CEREC Same-Day Crowns
You go to the dentist because of a toothache, or maybe for your bi-annual checkup, and you get the bad news: you need a crown. You'll have to schedule two appointments – one for preparation and placement of a temporary crown, and one for placement of the permanent crown. Do you have that kind of time to spare? Between the appointments, your temporary crown could crack or fall out, and then you'd have to make yet another trip to the dentist. A crown is important, though, so you shouldn't delay treatment. A crown can salvage a tooth that may otherwise have to be removed and replaced with a prosthetic.

We Feel Your Pain
We understand the inconvenience patients face with a traditional crown, and because your time is as valuable as your smile, we now use a revolutionary tool that mills a permanent crown in about an hour: CEREC.

How CEREC Works
After taking a 3D image of your tooth, our CEREC machine can mill a strong, beautiful restoration in about an hour. We'll permanently place the crown during your single visit, and you'll leave our office with a full, healthy smile.

Tried and True Technology
Millions of patients worldwide have experienced the convenience of CEREC crowns. CEREC Blocs, the material from which the crowns are milled, are backed with 20 years of research, so you can rest assured they offer a durable restoration that you can trust. CEREC can also mill inlays, onlays, and veneers for your convenience.

Benefits of Dental Implants
Missing teeth can cause you to look older than you are, make eating uncomfortable, and damage your self-esteem. Dental implants are a state-of-the-art solution to beautifully enhance smiles. Tiny titanium posts inserted in the jawbone serve as tooth roots to secure custom replacement teeth, including crowns, dentures and partials, and bridges.

The durability and longevity of dental implants is unsurpassed – with proper care, they last most patients a lifetime. Additional benefits include: 

• Clear articulation
• The ability to eat crunchy and chewy foods
• Existing teeth won't drift out of position
• A more youthful appearance
• Increased confidence
• Reduction of the bone loss that often occurs when teeth are missing
• Peace of mind knowing that your smile is strong and secure

The Implant Placement and Restoration Process
At your implant dentistry consultation, your dentist will thoroughly examine your mouth and jaw. Ideal candidates for dental implants have good oral health and sufficient jawbone mass to hold implants in place. If you qualify, your dentist will surgically insert one prosthetic tooth root in the socket of each missing tooth, or a few to secure your denture or bridge. Once your jawbone fuses with the posts, we'll mount your replacement teeth to revitalize your smile.

Each step in the dental implant placement and restoration process will be performed at our Mesa dental office. You'll receive quality care from a team that knows you and understands your needs and concerns. For information on financing your dental implants, contact a friendly member of our front-office team. We're happy to help!

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.

Full-Mouth Reconstruction
When disease, decay, or damage wreck a smile, a patient may feel embarrassed about seeking professional help. Our Mesa 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.

We use precious metal, porcelain pressed (or fused) to metal, or all-porcelain crowns. To maintain a fully white smile, we recommend all-ceramic crowns. Our precise color-matching system allows us to find the right shade of porcelain to blend with your natural tooth color. Porcelain crowns are also extremely durable and long lasting, and these benefits make them popular with dentists as well as patients.

Typically, we can design, fit, and place your crowns in just a couple of short appointments. Once a crown is placed, you can care for it as you do your natural teeth. Conscientious brushing twice a day and daily flossing will protect the base of your crown from bacterial growth. Be sure to see us at least two times each year for professional cleanings and a preventive exam, too.

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 possibly 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.