Dr. Lois Lagier, DDS

Dr. Lois Lagier, DDS operates on Camino El Estero in Monterey, California. Implants are considered by many dentists the most durable way to replace a missing tooth, since the titanium post fuses with the jaw bone over several months and then supports a crown that functions much like a natural tooth. Enough healthy bone is the main prerequisite, and a graft can build that up first if needed.

A veneer is a thin custom shell bonded to the front of a tooth to change its shape, length, or colour, most often used to address chips, gaps, or discoloration that whitening alone cannot fix. Traditional veneers require a small amount of enamel to be removed, which makes the change permanent.

Cosmetic treatment is generally the least invasive branch of dentistry, built around changing how teeth look rather than fixing something broken. Whitening and bonding sit at the lighter end; veneers and reshaping involve more planning. Most cosmetic dental insurance excludes this kind of work, since it is elective rather than medically necessary.

Emergency dental care covers sudden problems that will not wait for a routine appointment — severe pain, a knocked-out or fractured tooth, swelling, or a lost filling that leaves a tooth exposed. Same-day or urgent appointments are the point of an emergency service, rather than the standard multi-week booking window.

A crown covers an entire damaged tooth — used when too much structure is missing for a filling to hold reliably, whether from a large fracture, extensive decay, or after root canal treatment. It restores both the shape and the biting strength of the tooth underneath.

A bridge replaces one or more missing teeth by anchoring a false tooth to crowns placed on the teeth either side of the gap, creating a fixed replacement rather than a removable one. It is a longstanding alternative to an implant, particularly when the neighbouring teeth already need crowns. You can reach Dr. Lois Lagier, DDS through this page to ask a question, check current availability, or request an appointment.