General Services

An oral examination is a visual inspection of the mouth, head, and neck, performed to detect abnormalities.  Radiographs allow for a more complete examination, helping the doctor to detect cavities, problems in existing dental restorations, gum and bone recession, or other abnormal conditions within the mouth, head, and neck area.

A dental cleaning, also known as an oral prophylaxis, is the removal of dental plaque and tartar (calculus) from the teeth. Specialized instruments are used to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth. First, an ultrasonic device that emits vibrations and is cooled by water is used to loosen larger pieces of tartar. Next, hand tools are used to manually remove smaller deposits and smooth the tooth surfaces. Once all the tooth surfaces have been cleaned of tartar and plaque, the teeth are polished.

Many sports require athletes to use a mouth guard to protect their teeth while practicing and playing. Frequently used in contact sports, the mouth guard covers the gums and teeth to provide protection for lips, gums, teeth, and arches. A properly fitted mouth guard can reduce the severity of dental injuries.

Pre-formed, ready-to-wear mouth guards can be purchased inexpensively at many sporting stores, but they do not always fit well. They can be uncomfortable and can interfere with talking and even breathing.

Sporting goods stores also offer semi-custom mouth guards in which the plastic is heated and then the athlete bites on it while still warm to provide some level of custom fit.

Our office can make a custom mouth guard by taking an impression of your teeth and then creating a device fitted to your mouth for the highest level of both comfort and protection. A custom fitted mouthguard can be particularly important for athletes who wear braces.

Be sure to bring your mouthguard to your dental appointments, so we can be sure it still fits you well.

Composite fillings use tooth-colored material to restore teeth with cavities and maintain a natural appearance. Once the decay is removed, the tooth is filled with a composite material which is then cured using a specialized light to harden the material. Composite fillings can be done in one visit.

An inlay or onlay is a partial crown restoration that can be placed when there is not sufficient tooth structure to support a filling but enough tooth structure left that a full crown is not needed. Inlays/onlays are made of porcelain or gold, and they aesthetically and functionally replace the missing tooth structure.

A crown is a dental restoration that completely covers the outside of a tooth that is cracked, broken, worn down, or severely decayed. In our office, we use CAD/CAM technology to create crowns and other restorations. The restoration(s) is designed using advanced computer 3D technology that can analyze the interaction of the new restoration with your other teeth.

Learn More About Same Day Crowns

Bridges

A bridge can replace missing teeth without the use of a denture or dental implant. A bridge is composed of two crowns and a replacement tooth or teeth. Crowns are typically placed on the teeth on either side of the space, with the fabricated tooth or teeth attached in between.

Dental implants are composed of three pieces: a small screw made of a biocompatible metal called titanium, an abutment which connects the screw and the final restoration, and the final restoration. The screw, which is placed in the jawbone, acts as a replacement for the tooth root, providing a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth. The screw begins to fuse with the bone over the course of a few months. After the fusing process, known as osseointegration, the abutment is inserted into the screw to allow for the permanent attachment of the restoration.

Learn More About Dental Implants

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth. There are two types of dentures, complete (full) and partial dentures.

Complete (Full) Dentures are made after all the teeth in the upper and/or lower jaw have been removed and the gum tissue has healed. The denture includes an acrylic base that is custom made in the dental laboratory and are made to look like natural gums, which sits over the gums or can be anchored to dental implants.

Removable Partial Dentures are made only when a few teeth need to be replaced. The removable partial denture either attaches to crowns on either side of the denture or to a metal framework that is attached to the teeth on both sides of the partial denture. Partial dentures can be removable or they can be anchored in place by attaching them to dental implants.

Removable partial dentures can be supported in place by attaching them to dental implants when wearing them during the day.

Whitening, also known as bleaching, is the procedure used to brighten teeth. This in-office whitening treatment uses a laser to facilitate the whitening process and allows the dentist to customize aspects of the treatment to each individual patient’s needs to provide the best possible results.

Our office offers Opalescence® At-Home bleaching for our patients. We will create a customized mouth guard to hold the whitening gel against the teeth. Once the mouth guard is made, we will provide personalized instructions for each patient to achieve the best results. The amount of time may vary from a couple hours a day, or all night, for up to four weeks or longer, if desired.

Six Month Smiles® is a system of using Clear Brackets cemented to the Teeth with tooth-colored memory wire that is fixed to the brackets by clear attachments. The teeth are guided to a level well-aligned position by the gentle forces of the memory wire that will return to a proper, normal dental arch form. “You could have straighter teeth by your next cleaning appointment!”

Learn More About Six Month Smiles

Porcelain veneers are thin pieces of porcelain used to recreate the natural appearance of teeth. To place a veneer, a thin layer of the original tooth enamel must be removed. Afterward, an adhesive layer is placed between the prepared tooth and the veneer. The adhesive is then hardened with the use of a specialized curing light.

Cosmetic bonding is the process of filling or restoring teeth with a tooth-colored material in order to improve a tooth’s appearance. In order to bond a tooth, composite material is added to the tooth structure to adjust the size, shape, or color of the existing tooth.

Lasers in dentistry allow for many dental procedures to be performed with no noise, very little pain, and fewer appointments. All lasers work by delivering energy in the form of light.

When used for surgical and dental procedures, the laser acts as a cutting instrument. When used for “curing” a filling, the laser helps to strengthen the bond between the filling and the tooth. When used in teeth-whitening procedures, the laser acts as a heat source and enhances the effect of tooth-bleaching agents.

Learn More About Laser Dentistry

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which one experiences one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle changes, Oral Appliance Therapy, breathing devices, and/or surgery.

Oral Appliance Therapy (OAT) is often an effective treatment option for sleep apnea. With this approach, our office creates a custom-fitted oral appliance for patients to wear when they are sleeping. The appliance aids patients during sleep by positioning the lower jaw and tongue in a way that minimizes airway obstruction.

Learn More About Sleep Apnea

Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure used to treat gum disease. During the scaling process, specialized dental instruments are used to remove dental plaque and calculus from beneath the gums. Planing is the procedure used to smooth the tooth roots after the scaling process. Root planing helps the gums heal and reattach themselves to a cleaner and smoother root surface.

Root canals are most often necessary when decay has reached the nerve of the tooth or the tooth has become infected.  When root canal therapy is performed, infected or inflamed pulp is removed from the tooth chamber. The inside of the tooth is then cleaned and disinfected before being filled and sealed to limit the possibility of future infection.  Soon after the root canal is performed, the tooth is restored with a dental crown or filling to protect the tooth and restore normal tooth function.

A tooth that can not be saved with restorative materials may need to be removed. Before removal of the tooth, the area will be numbed with anesthesia. The tooth is loosened from the jawbone and surrounding ligaments and tissues with a gentle rocking motion. Once it is loose, it is gently removed. Stitches may be necessary after the removal of a tooth.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to improve the look of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines) and around the side of the eyes ( crow’s feet lines) in adults for a short period of time (temporary).

BOTOX® is used for a number of medical conditions. Ask your doctor for more details to find out if treatment with BOTOX® may be right for you.

Juvederm® is an FDA Approved gel filler that can be used to smooth away imperfections around the nose and mouth. One treatment can offer natural looking results for up to a year. Juvederm® can also be used in the corners of the mouth where some patients get recurrent tears that can be susceptible to bleeding and infections.

We are pleased to offer a variety of beauty and spa services for our patients. We offer facials, spray tans, laser hair reduction and many other treatments.

To learn more about services we offer, please visit Spa Services.