teeth
  • Large gaps between teeth
  • Disproportionately small teeth
  • Broken or chipped teeth
  • Crooked teeth

Why porcelain veneers?

While there are many different cosmetic treatments available today, porcelain veneers are an aesthetically pleasing option to address appearance issues that are not interfering with overall dental health. Because they are affixed to the front of healthy existing teeth they can address multiple cosmetic issues with a single procedure.

How do porcelain veneers work?

All Porcelain veneers are custom-crafted to the appropriate shape and color specifications of the patient. Dentists will take measurements and use tools like molds or digital imaging to manufacture the thin veneers which are then attached to the front of your teeth with a dental cement compound. While technology is always improving, today’s porcelain veneers have a lifespan of 7 to 15 years.

How do I care for porcelain veneers?

Likely if you are a candidate for porcelain veneers you already practice excellent dental hygiene. Frequent brushing and daily flossing are recommended both for dental health as well as the aesthetic maintenance of the veneers.

Dental Bridge

One way to address a dental gap that has resulted from one or more lost teeth is via a dental bridge. A dental bridge is comprised of artificial teeth connected to the teeth bordering the gap by crowns. It’s so-called because it forms a “bridge” through the gap, and addresses some of the issues that can be caused by missing teeth.

What are the possible problems associated with missing teeth?

  •  misaligned or uneven bite

  • Teeth that shift

  • Bone loss

  • Temporomandibular disorder

Dental bridge or implant?

While dental implants are increasingly popular, they are more expensive than dental bridges. If budget is a primary consideration, a dental bridge or a small, removable denture are affordable options to replace a missing tooth or teeth that still provide the aforementioned health benefits.

How long does a dental bridge last?

On average a well-made dental bridge has a 10-year lifespan. To ensure that you get the full useful life from your dental bridge it is critical that you clean out bacteria from underneath the bridge and follow your dental professional’s instructions regarding overall maintenance and care. Equally important is protecting the health of the rest of your natural teeth, especially the ones that the bridge is affixed to via the crowns.

Stephen Avenue, Calgary

Named after Sir George Stephen, the first president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Stephen Avenue is a shopper's paradise that's wreathed in historical interest as well as cultural buzz. The street is a defining feature of the downtown Calgary core, and it's one of the city's busiest, most vibrant destinations for visitors and locals alike.

Shopping on Stephen Avenue Walk

If it's retail therapy that you're after, then look no further. The CORE shopping centre is a super-complex of malls which are all linked by the +15 skywalk system. Boasting over 160 stores, you'll find an impressive range of retail chains, department stores and special boutiques to suit any and all tastes. The CORE's crowning feature is the Devonian Gardens, a stunning indoor glass-enclosed botanical park that covers over a hectare of space. Perfect for unwinding after a day in the shops!

Eating

Stephen Avenue is a pedestrian-only street, and after all that walking you're bound to have worked up an appetite. Luckily, you'll be in the right place to get some high quality grub, and the options are bountiful. For those who seek the finer things in life, there's a diverse selection of upmarket restaurants at your feet, from steak-houses to Italian restaurants. For a moderate price you can get anything from Korean to North American to Argentinian cuisine. If you're on a budget, you can also find Italian restaurants as well as Chinese and other international cuisine, all for a pleasantly affordable price.

Culture

There are few urban hubs as animated as Stephen Avenue. It's a flourishing center where the likes of street performers, artists and musicians are free to tap into their downtown Calgary groove! There are night clubs for the party goers, plus a collection of historical buildings in which you can be immersed in the rich history of Calgary. There's something for everyone on Stephen Avenue!

We'd love to meet you!

New patients are always welcome!  Let's discuss your dental health together.

Book an Appointment

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