Our Services
Family Dentistry
Family dentistry is a branch of dentistry that focuses on providing comprehensive dental care for individuals of all ages, from infants to seniors.
Our family dentists are trained to treat a wide range of dental conditions, including preventive care, restorative care, and cosmetic dentistry. We also provide education and counseling on oral hygiene and healthy lifestyle habits.
Benefits of Family Dentistry
There are many benefits to choosing a family dentist for your family’s dental care.
Here are just a few:
Convenience: Family dentists offer a wide range of services under one roof, so you can get all your family’s dental care in one place. This can save you time and money.
Personalized care: Family dentists take the time to get to know you and your family’s dental needs. They will develop a personalized treatment plan that is tailored to your specific needs.
Established rapport: Family dentists build relationships with their patients over time. This can make it easier for you to feel comfortable and at ease during your dental appointments.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry is a specialized branch of dental care that focuses on improving the aesthetics of teeth, gums, and the overall smile.
Through a variety of procedures, cosmetic dentists aim to enhance the appearance of teeth, address imperfections, and create a more attractive and confident smile.
Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures
Cosmetic dentistry encompasses a range of procedures designed to address various dental concerns and enhance the overall smile:
Teeth Whitening: Teeth whitening is a popular procedure that lightens the color of teeth, removing stains and discoloration caused by food, beverages, and aging.
Various teeth whitening options are available, including professional in-office treatments and at-home whitening kits.
Dental Bonding: Dental bonding involves applying a tooth-colored resin material to the surface of a tooth to restore its shape, size, or color.
Bonding can be used to repair chipped or cracked teeth, close gaps between teeth, and even lengthen the appearance of short teeth.
Crowns
A dental crown is a thin cover that fits over a tooth, to protect damaged tooth enamel.
Dental crowns are shaped to look just like natural teeth – and they can be made the same color as natural teeth, as well.
Dental crowns can be used to restore the appearance and functionality of the tooth for patients who have had any one of the following:
- Tooth decay
- A cracked tooth
- A broken tooth
- A dental bridge (the crown can hold the bridge in place)
- Misshapen or discolored tooth
You may also need a crown if you’ve had a root canal, because during the root canal, your dentist will scoop out the infected part of the tooth and leave the thin outer parts of the tooth in place. This leaves the tooth weak and susceptible to breakage, but a crown can protect your tooth from that.
Crowns are also used on dental implants to make the implant look as realistic as possible.
Dentures
Missing teeth can impact not just your smile, but also your ability to chew and speak clearly. Dentures offer a reliable solution, replacing missing teeth and restoring lost function.
Complete and Partial Dentures
Complete dentures are used when all teeth in an upper or lower jaw, or both, are missing. They are custom-made to fit snugly against the gums, with a base that resembles gum tissue and replacement teeth crafted from acrylic or porcelain. Complete dentures improve chewing and speaking ability, and can enhance facial appearance by supporting the cheeks and lips.
Partial dentures, on the other hand, are for individuals with some remaining natural teeth. These removable appliances fill in gaps created by missing teeth, preventing surrounding teeth from shifting and improving bite function. Partial dentures typically consist of replacement teeth attached to a gum-colored plastic base, often with metal clasps that secure them to the natural teeth.
Both complete and partial dentures require a visit to a dentist or denturist for fitting and adjustments. They are relatively easy to care for, requiring daily cleaning and soaking overnight. With proper care, dentures can last for several years.
Same-Day Crowns
Imagine a chipped tooth, a cracked molar, a sudden dental drama casting a shadow over your day. Traditionally, the fix meant multiple appointments, temporary crowns, and weeks of waiting. But enter CEREC, a revolutionary technology reshaping the dental landscape, offering a shining solution: same-day crowns.
CEREC, standing for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics, is a marvel of modern dentistry. It transforms the crown-making process, ditching the waiting game for streamlined efficiency. Instead of sending impressions off to a lab, CEREC lets your dentist become a sculptor in minutes.
How it Works
Capture: A tiny camera scans your tooth, creating a 3D digital image. No messy molds, just high-tech precision.
Design: Like a virtual artist, your dentist sculpts the perfect crown on the computer screen, ensuring a custom fit and natural look.
Mill: The magic happens. A milling machine whirls to life, carving the crown from a block of durable ceramic, right there in the dental chair.
Place: Within an hour, the crown is polished and cemented onto your tooth, restoring your smile and bite in a single visit.
Root Canals
When a toothache strikes, the mere mention of a root canal can send shivers down the spine. But don’t let fear lead to tooth loss. A root canal is often a tooth hero, restoring health and function while preventing the need for extraction.
The Root of the Issue
Inside each tooth lies a delicate pulp chamber, containing nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. When infection or inflammation strikes this pulp, pain, sensitivity, and swelling can ensue. A root canal addresses this by removing the diseased pulp and cleaning the root canals, preventing infection from spreading and saving the tooth.
The Process
Numbing the Area: Local anesthetic ensures a comfortable experience.
Accessing the Pulp: A small opening is created in the tooth’s crown.
Removing the Pulp: Delicate instruments extract the inflamed pulp.
Cleaning and Shaping: Root canals are meticulously cleaned and shaped.
Filling and Sealing: A biocompatible material securely fills and seals the canals.
Restoring the Crown: A crown or filling protects the tooth and restores its function.
Oral Surgery
In the best dental practices, oral surgery is the last resort for patients. This is unfortunate when you consider it’s also one of the most daunting procedures a person can have. The good news is that the right surgery can be the key to preserving your mouth, and your overall oral health.
Evaluate and Treat
Before reviewing surgery, it helps to talk about prevention. There are a variety of surgeries that a dentist might recommend to you, so it helps to work with someone who can evaluate the mouth in its entirety. Sometimes, a root canal, extraction, or deep cleaning can make it possible to either limit or avoid surgery.
Common Types of Oral Surgery
Surgery for the mouth may include any of the following procedures:
- Maxillofacial: This is a general term for many oral surgeries. Whether it’s for impactions or damaged gums, the idea is to improve, reset, or align the mouth, so you can fend off chronic disease and recover from any potential injuries or illnesses. For instance, if your wisdom teeth begin to hurt, you can use this common surgery to remove them.
- Bite: Overbites and underbites are common problems, but they can also cause a lot of trouble over time. Because they affect your ability to chew, speak, and even breathe, you can use this surgery to move the components of your mouth into a less damaging position.
- Implants: The surgical part of the implant position occurs when the dentist places a post inside the jaw. Over time, the bone in the jaw will fuse to the post. When that occurs, the dentist will top it with a permanent artificial tooth.
- Apnea: Snoring can be caused by anything from weight to stress. Sometimes, it’s because you have too much tissue either in the lower jaw or the back of the throat. This surgery removes them, so you can breathe easier.
A patient’s experience with surgery comes down to the dentist they pick. It’s important to find a staff who specializes in these procedures to limit discomfort either before, during, or after the procedure.
Dental Implants
A dental implant can be one of two types of dental work. An implant is technically a metal screw that is affixed to the jawbone in a surgical procedure.
This implant is used to attach a tooth prosthetic that is screwed onto the permanently fused screw.
A dental implant provides a stable foundation for a denture, bridge, or crown. It looks and acts like a tooth root, offering tissue support under and on the jawbone.
Types of Dental Implants
Several types of dental implants are available to replace permanent teeth.
- Zygomatic for implants in the upper jaw bone or cheek, which is the most complicated
- Subperiosteal, which is on the lower jawbone
- Endosteal, in the jawbone, which is the most common
There are other ways to discuss tooth implants with our dentist. Consider how many teeth you need to replace with implants.
While patients can opt for a single tooth implant, the full All-in-4 implant is well suited for patients getting dentures. Implants can replace one or all of your teeth. In addition, your dentist may be able to provide all-inclusive dental implants and dentures in just one day.
All-in-4 Implants
Slightly different from all-inclusive dental implants, an All-in-4 implant provides four dental implants. These implants are positioned at the rear of the jaw and the top and bottom jaws. The purpose of All-in-4 dental implants is to provide more stability for a full set of top and bottom dentures. The patient can remove the dentures for cleaning and maintenance while gaining additional support throughout the day.
All-Inclusive Implants
An all-inclusive implant includes all the procedures from start to finish with an implant. You can complete the initial dental exam, pre-prosthetic surgery, and dental implant surgery at the same dental office. In addition, some procedures can be completed in a single day, reducing the stress and anxiety of visiting the dentist.
Fillings
Fillings are used to treat cavities or small holes in a tooth. Our team removes the decayed tissue and fills the hole with a strong material to keep your teeth healthy.
Amalgam Fillings
Composition: A mixture of metals, primarily silver, tin, copper, and mercury.
Advantages: Durable, long-lasting, and relatively affordable.
Disadvantages: Not aesthetically pleasing, can cause tooth sensitivity, and contains mercury, which some people may have concerns about.
Composite Resin Fillings
Composition: A tooth-colored material made of plastic resin and glass particles.
Advantages: Aesthetically pleasing, bonds directly to the tooth structure, and can be customized to match the color of your natural teeth.
Disadvantages: Less durable than amalgam fillings, may require more frequent replacement, and can be more expensive.
Gold Fillings
Composition: Pure gold or a gold alloy.
Advantages: Extremely durable, long-lasting, and resistant to wear and tear.
Disadvantages: Expensive, requires multiple dental visits, and may not be aesthetically pleasing to some.
Ceramic Fillings
Composition: Porcelain or ceramic material.
Choosing the Right Filling
The best type of filling for you will depend on several factors, including:
- The location of the decay
- The extent of the damage
- Your personal preferences
- Your budget
Our dentist will discuss these factors with you and recommend the most suitable filling material. It’s important to choose a qualified dentist to ensure that the filling is placed correctly and that you receive the best possible care.
Veneers
Dental veneers are thin, custom-made shells that are permanently bonded to the front surface of teeth to improve their appearance. They are a popular cosmetic dentistry option for people who want to enhance their smile.
Types of Veneers
There are two primary types of veneers:
Porcelain Veneers: These are the most popular type of veneer, known for their durability, natural appearance, and resistance to staining. Porcelain veneers are custom-made to match the color and shape of your natural teeth.
Composite Veneers: These are made from a tooth-colored resin material. Composite veneers are less expensive than porcelain veneers, but they are also less durable and more prone to staining.
Benefits of Dental Veneers
Improved Appearance: Veneers can significantly enhance the appearance of your smile by correcting a variety of cosmetic dental issues.
Durability: Porcelain veneers are highly durable and can last for many years with proper care.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last set of permanent teeth to emerge, typically between the ages of 17 and 25. Many people need to have their wisdom teeth removed, a common oral surgery procedure, because there often isn’t enough room in the jaw for them to come in properly. When they are unable to fully erupt, they can become impacted, growing in crookedly, or pressing against other teeth.
Reasons for Removal
- Impaction and crowding: Impacted wisdom teeth can cause pain, swelling, and lead to overcrowding, which may affect the alignment of other teeth.
- Infection and decay: Due to their location at the back of the mouth, wisdom teeth are difficult to clean, making them more susceptible to plaque buildup, tooth decay, and gum disease.
- Damage to adjacent teeth: An impacted wisdom tooth can cause damage to the neighboring second molar.
- Cysts: A fluid-filled sac, or cyst, can form around an impacted wisdom tooth, potentially harming the jawbone and nerves.
Zoom Teeth Whitening
Zoom is a professional, in-office teeth whitening system known for delivering rapid, noticeable results. Performed under the supervision of a dental professional, the procedure can brighten your smile by several shades in just a single appointment, typically lasting about an hour. The process involves several steps: first, a protective barrier is placed over the lips and gums to shield the soft tissues. Next, a hydrogen peroxide-based whitening gel is carefully applied to the teeth.
The Zoom System
The key to the Zoom system is a specialized LED lamp, which is directed at the teeth to activate the gel. This light-activation accelerates the breakdown of the hydrogen peroxide, allowing oxygen to penetrate the enamel and dentin to bleach away stains and discoloration. The whitening gel is applied in multiple 15-minute intervals throughout the appointment. After the session is complete, a fluoride gel is applied to the teeth to help reduce sensitivity. To maintain your new, brighter smile, dentists also provide patients with a take-home kit that includes custom-fitted trays and a lower-concentration whitening gel for touch-ups.
While Zoom is a safe and effective treatment, it is important to be aware of potential side effects, with temporary tooth sensitivity being the most common.
