Dental Services
We offer numerous dental services from cleanings to simple restorations to Invisalign and implant restorations. Our team spends considerable effort trying to help our patients understand, improve and maintain overall dental health. Some dental conditions require that we partner with specialists who have years of additional training in order to help you with your specific dental need. Below are just a few dental services that we offer both with and without help from our dental partners.
Teeth Cleaning
One of the most common services we offer is some form of dental cleaning (also called a prophy). We have two very well-trained hygienists on our team who provide these services in both a gentle and thorough manner. While most of our patients request some form of a cleaning twice a year, we have quite a few who realize that they benefit by coming in every 3 to 4 months. If you have experienced periodontal disease (damage to the soft and hard tissue around teeth), we are well-trained on diagnosis and treatment in this area.
Dental prophylaxis is an essential part of maintaining oral health and can leave you with a clean and refreshed feeling in your mouth.
Periodontal Therapy
Periodontal therapy, also known as periodontal treatment, is a part of dentistry focused on diagnosing and treating diseases that affect the supporting structures of the teeth, such as the gums, bones, and ligaments. With this therapy, we aim to prevent and control periodontal (gum) disease, which is caused by the accumulation of bacteria and plaque on the teeth and gums. The treatment involves a variety of procedures, including deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) to remove plaque and tartar, gum surgery to repair damaged tissues, and the use of antibiotics or antimicrobial agents to control bacterial infections. The primary goal of periodontal therapy is to restore and maintain the health of the gums and supporting structures, thereby preserving the integrity and function of the teeth. Regular periodontal maintenance and good oral hygiene practices are crucial for long-term success in managing periodontal disease
Depending on the severity of a patient's disease, we may reach out to dental colleagues in order to help stabilize a patient's condition. Regardless of your needs, we do everything we can to make your experience comfortable enough that you want to return to us for continued care.
Retainers
If you want to keep your teeth straight after getting your braces off, you need to wear a retainer. This device can keep your teeth in proper alignment for years to come.
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Retainers are custom fit based on a 3D scan of your teeth. We order them directly from Invisalign who makes some of the best clear retainers on the market. They are virtually invisible when worn, making them an excellent choice for individuals who want to maintain a natural appearance. In addition to being smooth, they are BPA-free.
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Sometimes we recommend these retainers for people who start to see slight shifts in their dentition in order to prevent additional shifting.
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Retainers can also be used as an occlusal guard for patients who have habits of clenching and grinding their teeth during the day or at night.
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Invisalign- Clear Braces Treatment
To the left is an Invisalign case demonstrating tooth colored buttons made of filling material as well as buttons with Invisalign aligners in place. Invisalign is a great braces alternative for mature, compliant patients. In order to receive the results you are looking for, aligners must be worn at least 22 hours of every day, taken out only to eat and brush.
Aligners work in a series of trays that gradually shift your teeth into place as each tray is manufactured so that the teeth are slightly moved into a straighter position than the previous tray.
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If you think this is something you might be interested in - please call us for more information.
Digital X-Rays
​Routine x-rays are an important component of us helping you establish and/or maintain good oral health. The small x-rays are typically taken once a year and aid us in identifying decay. A panoramic image (the image where an arm swivels around your head) allows us to see all the teeth and surrounding structures at one time. This image helps us to identify oral pathology in the bone or sinus cavity.
Sealant
​We liken sealants to nail polish for the grooves of the teeth. Placing them is a quick, non-invasive procedure where we paint a thin coating of material in the grooves of the teeth to help prevent cavities. This procedure is typically done in the permanent molars of young children shortly after these teeth erupt. We do this so early because many children still haven't developed a great level of dexterity or care for their teeth during their younger years.
Oral Sleep Appliance
To the right is one of many options for treatment of sleep apnea with oral appliance therapy. Snoring and witness apneas (gasping for air while sleeping) are good reasons to at least have a conversation regarding whether or not you might have an obstruction problem while sleeping.
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Fabrication of an Oral Appliance by a dentist requires a prescription from your sleep physician. Results from your diagnostic sleep study (whether in lab or at home) are also helpful.
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Science based literature indicates that 85% of sleep problems are undiagnosed. Please ask us if you have questions about your sleep and if you think this might be a good option for you.
Dentures and Partials
To the left is an upper partial denture. It is used to replace 5 missing top teeth. Partial dentures can be used to replace any number of missing upper and lower teeth when there are healthy natural teeth to anchor it against. A full denture can be used when a patient is missing all upper or lower teeth.
Just like any other prosthetic (arm, leg or other)- these kinds of oral prosthetics take time for the patient to learn to both wear and function with and sometimes require multiple adjustments for patient comfort.
Dentures and partial dentures should be removed at night to help keep the oral tissues healthy.
Please ask us if this is a good option for you.
Crowns and Bridges
Single crowns involve preparing and covering only one tooth with either a white, silver or gold crown/cap. This is done for a variety of reasons including (but not limited to): teeth with larger fillings at higher risk for fracture, a fractured tooth or to cover a root canal treated tooth.
Bridges involve replacement of one or more missing teeth like the before and after image on the left. In this situation the two teeth that still remain in the top picture were prepared in a manner that allows us to use them to support the replacement of the two missing teeth. A bridge is cemented in place such that the patient has to clean underneath it with a waterpik or floss and can not remove it nightly like the partial denture discussed above.
Dental Veneers
Porcelain veneers are a thin shell that is custom-made to fit on the tooth. They are strong and long-lasting with a natural-looking surface. Preparation of the tooth for veneers requires removal of less tooth enamel than a crown or cap.
Veneers can be used to correct a wide range of dental issues, such as:
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teeth that are stained and can't be whitened by bleaching
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chipped or worn teeth
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crooked or mishapen teeth
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uneven spaces or a large gap between the upper front teeth
If you think this is something you might be interested in, please ask us if this is an ideal treatment for your condition.
Teeth Whitening
We offer several different kind of whitening options within our office to include: take home whitening strips and fabrication of Invisalign brand whitening trays to use at home with Opalescence Whitening Gel.
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The degree to which teeth whiten varies by patient. Most patients do not see the change experienced by the patient on the left- but most patients do see some degree of whitening. Please know that fillings, crowns and veneers do not whiten.
If you are interested in whitening, feel free to ask us if this is a service we would recommend for you.
Dental Implants
Porcelain veneers are a thin shell that is custom-made to fit on the tooth. They are strong and long-lasting with a natural-looking surface. Preparation of the tooth for veneers requires removal of less tooth enamel than a crown or cap.
Veneers can be used to correct a wide range of dental issues, such as:
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teeth that are stained and can't be whitened by bleaching
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chipped or worn teeth
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crooked or mishapen teeth
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uneven spaces or a large gap between the upper front teeth
If you think this is something you might be interested in, please ask us if this is an ideal treatment for your condition.
Mouth Guards - Night or Sport
To the right is a sport guard. These can be made for any sport (my daughter currently has this same guard for Lacrosse). Unlike most athletic guards you can pick up in the store, these are custom. We take an impression of your mouth and send that impression to the lab for fabrication of a guard that comfortably fits without you having to maintain biting forces to keep it in place.
A custom guard not only allows the jaw to hang in a neutral position (making it more comfortable) but also ensures that the guard is in place just in the rare case that you or your child gets hit in the mouth during an event.
If you think this is something you might be interested in for you or your child- please call us for more information.
