Dental Services

CLEANINGS & EXAMS

All patients are encouraged to have biannual exam and cleaning appointments to maintain optimal oral health and catch problems before they become major issues. Some patients may need more regular cleanings to ward off periodontal and other issues. New patients should expect an exam, cleaning, and treatment planning with a full x-ray series on the first visit, which takes approximately one hour.

PERIODONTICS

The gums and bone surrounding the teeth are subject to damage from bacteria just as teeth are. Good home care can prevent much of this damage, but for cases that are more progressed, we offer scaling and root planing to remove tartar below the gum line, and localized antibiotic treatment. Our office works with local periodontists for more advanced periodontal disease.

FILLINGS

Fillings involve removing decayed areas of the tooth, ceasing the process of disease, and restoring the tooth with man-made materials. Our office offers only tooth-colored filling material, which we find the majority of our patients prefer over metal fillings.

ENDODONTICS

When tooth decay becomes severe and invades deeper structures of the tooth, a filling may not be sufficient to save the tooth. Endodontic treatment, commonly known as a root canal, involves removal of the pulp and subsequent cleaning of the roots of the tooth, which are then filled with a restorative material. A permanent restoration, usually a crown, is applied to the tooth in a later visit. Root canals have received a terrible reputation for being extremely painful, but are generally no more painful than a regular filling, though the procedure does take more time. Depending on the case, we may be able to perform your root canal in our office, or will refer you out to a specialist.

FIXED & REMOVABLE PROSTHODONTICS

We routinely offer crowns, bridges, and dentures in our office. Crowns are applied to teeth that have received endodontic treatment, those that require restoration beyond the scope of a regular filling, or as the final step of a dental implant. A variety of crowns are available to our patients to fit their esthetic and functional needs.

Bridges are utilized to replace a missing tooth or teeth. There are several bridge designs to accommodate the unique anatomy and needs of the individual patient.

We offer both full and partial dentures to our patients. We work closely with several denture labs to make the perfect denture for each patient-one that looks natural and fits comfortably. Dentures can also be stabilized with implants in our office.

DENTAL IMPLANTS

Dental implants are a wonderful innovation in dental technology and are used to replace missing teeth. The implant is installed below the gumline into the bone, creating a replacement root, to which a crown is eventually attached. The final product is strong and excellent in appearance. Implant procedures are done over multiple visits. Implants can also be used to stabilize dentures and bridges.

ORAL SURGERY

Oral surgery, or extraction, must sometimes be performed on teeth if there is extensive decay or damage, or periodontal issues in which the teeth are no longer held firmly in the mouth. In many cases, teeth extracted can be immediately replaced with a dental implant or partial denture. Wisdom teeth are routinely extracted because they often cause distress to surrounding teeth and gums, and are very difficult to clean sufficiently, which leads to a decline in oral health.

INVISALIGN

Invisalign is a world-renowned system that moves teeth into proper alignment without unsightly metal and wires used for traditional braces. A series of unique clear aligners are made for the patient and are changed every two weeks. For many patients, treatment requires bonding temporary, tooth-colored attachments to the teeth to facilitate their movement and rotation. Most treatments take between 1 and 1 ½ years, after which patients wear a clear retainer at night to maintain the perfect alignment of their teeth. Invisalign is a great choice for patients who have experienced orthodontic relapse due to not wearing their retainer or for those who have always wanted to straighten their teeth but want to avoid metal braces. Our doctors are all Invisalign providers.