Dr. James L. Cassidy, Jr. - a Dentist in Macon, Georgia
Solutions and Services
Restorative Dentistry
Restorative dentistry covers many fields of dentistry. Dr. Cassidy and his team specialize in veneers, implants, crowns and bridges, custom fit and characterized dentures and precision partials.
Veneers are custom-designed porcelain shells of tooth-like ceramic material that, when applied over the surface of a tooth, can cover worn tooth enamel, uneven tooth alignment or spacing and chips or cracks. Dental veneers can create a bright, white smile with beautifully aligned, shapely teeth. Even better, the ceramic quality of today's veneers can provide a natural look.
A dental implant is a titanium replacement for a root of a tooth that is surgically implanted in the jawbone. As the body heals , the bone around the implant fuses to the implant. After the healing phase is complete, the implants are used to anchor crowns, bridges, or dentures. Dental implants are teeth that can look and feel just like your own.
When teeth are heavily decayed they may be too weak to survive with just a filling. By placing a crown, a tooth may be able to survive. Even when a single tooth is lost a denture may not be required as a bridge can be made which spans the gap with a tooth attached to those next to the space.
TMJ
Dr. James Cassidy and his team fully understand the discomfort patients endure when they have been diagnosed with TMJ. TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) Syndrome is a condition that produces pain in the muscles and joints of the jaw that can radiate to the face, neck, and head and in some cases even the shoulders. Many patients present with severe ear pain. There also may be difficulty opening the mouth all the way, or clicking and popping noises when chewing, yawning, kissing or moving the joint. The most common causes of TMJ are a poor bite, and stress, combined with grinding of the teeth, especially at night.
Some easy things to try to alleviate discomfort include: stopping chewing gum, avoiding hard chewy foods, avoiding clenching and grinding your teeth. If these simple solutions don’t seem to alleviate the pain, Dr. Cassidy and his team can help. Most cases of TMJ dysfunction can be taken care of by either adjusting a patient's bite and/or by fitting him or her with a special mouthpiece called a splint. The combination of splint therapy and bite adjustment is effective in 97% of all TMJ patients.
Prosthetics
Prosthetics can be called many things ... dental devices, appliances and oral implants. Those things sound scary, but they are not. A prosthetic is simply a dental device that is added to your mouth to help your mouth properly function. Prosthetics span a wide range of dental devices. Dr. Cassidy specializes in dentures, partials, crown and bridge and implants.
Typically made out of an acrylic resin, dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth. They can also incorporate porcelain or metal for additional structural support. There are two main types of dentures. Both complete dentures and partial dentures are finely crafted and custom-fitted. If your dentures are properly maintained they will appear natural and provide a perfect smile. Dentures also help strengthen muscles controlling your expressions that require the support of your teeth, rid you of pronunciation problems caused by missing teeth and aid with chewing.
If you lose one or more teeth, you have several options including dental implants. Dental implants are fixtures that are surgically placed into your jaw bone. The implant is an anchor for a natural appearing artificial tooth or prosthetic device(complete or partial denture).. The success rate of dental implants can depend on where the implants are placed and their purpose. They are typically best placed in the front portion of your lower jaw but can be placed any where there is adequate bone and are great for replacing missing teeth.