Striving To Cover All Your Dental Needs
We offer a full array of treatments to make
sure your families dental health needs are met.
Checkups
The Value of Regular Dental Checkups
The value of teeth cleaning and regular dental checkups cannot be stressed enough. We realize most people are extremely busy, yet it’s essential to take care of your teeth! By taking care of your smile, the chances of never having to get dentures or have other expensive procedures performed increases substantially.
Some of these benefits of having your teeth cleaned regularly include:
- Prevention of gum disease
- Maintain good health
- Brighter, whiter smile
- Prevent Halitosis
- Keep your teeth
During a routine dental checkup, we:
- Examine your neck, throat, tongue, face, and head. While this may sound strange, a dentist can often detect signs of potential trouble such as cancer or swelling.
- Check for cavities. As mentioned before, you may have a cavity that you have not yet noticed, perhaps between teeth. Detecting cavities early makes for easier treatment, and often helps save permanent teeth which may be lost if decay progresses too far.
- Check for plaque and tartar build-up. When plaque is not removed, it becomes tartar which is impossible to remove with regular brushing and flossing. Plaque can lead to gum disease, so it’s important to take care of it before it gets out of hand.
- Examine your gums. Your gums can be a big indicator of your overall health, and potential gum disease. Your dentist will use a tool designed to measure the space between teeth and gums; spaces typically become deeper when gum disease is present.
Cleanings
Professional Cleanings
Professional cleanings (dental prophylaxis) performed by a dentist or hygienist form the foundation for preventing gum disease and tooth decay. In a professional cleaning, your dentist or hygienist will:
- Remove plaque from the teeth – Plaque is a sticky substance that forms in the mouth from food, saliva and bacteria. Plaque sticks to teeth and causes tooth decay and gum disease.
- Remove calculus (tarter) above the gum line – Calculus is plaque that has hardened on the tooth surface and is difficult to remove. (Calculus below the gum line indicates gum disease and requires a different procedure to remove it.)
- Polish and remove stains from teeth
Dental Examinations
Why Dental Exams are Important
They help to diagnose disease before it becomes hazardous to your health. In addition, regular examinations can save you money by alleviating problems while they are small and before they become expensive to repair, or in some cases, impossible to repair. Your dental examinations generally include the following:
- Oral cancer screening
- Gum disease evaluation
- Visual examination of tooth decay
- Examination of diagnostic x-rays to see cysts, tumors, invisible decay and other problems that can’t be seen by the naked eye
- Evaluation of status of current restorations (fillings and others)
We cannot express enough how important it is to see your dentist regularly. Remember, preventing disease is always better than treating disease.
Digital X-Rays
How do Radiographs Help?
We are pleased to provide patients with the latest in advanced, digital radiography.
Dental x-rays or radiographs are very important. They allow the dentist to see things about your oral health that cannot be seen by the naked eye. These items include cysts (sacks of fluid that form on the roots of teeth), cancerous and non-cancerous tumors, invisible decay that occurs between teeth, and the location of teeth that haven’t grown all the way in.
By using an x-ray to diagnose these problems, we can help save you money in the long run from surgeries or other treatments that might become necessary if we didn’t find the problem. In some cases, where dental x-rays show the location of tumorous growths, x-rays can be responsible for saving your life.
Advantages of Digital Radiography
Digital x-rays have many advantages when compared with old fashioned film-based machines, including:
- Reduced radiation exposure.
- Enhanced ability to refine image quality
- Instant viewing (no waiting for films to develop)
- Environmentally friendly (no toxic chemicals)
Best of all, it’s easy for you to see what the doctor sees. Your digital x-ray can be seen on a computer screen located next to your dental chair. This helps you understand your needs and make an informed choice about any treatment.
Professional Whitening
Professional Whitening
Many people wish their teeth were whiter, but some are nervous about the effects of bleaching. So, is teeth whitening safe?
Teeth whitening techniques have been well evaluated over the years, and the results obtained both in the dental office and at home are virtually guaranteed. The active bleaching ingredient in most whitening products is carbamide peroxide, which yields hydrogen peroxide, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).
Rest assured the dental professionals who manufacture these products have worked hard to ensure teeth whitening is both safe and effective. Keep in mind, however, that there are minor side-effects.
The most common side-effect is tooth sensitivity. Some people already suffer from tooth sensitivity, and find regular relief by using sensitive toothpaste, which protects the enamel to which a bleach is applied. Even then, there is the potential for transient sensitivity if your teeth tend to react to extreme temperatures. This usually doesn’t last very long unless you have preexisting enamel problems that warrant a dental checkup.
Composite Fillings
The clear alternative to mercury fillings.
The Problem:
- Decay on a portion of any tooth
- Desire to replace old-fashioned mercury (silver) fillings
- Desire to maintain a white, beautiful smile
The Solution:
A composite filling is a tooth colored quartz-like material. After tooth decay is removed and cleaned, this tooth colored material is layered into the tooth. Each layer is hardened or cured with highly intense visible light, and the final surface is shaped and polished to match the tooth. The final restoration is virtually invisible.
Composite fillings are more than just attractive. They are environmentally non-toxic because they use no mercury. They are stronger because they bond directly to the surface of the tooth.
Crowns
Protect and keep badly decayed or fractured teeth.
The Problem:
- Badly decayed teeth
- Fractured teeth
- Need to protect and strengthen teeth
The Solution:
A crown (often called a cap) covers the tooth and restores it to its original shape and size. Decay is removed and cleaned from the tooth and a highly accurate impression or mold is made of the prepared surface. This mold is used to create a model of the tooth which is then sent to a special laboratory that will create a gold or porcelain (tooth colored) crown. The crown is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the tooth.
Crowns are incredibly strong due to the fact that they are created in a laboratory. This protects and strengthens the remaining tooth structure. In the hands of a skilled dentist, a crown will fit almost perfectly onto the prepared surface of the tooth, reducing the size of the seam between the crown and the tooth. This helps keep decay from eventually occurring under the crown.
Crowns should be placed before the tooth is so decayed that it may fracture. This can often help prevent the expense of root canal therapy in the future. It can also prevent the possibility that a fractured tooth may need to be removed, requiring the expense of a bridge or implant to replace the missing tooth.
Crowns are excellent restorations and have few disadvantages. They are highly durable, but they will eventually need to be re-cemented or replaced due to normal wear.
Occasionally, a tooth may still need root canal therapy after being crowned. However, this indicates that the interior of the tooth was already sick (infected) and would have eventually needed root canal therapy anyway.
Bridges
A great way to replace missing teeth.
The Problem:
- A missing tooth or teeth
- Potential bite and jaw joint problems from teeth shifting to fill the space
- The “sunken face” look associated with missing teeth
- Desire to improve chewing ability
- Desire for a more permanent solution than dentures
The Solution:
A bridge is a single appliance that is generally attached to two teeth on each side of the space where a tooth is missing. An artificial tooth attached in the middle of the bridge fills in the gap where the missing tooth was. The teeth on either side of the gap are prepared for crowns (see crowns) and a highly accurate impression or mold is made of the prepared area. This mold is used to create a gold or porcelain (tooth colored) bridge in a special laboratory. The bridge is then cemented onto the prepared surface of the teeth, effectively creating the appearance of a “new” tooth.
Unlike dentures, a fixed bridge is never removed. It is stable in the mouth and works very similar to natural teeth. By filling the gap and stopping the movement of other teeth, a fixed bridge is an excellent investment, providing better chewing ability, heading off jaw joint problems and saving money that might otherwise be spent on future dental treatment.
Fixed bridges are excellent restorations and have few disadvantages. They are highly durable, but they will eventually need to be re-cemented or replaced due to normal wear.
In the event that the use of a fixed bridge is not feasible, the best alternative is a dental implant.
Implants
An excellent way to replace missing teeth.
The Problem:
- A missing tooth or teeth
- Potential bite and jaw joint problems from teeth shifting to fill the space
- The “sunken face” look associated with missing teeth
- Desire to improve chewing ability
- Desire for a more permanent solution than dentures
The Solution:
A dental implant is an appliance used to replace the roots of teeth. The implant is surgically attached to the jaw bone and an artificial tooth is attached to the top of the implant, creating a natural looking, undetectable replacement for the missing tooth. In the event that more than one tooth is missing, several implants may provide a base for a series of artificial teeth known as a fixed bridge (see fixed bridges.) Implants can even be used to secure a full set of removable dentures for people who have no remaining natural teeth. This can greatly improve chewing ability and reduce the risk of choking.
It generally takes about six months for the surgical implant to heal before the final installation of the artificial tooth or teeth can be finished.
Dental implants with artificial teeth are the closest thing to regrowing your natural teeth. They are strong, stable, durable and virtually undetectable. By filling gaps left by missing teeth, implants can provide better chewing ability and head off jaw joint problems. They are far superior to removable dentures.
Dental implants are excellent, state-of-the-art restorations and have few disadvantages when compared to alternatives such as dentures. However, dental implants do require surgery and time to heal, and they are initially more expensive than dentures or fixed bridges. These disadvantages are offset by the ease of use, saved time and long term health benefits of implants.
Dentures are a poor alternative to dental implants. However, in some cases, where finances are a primary concern, dentures are the only alternative.
Root Canals
Protect and keep a sick or dying tooth.
The Problem:
- Infected or sick tooth due to decay or injury
- Chronic tooth pain from contact with hot and cold liquids
- Pain from pressure or biting down
- Danger of infection spreading
The Solution:
Inside each tooth is a pulp chamber that contains the nerves and blood supply for the tooth. When the pulp becomes infected due to decay or injury to the tooth, the pulp must be removed from the center of the tooth and the canals of each root. Once the infected pulp is removed, the remaining chamber is filled with a rubber-based material to seal it off.
Most teeth that have had root canal therapy must be protected with a tooth-like artificial covering known as a crown (see crown section.) This is because teeth that have had the pulp removed are more susceptible to fracture.
Root canal therapy is an excellent way to save a tooth that would otherwise die and need to be removed.
If a tooth is sick, there are no disadvantages to root canal therapy. On rare occasions, however, root canal therapy may need to be redone to ensure that all of the infection has been removed.
The only real alternative is to remove the sick tooth. However, this will require a dental implant or bridge to fill the empty space and prevent the shifting of surrounding teeth. These solutions will ultimately cost more than the root canal therapy, and they will never equal the quality of keeping your natural tooth.
Nightguard
You may need a nightguard.
The dentist may recommend a night guard for either bruxism (clinching and grinding your teeth) or the related pain with your temporomandibular Joint (TMJ). Pain with the temporomandibular joint and the surrounding muscles is usually referred to as temopromandibular dysfuntion (TMD). Bruxism and TMD can combine to cause multiple problems, such as:
- cracked teeth
- loose teeth
- headaches
- ear pain
- clicking, popping, and grinding sound in the joint
- pain in the joint
- difficulty with opening your mouth
A hard nightguard is a custom-fit appliance that fits over your upper or lower teeth at night. It has a smooth flat surface that allows your opposing teeth to move smoothly. This night guard prevents your teeth from locking together, which in turn reduces the stress and pressure on your teeth and joints. Over time this appliance can reduce the tendency to clench and grind your teeth as well.
Affordable Dentures in a Variety of Styles
A removable denture or partial denture usually consists of replacement teeth attached to a pink or gum-colored plastic base, which is sometimes connected by metal framework that holds the denture in place in the mouth. Partial dentures are used when one or more natural teeth remain in the upper or lower jaw.