+ Cleaning and Prevention

Dentistry is founded on the principle of prevention. All patients are advised to have regular cleanings and examinations. Not only do they help you prevent dental problems before they arise, they leave your gums healthier, and your teeth cleaner and whiter. A professional cleaning removes hard plaque that cannot be removed by brushing and flossing alone. Even if you haven’t had a cleaning in over two years, it’s never too late to treat your teeth.

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What are some preventive measures I can take?

• Brush with a fluoride toothpaste after breakfast and immediately before bedtime
• Use a soft-bristled toothbrush after each meal
• Floss daily before bedtime
• Avoid sugary foods, coffee, and tobacco

+ Sealants

Dental Sealants coat and seal the small grooves in the back teeth in order to prevent food and bacteria from getting into these grooves and causing decay. Sealants can reduce or eliminate the need for more extensive and extensive treatments like fillings and crowns in the future. Sealants work best when they are applied in children shortly after the permanent teeth erupt into the mouth.

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+ Flouride Treatments

Fluoride can help to remineralize or strengthen teeth to protect them from decay. In office fluoride treatments have a stronger concentration than treatments available in stores. The best time to apply fluoride to strengthen the teeth is after they have been professionally cleaned.

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+ Whitening

Whitening with customized trays is the most effective and comfortable way to brighten teeth. Tooth whitening can be an excellent alternative to veneers or crowns as a more minimally invasive way to improve your smile.

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+ Scaling and Root Planning

When plaque and calculus (tartar) have accumulated on the roots of teeth, careful scaling and root planing is performed to remove these deposits and smooth the root surfaces to remove bacterial toxins.

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+ Periodontal Maintenance

Periodontal Maintenance is ongoing specialized care for patients who have previously been diagnosed and treated for periodontal disease. The goal of this individualized plan is to promote overall health by keeping the gums and bone free from inflammation-causing bacteria.

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+ Crowns

A crown, otherwise known as a cap, is custom-fitted and placed over your natural tooth or dental implant. This is a good treatment option for teeth with relatively healthy and intact roots but significant decay or fractures present. The procedure for a crown typically takes two visits. The first visit is to prepare the tooth for the crown and provide the dental laboratory with the information it needs to make a well-fitting crown that matches the color of the adjacent teeth. A temporary crown is placed on the tooth at the end of the first visit. The second visit is to remove the temporary crown and cement the custom, permanent crown.

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Procedure

1. We will reduce the problematic tooth for a proper crown fit
2. An impression will be taken of your bite for crown fabrication
3. We will select the correct shade for your new crown
4. We will fit you with a temporary crown until the lab makes your permanent one
5. You will come in again for permanent crown fitting

+ Bridges

A bridge is one option to replace a missing tooth that has neighboring teeth with decay and/or large fillings, or a tooth that has been missing for a long time.

The procedure for the bridge is the same as the procedure for a crown. The difference is that the false tooth in the bridge is replacing more than just the outer enamel covering of the tooth, it is replacing all of the missing tooth parts above the gums. The false tooth is connected to crowns and the entire bridge is made as one piece.

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+ Dentures

Missing teeth can make your cheeks look hollow and your mouth look sunken. More importantly, your diet can suffer. Those missing multiple teeth in a row may want to consider dentures for both cosmetic purposes and overall wellness. Depending on the amount of teeth missing, we may suggest partial or full dentures. During your consultation, we’ll assess all your options and you can choose what you feel most comfortable with.

Complete

When your dental arch no longer has any teeth, a complete denture is the optimal solution. You can choose the traditional kind that latches to the gum line or choose to have dentures that are anchored by dental implants. The latter option has the best hold, but involves surgery. We can discuss all the details so you can make an informed decision.

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Partial

Partial dentures are ideal for those who are missing only a few teeth in a row. They latch onto the remaining gum line and any intact adjacent teeth. Even if you only have one tooth on your dental arch, a partial denture may still work best, since the remaining tooth serves as a natural anchor.

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+ Extractions

We make every effort to preserve your natural teeth. However, extractions are necessary when decay has made the tooth unsalvageable or when you have an advanced periodontal disease. When a tooth is malformed, damaged, impacted or ingrown, different procedures are used, but all extractions are considered surgery. Depending on which tooth is removed, we can offer you a replacement in the form of a dental implant or oral prosthetic.

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FAQ

Do I need my tooth extracted?

If a tooth has so much decay it is not able to be saved or has a crack that splits the tooth, the only available treatment is extraction. Teeth may also be extracted when periodontal disease destroys the bone support of the tooth.

What should I expect during an extraction procedure?

During an extraction visit you will receive medicine to numb the tooth and surrounding tissues. This numbing medicine takes away sharp pain, as well as the sensation of hot or cold. There will still be sensitivity to pressure. Different instruments are used to remove the tooth with as little trauma as possible.

How long is the healing process?

Most patients feel better after only a few days and require only over the counter pain medications. If you feel worse and worse a few days after your extraction, you may have a dry socket or infection and should contact us immediately so that we can help relieve your pain.

+ Fillings

Used to prevent the spread of tooth decay or correct any cosmetic damage, a filling is just one of the ways our we preserve your health. Before placement, any decay must be removed. We place local anesthesia to minimize discomfort for our patients. There are two different types of fillings:composite resin, the color of which can be customized to match your natural teeth, and amalgam (otherwise known as silver fillings).

Composite Resin

Composite fillings can be customized to match the shade of existing teeth or even be used to create whiter, brighter teeth. Composites are bonded to the tooth and require the use of a blue light to cure or set the material from a putty to a hard filling material. In order for this bonding and setting process to work properly, the tooth being filled must be dry and free from contaminants such as saliva.

Amalgam

Made up of silver, copper, mercury, and tin, amalgam fillings are durable. They are less sensitive to fluids and moisture at the time of placement so, in some cases, they can be placed in areas where composite fillings would fail. Amalgam fillings have sustained much criticism lately over the presence of mercury. However, the mercury in dental amalgam is a different form than the harmful forms found other places in nature, like fish. Dental amalgam is a safe and effective material, but ultimately, individual patients must decide for themselves if an amalgam filling is right for them.

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