Dental bridges are something you want to investigate if you have missing teeth.

Many patients come to my office either missing teeth or needing a tooth extraction. In today’s day and age, most people do not want to go around with a missing tooth, especially if it is a front tooth. Dental bridges are a great treatment option to replace these missing teeth.

Besides the obvious cosmetic issues, why would you want to replace a missing tooth? The mouth is designed to function in equilibrium and is supposed to be balanced with the right and left sides. When a tooth is missing, the teeth next to the space are put under more force than is normal. In addition, the opposite side of the mouth also has to work harder to compensate for that missing tooth. Thus if a missing tooth is not replaced, then the teeth next to the space and on the other side are put under much more stress, thereby increasing cracking and breaking of your good teeth. So, how can we prevent this? You must replace that missing tooth, and dental bridges are one of the best options available.

Dental bridges are a tried and true technology. In a nutshell, they are dental crowns that are joined together to make a strong, permanently cemented prosthesis for your mouth. They are generally made out of strong porcelain and are at least three crowns/teeth in length. In preparation for dental bridges, the teeth on the sides are prepared for crowns (see diagram). An impression is taken and sent to the dental laboratory, which specializes in making dental bridges and crowns. It generally takes two to three weeks for the lab to make dental bridges, and once this is done your dentist will cement the bridge permanently in your mouth. It will look natural, be strong, and protect your teeth.

Here are a few special notes about dental bridges. Flossing dental bridges generally requires a floss threader that allows you to pass the floss underneath. With any sort of dental work, you must brush and floss to protect your investment. The only potential downside to dental bridges is that your dentist has to prepare the teeth on the sides of the space for crowns. This requires some drilling and removal of tooth structure, which is kept to a minimum.

If you are missing a tooth (or teeth) or need an extraction, call me, Dr. Lampee, today for a consultation about dental bridges. It will help restore and protect you smile for years to come.

A wealth of new cosmetic dental treatment options have spawned from great scientific advancements in the healthcare field. It seems that a day doesn’t go by without a patient asking me about whiter teeth, straighter smiles, and porcelain veneers.

In medicine, cosmetic plastic surgery is a defined specialty. However, in dentistry, there is not a “cosmetic dental specialist.”

With experience, education, and natural talent a dentist can learn what it takes to make a smile beautiful.

It can take years to reach this point, and since the cosmetic dental field is ever changing, continuous education is necessary. Advanced education in surgery, smile design, occlusion (how the teeth bite), and materials is a must.

It seems that almost every dentist claims to have a cosmetic dental office. It’s on most signs (our bright blue sign even says it).

With everyone claiming to be a cosmetic dental expert, well, who should go to? First you must feel comfortable with the office you select: the staff, the doctor, the atmosphere. You should also look at what other patients have to say about their experience there. It better be positive! Is the website up-to-date and are their examples and pictures of the procedures that you are interested in (veneers, crowns, implants, laser gum surgery, etc)?

Many people are also concerned about cosmetic dental costs. I hate to bring my grandmother into the conversation (she is a wise woman!), but she always says, “You get what you pay for in life.”

To make a smile beautiful is not a simple thing. It takes years to develop the talent needed by the doctor, it takes an amazing staff and office to make it all happen, and you also need an excellent dental laboratory to create your customized smile.

None of this is cheap. Financing is available and there are also cash discounts available. Your cosmetic dental work can also be done in stages, thus making it more affordable.

Here at Beaverton Smile Center, we are a cosmetic dental practice. We do many things for our patients, but one of our favorites is transforming smiles.

I have a passion for improving lives and changing how people think about dental visits. In addition to sleep dentistry, cosmetic dentistry is my other passion. I would love to have you in today for a complimentary cosmetic dental consult.

Finding a good sedation dentist can be hard. In fact, just finding a good dentist can be hard. Today’s patients expect a caring staff, gentleness, a modern facility, and reassurance that they are in the best of hands. Today’s sedation patients expect even more than the average patient, mostly due to a lifetime fear of dental visits. It is crucial that the dental phobic patient find the right sedation dentist.

Empathy – one of the most important traits of an excellent sedation dentist. Many patients avoid visiting the dentist due to fear of being ridiculed about their oral condition. They feel that their mouth is so bad that the dentist will chastise them, thus adding to their dental fear. A good sedation dentist will listen and empathize with each patient’s dental history. Your sedation dentist will let you know that your smile can be fixed and that you will be treated gently and with respect.

The sedation process will also be explained, especially the part where you won’t remember your appointment. Many patients are astonished at the amount of dental work that can be accomplished in what seems like a short time period. You will wake up feeling great, and with the smile of your dreams.

You may wonder, what are the requirements to be a sedation dentist? Or, more humorously, why does this guy want to focus on people who are deathly afraid of him? Dentistry is a calling. It takes an unusual amount of schooling, fine motor skills, and patience. We are part doctor, part psychologist. To be a good sedation dentist, we must be even more of a psychologist, since it is our patient’s mind and psyche that we must strive to understand before we can even be a dentist. Requirements to be a sedation dentist include additional training after dental school in anesthesia and medical emergencies.

Experience and patient testimonials are also important in finding a good sedation dentist. Is sedation a main focus of your doctor? What do even the most fearful patients say about their sedation dentist experience? If the most phobic patients are now that dentist’s greatest advocate, then you know something’s being done right. The end result for patients is they can feel more confidence than ever before about taking advantage of sedation dentistry in most any situation.

All of this is important to evaluate in order to find a good sedation dentist. When all of your research is done and you have made the decision to make an appointment, after however many years it has been, what it all comes down to is trust, empathy, and the confidence that your sedation dentist can make your smile beautiful and functional again. Your life can be forever changed in the hands of a good sedation dentist.

Dental bone grafting has become a very hot topic recently. With the advent and rise in popularity of implant dentistry, bone grafting has become a very common and needed procedure. Most people don’t understand why they may need this, but I am here to answer the most common questions about this procedure.

Dental bone grafting is really only necessary if you are going to be undergoing implant dentistry in the present or near future, such as a single implant or dental bridges. To receive a dental implant you must have excellent bone quality and quantity (it anchors into bone). After tooth loss, available bone slowly dissolves away. This can be quite severe in certain patients over time.

At my office, if we are taking out a hopeless tooth, I will recommend a bone graft at the time of your extraction, which will help preserve the bone for up to a year. This is called socket preservation; we are preserving the tooth socket so that in 4-6 months you can have an implant placed.

If you have already undergone bone loss after tooth extraction, there is hope. With today’s dental bone grafting technology, I have the ability to build bone again, so that you can have a dental implant.

At its most basic level, dental bone grafting involves using your own bone or sterilized bovine bone to create new, healthy bone in your own body. In most cases, small particles are placed in the defective site. If the defect is large enough, small blocks of bone are used and affixed to the afflicted part of the jaw with titanium screws. Collagen barriers are then placed over the bone graft site to help the area grow into new strong bone.

Bone grafts have helped so many of my patients achieve their goal of a healthy, strong smile. Without it, treatment options would be very limited. Dental bone grafting generally needs to heal between 4-6 months before it achieves full strength. Sometimes, additional grafts are needed to reach an appropriate amount of bone. Patients with diabetes, autoimmune disorders, who smoke, or with very severe bone atrophy have higher risks of graft failure.

If you are missing teeth or have dentures, a dental bone graft can help change your life. It will give you the strong, healthy bone needed for implant dentistry. Call me, Dr. Lampee, at 503-646-2273 today for a dental bone grafting consultation.

The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Beaverton Smile Center and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

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Beaverton Smile Center is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

Beaverton Smile Center may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.

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We may collect the following information:

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We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

• Internal record keeping.

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We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorized access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

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Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

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You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways:

• whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes

• if you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time by writing to or emailing us at “beavertondentist [AT] drlampee.com”

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law to do so. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish this to happen.

You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Act 1998. A small fee may be payable.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

Porcelain veneers have become synonymous with beautiful, bright smiles. In the last twenty years, a great change has been building in the way people look at their teeth. More and more emphasis has been put on the perfect smile and white teeth. With science creating stronger and more aesthetic porcelains, the easiest and fastest way to get that Hollywood look is with porcelain veneers. This is now possible because of the new cosmetic dental options available today.

So many people don’t quite know what a porcelain veneer is. They know many movie stars and models have them and that they can make you look great. Porcelain veneers can correct crooked, chipped, and stained teeth. Porcelain veneers are different from dental crowns. Crowns require drilling of extensive tooth structure all the way around the tooth and basically cover they whole white part of the tooth. Porcelain veneers, on the other hand, cover only the fronts of the teeth, thereby “veneering” your mouth-they cover up all the irregularities, the cracks, and the crookedness. Simply put… they look beautiful, youthful, and strong.

Porcelain veneers are thin, yet strong. Slight drilling is needed to prepare the tooth for the veneer. An impression is then taken and sent to the dental laboratory, where a highly trained lab technician crafts your porcelain veneer. The color, shape, and anatomy of the porcelain veneer will all be expertly chosen to the best fit for your smile. The porcelain veneers are then bonded to the teeth, instantly transforming your appearance. The transformation can be breathtaking!

May people come to my office, Beaverton Smile Center, for porcelain veneer consultations. They know they want a positive change, and they know I can provide that for them. At your consultation, we will decide how many veneers we want to do. This may surprise you, but to do the best cosmetic job, most people will need at least six porcelain veneers. It all depends on the how wide a patient’s smile (the wider the smile, the more veneers you need). Some people also will need to do the bottom one’s as well, in addition to the top.

Porcelain veneers can be a confusing topic for patients. There seems to be so many types of veneers (Lumineers is one brand) and it can be hard for the patient to decide how many they want. At our office you will sit down with me personally to discuss your case, because this is a very personal decision, a decision that can change your life!

Give me a call today to schedule your porcelain veneer consultation.

Dental surgery is a wide field covering many different procedures by many different types of dentists.  When people typically think of dental surgery they think of wisdom teeth removal or dental implants.

First off, who performs dental surgery?  All dentists are trained to do some surgery.  This education starts during their formal school education.  After school, many general practitioners provide common dental surgery services, such as tooth extraction.  Some find a passion to be a more experienced, versatile surgeon and go on to extra training for more advanced dental surgery.  Special training is available for those doctors wishing to advance their surgery skills.  A few of the courses and classes offered include bone grafting, gum grafting, impacted wisdom tooth removal, and treatment of the medically compromised patient.

Specialists in dental surgery, oral surgeons attend an extra four or six years of school after dental school.  They are trained in every aspect of dental surgery.  Most of their dental surgery includes tooth extraction and dental implant placement.  They also can treat oral cancer, TMJ, cosmetic surgery patients, and a multitude of other problems.

Since dental surgery is such a wide topic, whom should you see when you need dental surgery?  A good general dentist who has the proper training can take care of most dental surgery that you may need.  Most patients come to my office wanting implant surgery, bone grafting, and tooth removal.  They are pleased to know that they can get their dental surgery done by me, without having to go clear across town to meet with a specialist that they have not met before.  Going to a specialist also takes more time and costs more money.

Since dentistry includes so much trust, my patients are relieved to hear that their dental surgery needs can be met by me in the comfort of our office.  I do sometimes refer to oral surgeons if the case appears too challenging or if the patient is too medically fragile.

Most people do not have to deal with dental surgery on a daily basis.  I, on the other hand, do.  My practice sees dental surgery patients on a daily basis, from the routine extraction to implants with bone grafts.  My staff and I will be sure to explain your options and ensure that you will have a comfortable surgery experience.  And yes, we do offer sedation, so that you can sleep through the appointment.

If you have a dental surgery need, please feel free to call our office at 503-646-2273 with any questions or to schedule an appointment.

Most every adult person that you see on a daily basis probably has at least one dental crown.  Dental crowns had their start in the early 20th century, and today they are one of the most common dental procedures performed each day.

Why would a patient need dental crowns? Teeth are the strongest part of your body, even stronger than bone.  While they are strong, they also take a lot of abuse on a daily basis, which can accumulate over your life.  Teeth can develop cracks, which eventually can lead to breakage.  They can also get cavities, which weaken their strong architecture.  Fillings, over time, can leak and break, thereby causing more damage to the tooth.  The fact is that every time a tooth gets a cavity or a filling or a crack, it is weakened.  If I see that the damage is or will be extensive, I will usually bring dental crowns into the conversation.

After I tell a patient that dental crowns may be necessary, the most natural reaction is, “Can’t you just fill it?”  Well, the answer is no.  I could put a filling in there, but it will not last, either because it is too large or the cracks are too extensive.  If placed, the filling would fall out in the next week or over the course of the next few months, leading possibly to dental surgery from a more serious problem.  Now, no one likes more dental visits than necessary, and most patients want to get their tooth fixed right the first time.  Dental crowns are often times the only right way to get your problem fixed.

Dental crowns usually take two visits to complete.  The first visit involves prepping the tooth, taking an impression, and fitting a temporary crown that you will wear for two weeks.  The impression is then sent to the dental laboratory, where the dental crowns are custom-made and fitted to your mouth.  The crown is then permanently cemented during the second appointment.  You will want to take it easy on your dental crowns the first day, because the cement is undergoing its final cure.

Dental crowns can last a lifetime if properly taken care of.  They can be made of porcelain, gold, or a combination of the two materials.  Today’s dental crowns are very strong, but I always caution patients about eating sticky or hard foods, due to the risk of pulling them off or breaking them.  Most dental crowns done today are made out of very high strength, cosmetic porcelains, and they look just like natural teeth.

Not all dental crowns are the same – get it done right by me, Dr. Lampee.  If you are in need of or have questions about dental crowns, please call me at (503) 646-2273 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (503) 646-2273      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Everyone seems to want to go to a cosmetic dentist these days.  From chipped, worn or crooked teeth, a good cosmetic dentist can solve any of your smile dilemmas.  Not surprisingly, much of a person’s self-confidence comes from their smile.  Some people are born with it, others go in search of it.  Let me, Dr. Lampee, educate you on what this should mean to you and your life.

A cosmetic dentist focuses on how to make you look better.  While the plastic surgeon can perfect your nose, chin, eyes, and face, he cannot change your mouth – this is the job of the cosmetic dentist.  I can change the shape of your teeth, the color, the size, and also your gum line (some patients show too much gum tissue).  This is a delicate, personalized process.

When a patient comes to my office in search of a cosmetic dentist, I first ask them what is their ideal smile and what do they really want to change.  So many patients have been self-conscious for their whole lives.  After I understand their past frustrations and future desires, we can then proceed with creating a treatment plan that will change everything!

As a cosmetic dentist, I may recommend several treatment options.  Options could include porcelain veneers, dental crowns, gum tissue removal, tooth whitening, or braces.  The plan will be tailored to your wants, cost considerations, and time line.  This process could be completed in as little as two weeks.  An excellent dental laboratory is also needed.  We work hand in hand to ensure that when you leave the office that your cosmetic makeover will look great and be strong.

Finding a good cosmetic dentist can be a challenge.  As a dentist, I have the training and experience to expertly handcraft your new makeover.  Our office is a welcoming and comfortable environment, where you will feel at ease and all options will be thoroughly explained before treatment begins.  I will explain the entire process to you, and we offer sedation for the dental phobic.

The greatest part of being a cosmetic dentist is to see the instant transformation once a patient looks in the mirror for the first time after a cosmetic makeover.  Call us at Beaverton Smile Center today; we are your best choice for a cosmetic dentist.