Dr. Gary J. Alexander was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. After graduating form Kenmore West Senior High School he attended Canisius College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. He received his D.D.S. degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in 1981. He then completed its postgraduate program in prosthodontics and received a Certificate of Proficiency in Fixed Prosthodontics in 1983.

He began practicing prosthodontics in Orchard Park, NY in 1983 and taught at SUNYAB School of Dental Medicine part-time for ten years. He returned to part-time teaching in 2006, in the post-graduate program in prosthodontics. He has volunteered in numerous dental missions to the Dominican Republic, national programs, and local clinics.

Dr. Alexander is a member of the American College of Prosthodontics, the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, the American Dental Society, the Eighth District Dental Society, and the Erie County Dental Society. He is a past president of the International Dental Study Club and the Fonzi Dental Study Club, and has been involved with the Western New York Dental Implant Study Club and the Southtowns Dental Study Club. Dr. Alexander has been the finance chairman for the Boys and Girls Towns of Italy for the past seven years and a fund raiser for the Ramsy Tick Concert Series.

Dr. Kuracina received a BS degree at St. Bonaventure University and is a graduate of the SUNY at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. She completed a general practice residency at Millard Fillmore Hospital, and received her certificate in combined prosthodontics at the SUNY Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Kuracina is a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at that institution, where she teaches in a number of courses in prosthodontics and implant dentistry for dental students and residents in the Postgraduate Program in Prosthodontics. She has provided continuing education courses to dentists on a number of topics in restorative dentistry.

Dr. Kuracina is a member of the Eighth District Dental Society, the Dental Society of the State of New York, the American Dental Association, the American College of Prosthodontists, the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, and is a founder of the Southtowns Dental Study Club.

Dr. Gillian Brewer Alexander was born and raised in East Aurora, NY. After graduating from East Aurora High School, she attended Hamilton College and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. She received her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University at Buffalo, School of Dental Medicine and her Certificate in Prosthodontics and Master of Science degree from the University of Maryland Dental School in Baltimore, MD. She received her board certification in prosthodontics in 2013.

Dr. Alexander is a member of the American Dental Association, the New York State Dental Association, the Eighth District Dental Society, the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, a fellow of the American College of Prosthodontics, and is the current co-president of the Southtowns Dental Study club.

Dr. Tawfiq Hazboun was born in Amman, Jordan. He immigrated with his family to the United States in 1992 and claims Philadelphia as his American hometown. He graduated from Penn State University in 1998 and worked for several years in the biotech industry as a research scientist. In 2006, he began his dental education at the SUNY Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and graduated in 2010. Upon graduation, he commissioned with the US Navy and moved to Bethesda, MD where he completed his specialty training in prosthodontics and received his Master of Science degree. From Bethesda, he was moved overseas, where he was the sole prosthodontist and director of the dental lab at the US Naval Hospital in Rota, Spain. In 2016, he transitioned from active duty to the US Navy reserves and moved back to WNY.

In addition to private practice, he is also a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine, where he teaches in the Post Graduate Prosthodontics Program.

Dr. Hazboun is a member of the Eighth District Dental Society, the New York State Dental Association, the American Dental Association, the American College of Prosthodontists, the American Academy of Fixed Prosthodontics, and is involved in the Southtowns Dental Study Club.

Our office staff, dental assistants and hygienists are experienced and help provide a friendly and comfortable environment for patients. We also have the convenience of a dental laboratory on the premises, which enhances our ability to provide customized services.

This is a simple and conservative technique to lighten dark or discolored teeth. While many over-the-counter products are effective, the procedure is best monitored by a dentist to make sure cavities do not exist in teeth to be bleached, and to promote safe use of the bleaching agents. Also, because tooth-colored fillings, crowns, and other restorations will not change color with the rest of the tooth they may require future replacement for an optimal esthetic result. The safest and most effective way to bleach teeth is generally to administer it with a custom carrier tray made by the dentist, but the technique chosen should be selected to suit the individual patients needs and is best discussed first with the dental professional.

Restorations without a metal substructure have become very popular and several technologies have been developed to allow the fabrication of very esthetic and durable all-ceramic crowns, onlays, and veneers. This most predictably prevents the unsightly dark line that can appear at the gumline adjacent to a crown.

There are many different ceramic systems on the market today, each with its own appropriate use. This can be confusing to some dentists and can lead to the wrong product being used in the wrong situation, with the end result being poor esthetics or fracture of the porcelain.

The doctors of Orchard Park Prosthodontics are experienced and knowledgeable in these ceramic systems, and all are active in the education of students, residents and practicing dentists on their proper use.

Veneers are thin porcelain facings that when bonded to the surface of the tooth provide a conservative, strong, and highly esthetic restoration. Porcelain veneers are used to make small alterations in tooth color, shape, size and position. Although a very conservative type of restoration, it usually does require the removal of a small amount of tooth enamel from the tooth. A predictable result can be difficult without proper planning and scrupulous attention to detail during the execution of treatment.

Crowns, or caps, are restorations that cover a tooth entirely, and are usually made for teeth that have fractured, have very large fillings in them, have had root canals, are very darkly stained, or are severely worn down. They can be made of porcelain, metal and porcelain, or gold, depending on the situation and patient preference.

A bridge is a restoration that restores a missing tooth by connecting it to crowns that are cemented to adjacent teeth. With the advent of dental implants, fewer bridges are made now, especially in situations where teeth adjacent to the missing tooth do not need crowns.

A significant number of young people do not develop all of their teeth, or develop teeth that are undersized or otherwise malformed. We work closely with area pediatric dentists, orthodontists, and surgeons to properly coordinate treatment than may take years to complete. Because most of these patients are adolescents and will continue to grow, we typically utilize conservative techniques such as bonding that can be easily modified. Careful planning is necessary to contour teeth to the right form and size, as well as to leave the appropriate amount of space to replace missing teeth definitively when the patient is old enough.

We treat many patients with genetic anomalies that cause dental malformations such as amelogenesis and dentinogenesis imperfecta. Because these patients often require significant dental interventions at an early age, our philosophy is to provide conservative yet protective restorations to better preserve the childs dentition through adulthood.

Complete dentures are used to replace all teeth in the upper or lower jaw, or both. They sit on the soft (gum) tissue that covers the remaining bone ridge. At times, keeping dentures in place can be difficult due to the loss of this bone ridge over time. Our doctors often use specialized techniques to provide the best fit and comfort possible in these more difficult situations. They routinely position the teeth themselves, and always perform a patient try-in before the denture is finished. This best ensures a tooth arrangement that is natural, esthetic, and allows proper speech. Unfortunately, successful denture-wearing is also dependent on the patients ability to adapt and learn to function with it. Some patients dont tolerate the best-made and best-fitting dentures! Others have difficulty due to poor bone support, which can make wearing the lower denture in particular, a painful experience. Fortunately, there is help for these patients with the use of dental implants. Just two implants in the lower jaw are typically enough to hold the lower denture in place. The upper jaw typically requires more implants because the bone is less dense. For more treatment options using dental implants, see below.

Partial dentures can be made in situations where some healthy teeth remain. These prostheses are removable by the patient and require careful planning by the dentist for a proper fit and predictable long-term success. A careful examination of all remaining teeth, including evaluation of x-rays and study models is critical, as multiple teeth are usually used to hold the denture in place. These teeth usually will require some degree of modification or reshaping to accommodate to the denture. Conventionally, partial dentures are held in place with clasps, or metal wires around teeth, but prosthodontists are very skilled in more advanced techniques, such as the use of attachments, which are components used to retain the denture without the use of clasps. This often makes for a more esthetic and comfortable restoration.

The implant itself is often considered the replacement of the root of the tooth lost, and is placed into the bone in a simple surgical procedure, usually with the use of just a local anesthetic. The bone is allowed to heal around the implant for a period of time ranging from eight weeks to six months (according to the specific situation), then the final restoration can be made for it. During this time a patient may continue to wear a temporary prosthesis if desired.

Implant dentistry has been a very large component or our practice and we actively keep abreast of, utilize, and teach the most current of implant procedures. Because of this, we are very knowledgeable and experienced in procedures that many dentists in western New York donot perform routinely, including immediate implant placement (placing an implant the same day a tooth is extracted), immediate provisionalizatiion (placing a fixed temporary restoration on an implant the day it is placed), and CT-guided implant procedures (using computer and CAD-CAM technology to fabricate a very accurate surgical guide for more complex procedures requiring very precise planning and placement). We routinely treat patients missing front teeth, which is often esthetically demanding, and patients who require very precise planning for more complex implant-borne restorations, such as when replacing all missing teeth with implants.

Replacing the single tooth or a few teeth: The dental implant is todays gold standard for the replacement of a single missing tooth, whether lost to decay, trauma, or congenitally missing. This is because the adjacent teeth do not have to be restored to replace the missing tooth, as is often true with other treatments. In this case the implant is truly analogous to the root of the missing tooth. Treatment can be complicated when performed in the esthetically challenging front of the mouth, or when orthodontics is required to create space for a missing tooth. In these situations, we plan treatment carefully, working closely with surgeons and orthodontists to best assure a successful result.

Implants to retain an overdenture: For patients who have difficulty wearing a well-made lower denture, the addition of two implants in the front of the lower jaw to stabilize it can make a world of difference. Attachments are hidden within the denture that fit over abutment components attached to the implants. This greatly reduces movement of the denture and makes wearing it a more comfortable experience.

Implants to replace all teeth in an arch: With the placement of just four implants in the lower jaw, or six to eight in the upper jaw, a fixed prosthesis can be made to replace all missing teeth. This treatment option is the most like having ones own teeth back, as it replaces the missing teeth, bone and soft tissue with a prosthesis that cannot be removed by the patient. This treatment modality requires extremely careful planning, often with the use of a CT scan and computer surgical planning software, for a successful esthetic and functional result.