General Dentistry
General Treatment
Our practice can provide a wide range of dental services. We can typically provide every type of dental service without having to refer you to other specialties. This flexibility saves you time and keeps your total dental care within one practice. Our emphasis is on total preventive care for our patients. Total care begins with regular hygiene visits, regular checkups and continued home oral health routines.
Our practice also provides the highest-quality services for restoring mouths that have been damaged by dental disease and injury and common problems that require cosmetic dentistry. Our primary goal for our patients is to achieve and maintain optimum oral health through advances in techniques, technologies and by maintaining their scheduled dental exams.
In addition to our standard dental procedures, we offer the following services: Intraoral camera: Our intraoral video camera allows you to see your teeth 30 times larger on a TV monitor to help you understand your treatment needs.
Cosmetic dentistry: Bonding, porcelain crowns, porcelain veneers and bleaching allows us to restore your smile to give you the look you have always wished for.
Sealants: Along with fluoride treatments, sealants on permanent molars of children will help reduce the risk of cavities.
Endodontics is a specialization in the area of soft tissue inside the tooth.
Root Canal
A root canal is a procedure that extracts decayed pulp from the central part of the tooth, reshapes the canal and replaces it with strengthening filler.
A cavity is the result of superficial decay of the enamel of the tooth. Left long enough, this decay can burrow into the deeper reaches of the tooth, causing extensive damage to tooth structure. When the damage goes beyond what can be treated with a filling, dentists can perform a root canal (or endodontics), preserving the tooth and retaining its original integrity; thereby, saving a tooth that in the past would have to have been pulled.
Procedure:
Using anesthesia, the tooth is numbed.
A dental dam is used to isolate the tooth.
The tooth is opened to allow for removal of infected or dead dental pulp.
The tooth is comprehensively cleaned, including any cracks and canals.
With special tools, the doctor reshapes the canals.
The tooth is filled again with cutting edge biocompatible filling material.
A temporary covering is used to cover the access opening.
Patients MUST see their regular dentist quickly for a permanent restoration of the tooth.
Apicoectomy
Also known as a root-end resection, an apicoectomy literally means the removal of the apex of the root of the tooth. This procedure, done following a root canal, treats the bony area surrounding the end of your tooth, which has become inflamed or infected. By folding back the gum near the tooth, the doctor can access the underlying bone and extract the inflamed tissue. At the same time, the very tip of the root is removed and usually replaced with a small plug or filling. At this time, the doctor may treat the area with antibiotics and will then close the area with a small suture. Eventually, the jaw surrounding the tooth will fill in with bone, supporting the tooth as before. This procedure helps ensure the lasting result of your endodontic treatment. Generally, this procedure is only necessary if a root canal requires additional treatment.
When Root Canal Treatment Can’t Help
Generally, a root canal is practically always successful. However, there are cases when a tooth cannot be saved or becomes infected again following initial treatment.
Reasons for re-infection include:
The tooth has a fracture.
The crown restoration or filling has loosened, thus allowing infection to build-up in the canals again.
Due to bone loss as a result of periodontal disease, the tooth is so loose that it cannot be saved.
Several canals in the tooth were not treated during the first endodontic treatment.
Re-treatment
Re-treatment can be an option months or even years after the first treatment. Infection can occur again if the pulp was not appropriately cleaned the first time.
Procedure:
Using anesthesia, the tooth is numbed.
A dental dam is used to isolate the tooth.
The crown is opened to pull out the old filling.
The tooth is thoroughly cleaned.
The tooth is filled again with cutting-edge biocompatible filling material.
A temporary covering is used to cover the access opening.
Nitrous Oxide Analgesia
Nitrous oxide, more commonly known as laughing gas, is often used as a conscious sedative during a dental visit. The gas is administered with a mixture of oxygen and has a calming effect that helps phobic or anxious patients relax during their dental treatment. Because it is a mild sedative, patients are still conscious and can talk to their dentist during their visit. After treatment, the nitrous is turned off and oxygen is administered for five to 10 minutes to help flush any remaining gas. The effects wear off almost immediately. Nitrous oxide rarely has side effects, although some patients may experience minor nausea and constipation. Your doctor will provide you with pre- and post-sedation instructions. We can also offer a pre-appointment medication to make your visit a comfortable experience.
Periodontics
Periodontal simply means “the tissue around the teeth.” Periodontists specialize in the treatment and surgery of this area, which is often characterized by gum disease. Plaque is the most common element causing gum disease.
Unfortunately, periodontal-related problems are often discovered after they have persisted for an extended period of time. Proper oral hygiene, daily dental care and regular dental checkups will minimize the risk of gum disease. Gum disease ranges from mild (gingivitis) to moderate (periodintitis) to the severe (periodontitis).
Common problems associated with gum disease:
Adult teeth that have moved or changed position
"Long" teeth (receding gum lines expose the root portions of your teeth)
Discolored or deteriorating tooth structure
Gum depressions (holes in between the teeth in the gum tissue)
Infected gum line (discoloration or inflammation of the gum tissue)
Tooth loss or tooth movement
Infected gum line (discoloration or inflammation of the gum tissue)
The effects of gum disease can be damaging to your dental health. However, through proper preventive care and oral hygiene, you can avoid problems associated with gum disease.
Please contact our office for a periodontal evaluation.
