SERVICES
REGULAR EXAMS
How we diagnose periodontal disease and decay
Because we’re committed to preventive dentistry, we recommend that all of our patients see us at least every six months for a routine cleaning and examination. Dental problems start out small but can quickly worsen to become much more serious conditions. These problems are much easier to treat when we catch them early. Radio graphs are part of the regular check and can catch tooth decay early on.
Serious conditions begin as treatable problems
The effects of gingivitis, for example, are reversible. But when gingivitis advances to periodontal disease, the bone loss that can result is irreversible. A small cavity on the surface of a tooth can easily be fixed, but if it spreads to the inner layers of the tooth, we’ll usually need to perform root canal therapy and restore the tooth with a crown. If you have a cracked filling, an infection in the tooth’s inner pulp layer can result, requiring root canal therapy. A bad bite can contribute to problems with your temporomandibular joint (TMJ), and can cause a painful cycle of muscle spasms and other jaw-joint problems commonly known as TMD, or temporomandibular disorder. The list of potentially fast-growing problems goes on.
Regular checkups allows us to treat problems early
During your regular checkups, we examine the health of your mouth, measure the bone levels around your teeth, check for decay, screen for oral cancer, examine your restorations, evaluate your bite, and remove plaque and tartar from your teeth. The bacteria that cause periodontal disease thrive in plaque and tartar, producing toxins that can cause bone loss and eventually tooth loss. A toothbrush and floss won’t even budge tartar, so we must remove it every six months in our office. Your six-month exam and cleaning is a critical part of a preventive program. It’s the best way for you to prevent advanced dental problems, and that minimizes the time and money you spend in the dental chair.
COSMETIC DENTISTRY
The goal of cosmetic dentistry is to transform an average smile into a terrific smile! To accomplish this goal, we analyze every aspect of a smile and then correct the problem.
What makes a beautiful smile?
Terrific smiles have several things in common:
The teeth are straight, not crooked.
The teeth are evenly spaced with no gaps.
The teeth are white, not stained.
The top teeth show when you smile, but not the gums.
The gumline is smooth, not uneven.
The edges of the top teeth smoothly follow the curve of the lower lip.
All of these problems can be solved with cosmetic procedures, so even if you weren’t born with a beautiful smile, you can still have one!
WHITE FILLINGS
What are white restorations?
Until recently, silver amalgam was the material most often used to restore decayed portions of your teeth, especially back teeth. Unfortunately, silver fillings can really darken a smile!
Amalgam fillings absorb moisture and expand and contract with heat and cold. So, as the filling ages, it can fracture your tooth; we’ll then need to place a crown on your tooth to save it. Also, silver fillings often undergo metal fatigue, corroding and leaking over time. This destroys the protective seal of the filling and allows new decap to develop uynderneath it. This leakage can give a gray appearance to the entire tooth.
New tooth colored options
Dental research has resulted in the development of new tooth-colored materials that are not only durable and long-lasting, but attractive as well. These materials, porcelain and composite resin, provide an attractive, natural look while at the same time restoring strength and durability to your tooth.
Both porcelain and composite resin are bonded directly to the tooth, restoring it to near its original strength and function. Both can be custom-colored to precisely match your teeth, so when porcelain or resing fillings are placed, they’re extremely natural looking. This can really make a difference in your appearance, especially if the restoration is visible when you smile.
More advantages of white restorations
When we place an amalgam filling, we have to remove extra healthy tooth structure, just so the filling will stay in place. When we restore your tooth with composite resin, we only need to remove the decayed portion, because the bond anchors the material tightly in place. This means you retain more healthy tooth structure.
Also, because white fillings are bonded to your tooth, they add strength to the tooth.
So if you’re looking for an attractive and effective option for restoring one or more decayed teeth, be sure to ask about the latest choices in white restorative materials.
SLEEP APNEA
When it comes to sleeping disorders sleep apnea can be a pretty serious form. It is when your breathing starts and stops repeatedly. Some people who may have sleep apnea are ones who tend to snore loudly and feel tired after they have slept all night. There are two categories of sleep apnea one is obstructive sleep apnea which is the most common form of sleep apnea which is when throat muscles relax. The next is central sleep apnea which happens when your brain isn’t sending proper signals to the muscles that are what control your breathing.
Symptoms:
Hypersomnia
Loud Snoring
Quick awakening followed by shortness of breath
Waking up with a dry mouth
Having morning headaches
Insomnia
Attention problems