Oral Hygiene/Periodontal Health

In addition to the meticulous cleaning, polishing, and examination of your teeth, we also take the time to help our patients develop proper oral hygiene habits at home. We will evaluate your hygiene techniques and make adjustments to your routine where needed. Our doctors and hygienists will also make suggestions for preventative measures such as dental sealants or nightguards to protect against bruxism & TMJ.

If we feel that you are suffering from gingivitis or more severe gum disease, we may recommend a root scaling or planing. These measures can be instrumental in preventing bone loss and helping you to keep your natural teeth.

Oral Cancer Screenings

During a dental exam, the doctor will check your neck and oral tissues for lumps, red or white patches or recurring sore areas.

Screening for early changes in the oral tissue can help detect cancer at a stage when it can be more successfully treated.

Smoking, especially combined with heavy alcohol consumption (30 drinks a week or more), is the primary risk factor for oral cancer. In fact, this combination is estimated to be the most likely trigger in about 75 percent of oral cancers diagnosed in this country. Other lifestyle and environmental factors also may increase your risk of developing oral cancer.

Scaling & Root Planing

Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure in which the periodontist removes plaque and tartar from below the gum line. Root surfaces are cleaned and smoothed with specially designed instruments. It is important to remove the plaque and tartar from the pockets, because aside from the bacterial toxins that irritate the gums, plaque and the rough surfaces of tartar make it easier for bacteria to gain a foothold.

Teeth Bleaching Whitening

1. Brush your teeth. Load tray with unit dose Opalescence whitening gel as shown.		2. Place tray snugly over your teeth. Gently press tray to move gel into place. Pressing too firmly will move too much gel out of the tray.		3. Gently wipe off excess gel with a tooth-brush or clean finger. Rinse thoroughly with water twice. Do not swallow rinses.

TEETH BLEACHING WHITENING

Many teeth whitening systems are available, including whitening toothpastes, over-the counter gels, rinses, strips, and trays, and whitening agents obtained from a dentist.

Teeth whitening is ideal for people who have healthy, unrestored teeth (no fillings) and gums. Individuals with yellow tones to their teeth respond best. But this cosmetic procedure is not recommended for everyone.

Find out if teeth whitening is right for you.

Sealants

1. Chewing surface of a molar before sealnt is applied.		2. The tooth is etched with a mild solution to help the sealant adhere.		3. Chewing surface of a molar protected by a shaded sealant.

SEALANTS

Sealants are thin, plastic coating painted on the chewing surfaces of teeth – usually the back teeth (the premolars, and molars) – to prevent tooth decay. The painted on liquid sealant quickly bonds into the depressions and grooves of the teeth forming a protective shield over the enamel of each tooth....

Although thorough brushing and flossing can remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth, they cannot always get into all the nooks and crannies of the back teeth to remove the food and plaque. Sealants protect these vulnerable areas from tooth decay by "sealing out" plaque and food.

Dental Fillings

Dental bonding is a procedure in which a tooth-colored resin material (a durable plastic material) is applied and hardened with a special light, which ultimately "bonds" the material to the tooth to restore or improve a person's smile.

Dental bonding is an option that can be considered:
1. To repair decayed teeth (composite resins are used to fill cavities)
2. To repair chipped or cracked teeth
3. To improve the appearance of discolored teeth
4. To close spaces between teeth
5. To make teeth look longer
6. To change the shape of teeth
7. As a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings
8. To protect a portion of the tooth's root that has been exposed when gums recede

Inlays & Onlays

1. After decay and old filling material is removed...		2. The individually manufactured ceramic will be fitted exactly.		3. Depending on severity, the whole procedure will last between one and two hours.

INLAYS & ONLAYS

Inlays and onlays are two excellent ways of repairing a damaged or decayed tooth, usually a back tooth. They’re good repair options when the tooth doesn’t need a crown, but does need strengthening as well as filling. Inlays and onlays strengthen the tooth by being bonded to it, unlike standard fillings, which traditionally are not bonded, but just tightly fitted in the cavity.

Inlays – are needed when the tooth damage is contained within the tips of the tooth and Onlays – are needed if the damage extends over the tips and covers part of the tooth’s outside surface, but not so extensively as to require a crown.

Porcelain inlays and onlays are a popular cosmetic dentistry procedure, giving your teeth a natural luster and blending imperceptibly with the natural tooth.

Crowns & Bridges

1. Initially, the dentist prepares teeth on each side of the space to recieve crowns and makes an impression of the entire area.		2. Fits a temporary or transitional bridge.		3. In a subsequent visit, the dentist places, adjusts and cements the fixed bridge.

CROWNS & BRIDGES

A dental crown is a tooth-shaped "cap" that is placed over a tooth – covering the tooth to restore its shape and size, strength, and/or to improve its appearance. The crowns, when cemented into place, fully encase the entire visible portion of a tooth that lies at and above the gum line. A dental crown may be needed in the following situations:

1. To protect a weak tooth (for instance, from decay) from breaking or to hold together parts of a cracked tooth
2. To restore an already broken tooth or a tooth that has been severely worn down
3. To cover and support a tooth with a large filling when there isn't a lot of tooth left
4. To hold a dental bridge in place
5. To cover misshapened or severely discolored teeth
6. To cover a dental implant

Root Canal Treatment

ROOT CANAL TREATMENT

Is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that is badly decayed or becomes infected. Root canal procedures are performed when the nerve of the tooth becomes infected or the pulp becomes damaged. During a root canal procedure, the nerve and pulp is removed and the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed....

Implants

IMPLANTS

Despite improvements in dental care, millions of Americans suffer tooth loss – mostly due to tooth decay, gingivitis (gum disease), or injury. For many years, the only treatment options available for people with missing teeth were bridges and dentures. But, today, dental implants are available.

Dental implants are replacement tooth roots. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed (permanent) or removable replacement teeth that are made to match your natural teeth.

Success rates of dental implants vary, depending on where in the jaw the implants are placed but, in general, dental implants have a success rate of up to 98%. With proper care (see below), implants can last a lifetime...