Our practice offers a wide range of dental services from routine cleanings to same-day crowns. Our emphasis is on complete preventive care for our patients. This begins with patient education, routine hygiene visits, regular check-ups and individualized home care routines.
Our practice also provides numerous services for restoring mouths that have been damaged by various forms of dental disease and injury. We can offer a multitude of solutions to fix your individual needs. Our primary goal for our patients is to achieve and maintain optimum oral health through advances in technology, techniques and maintenance.
Regular Check-ups
Dental checkups are recommended a minimum of every 6 months. Some patients with more involved periodontal issues are recommended every 3-4 months. During this visit, one of our dental hygienists will remove plaque from your teeth, especially from places where your brush can’t reach, such as underneath the gum line and in-between teeth. Our hygienists and doctors assess your individual condition and offer constructive feedback to help guide you in achieving balanced oral health. Periodic exams allow us to check for all forms of oral pathology and establish a plan for your health.
If you are due for your annual dental cleaning, please call our office to schedule an appointment.
Sealants
Similar to a fingerprint, the grooves of our back teeth are unique to a patient and some are deeper than others. The depressions that form the chewing surfaces of the back teeth can be very difficult to clean, especially at a young age. These areas are more vulnerable to developing dental caries since food and bacteria sit in these surfaces longer. As the bacteria produce acid, enamel is broken down and a cavity may form. Some studies have shown that about 88 percent of total cavities in American school children are caused this way.
A dental tooth sealant protects these vulnerable areas by closing the grooves and depressions, preventing bacteria and food particles from residing in these areas. Sealant material is a resin typically applied to the back teeth, molars and premolars and areas prone to cavities. It lasts for several years but needs to be checked during regular appointments to guarantee its effectiveness.
Fillings
A dental restoration or “filling” is the process of replacing missing tooth structure that was lost or damaged by decay or trauma. Dental fillings have been around for years and have a great track record of eliminating the progression of bacteria into a tooth. Fillings are made of either amalgam(metal) or white material known as composites. Dental composites are able to restore your teeth and smile to give a natural look and feel to your teeth. Your dentist will determine the appropriate shade, color and material to give you the best long-lasting cosmetic result.
Crowns
A crown is a custom-made covering that fits over an original tooth that is either decayed, damaged or cracked. Crowns are made of very strong materials such as porcelain, gold, or a mix of these materials. A crown acts as an external splint, preventing further cracking or division of a tooth. Crowns are often recommended when there is insufficient structure left to retain a dental filling.
In previous years a dental crown could take multiple visits. Our office is equipped with CAD-CAM technology (Cerec) which allows a crown to be prepared and delivered in a single day visit. Not every tooth qualifies for this, but the ones that do can avoid multiple trips and temporary crowns placed as an interim. Your dentist will design and mill your crown in your room, perform quality control to make sure the fit is ideal and cement it all within a 2 hour time frame.
Once the procedure is completed, proper dental hygiene, including daily brushing and flossing, is required to maintain healthy, bacteria-free teeth, gums and crowns. This helps in the prevention of gum disease. Given proper care, your crowns can last a lifetime
Bridges
A bridge is a dental device that fills a space that a tooth previously occupied. A bridge may be necessary to prevent:
- Shifting of the teeth that can lead to bite problems (occlusion) and/or jaw problems and resultant periodontal disease.
- Bridges safeguard the integrity of existing teeth and help maintain a healthy, vibrant smile.
There are three main types of bridges, namely:
- A fixed bridge is the most popular and consists of a filler tooth that is attached to two crowns, which fit over the existing teeth and hold the bridge in place.
- The “Maryland” bridge is commonly used to replace missing front teeth and consists of a filler that is attached to metal bands that are bonded to the abutment teeth. The metal bands consist of a white-colored composite resin that matches existing tooth color.
- The cantilever bridge is often used when there are teeth on only one side of the span. A typical three-unit cantilever bridge consists of two crowned teeth positioned next to each other on the same side of the missing tooth space. The filler tooth is then connected to the two crowned teeth, which extend into the missing tooth space or end.
Dentures
Periodontal disease, injury and tooth decay can all cause a loss of your natural teeth. However, we can bring back the smile on your face with dentures to restore your missing teeth. With improved technology and updated materials, dentists can now make them appear more natural and more comfortable for patients.
With the addition of dental implants, a denture can be secured tightly to the mouth. This allows your denture to avoid coming loose when eating the foods you enjoy.
Types of Dentures
There are two types of dentures: complete and partial.
- Complete dentures cover the patient’s entire jaw when they are missing all their teeth.
- Partial dentures, a removable appliance that replaces multiple missing teeth.
To know which type is best for you, be sure to ask your doctor.
It may take some time to adjust to your dentures. Speaking and eating may feel different at first, but these regular activities will resume normally once you are accustomed to your dentures.
TMJ
The “Temporomandibular Joint,” more commonly referred to as the “jaw joint,” assists in the basic opening and closing movements of the jaw. Unfortunately, this joint is a common area for recurring pain. Although conventional wisdom suggests that “popping” sounds in the jaw indicates a TMJ dysfunction, this is not always true. Many times, your jaw is functioning properly even if a “popping” sound is present when chewing or talking.
We offer a TMJ exam that evaluates the joint tissue in the “hinge” of the jaw. Possible problems include swelling, deterioration of the joint tissue or damaged joint tissue, which cushions the jaw bones during the opening and closing movement of the mouth.
For more serious cases of TMJ, we will recommend alternate treatments. Often, we will suggest using a mouthguard to relieve teeth grinding. In some cases, we will instruct you to use orthodontic appliances or retainers to alleviate discomfort or redirect positioning of the TMJ joint. For the most severe cases of TMJ, we may recommend certain invasive procedures.
General Extractions
An extraction is the complete removal of a tooth. Extractions are sometimes necessary if a tooth has suffered extensive tooth decay or trauma that cannot be repaired, if the patient has severe gum disease, or if the tooth is impacted (usually the wisdom teeth). Primary (baby) teeth are sometimes extracted if necessary for the proper eruption of the adult tooth. Depending on the complexity of the case, an extraction can be performed surgically or non-surgically.
