Biolase

The Waterlase system uses a patented combination of water and laser to perform soft tissue and cosmetic procedures.

Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide is used in the dental office for its calming effects. It is administered through a small mask that covers the patient's nose. It enables patients to better tolerate lengthy dental procedures and makes the overall experience more of a positive one.

Restorative Fillings

Dental composite resins
Dental composite resins (tooth colored) composite cavity restorations when used with dentin and enamel bonding techniques restore the tooth back to near its original physical integrity.

Dental Amalgam,  
Amalgam is a dental filling material used to fill cavities caused by tooth decay also known as “silver fillings”.

Endodontic Therapy (Root Canal)

The actual root canals are measured after some of the pulp has been removed. This is done so that the dentist can clean the entire canal, and so that enough of the filling material will be used to completely fill the canal. The actual measuring is done with either x-rays or electronic imaging devices.

All of the diseased pulp in the tooth is removed, and the canal is cleaned out thoroughly with an antiseptic solution. The canals are then filled. A temporary filling is then placed. A crown or permanent filling will be done after there has been no sign of infection. After several weeks. Crowns are most common after the permanent filling has been placed since the root canal procedure weakens the tooth.

Professional Teeth Cleaning

Prophylaxis
Is a cleaning by a dental hygienist who removes tartar (mineralized plaque) that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing, especially in areas that are difficult to reach in routine toothbrushing. Professional cleaning includes tooth scaling and tooth polishing and debridement if too much tartar has accumulated. This involves the use of various instruments or devices to loosen and remove deposits from the teeth. with the intention of preventing cavities (dental caries), gingivitis, and periodontal disease. Most dental hygienists recommend having the teeth professionally cleaned every six months.

Periodontal Scaling and Root Planning
Is performed when periodontal disease and gingivitis are diagnosed. Procedures include the removal of plaque, calculus and stain from the crown and root surfaces of teeth.

Athletic Mouthguards

Mouthguards protect the teeth by distributing the force of a blow over all of the surrounding teeth and gums. Mouthguards can also protect against neck injuries. Most importantly, mouthguards serve as a shock absorber for concussive forces affecting the lower jaw.

Custom Night Guards

Bruxism (teeth grinding) is the involuntary grinding or clenching of the teeth. It is a subconscious behavior done primarily while one sleeps. Bruxism can generate tremendous force on the teeth causing broken teeth, loosening of fillings and potential loss of tooth enamel. It can cause teeth to become very sensitive to hot and cold foods and liquids. Additional signs of grinding and clenching include sore facial muscles, morning headaches and neck and ear pain.

Custom night guards which cushion between the upper and lower teeth to protect from the effects of bruxism.

Dental Extractions

Is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. Extractions are performed for a wide variety of reasons, including tooth decay that has destroyed enough tooth structure to render the tooth non-restorable. Extractions of impacted or problematic wisdom teeth are routinely performed although some may need to be referred to a specialist (oral surgeon). At times extractions of some permanent teeth are done to make space for orthodontic treatment.

Veneers

Veneers are made from composite resins, acrylic material, or porcelain. In the process of applying a veneer, a small amount of tooth enamel is usually removed, and anesthetic may be required depending on the way the tooth is prepared. The procedure requires just a few appointments.

Like any restoration, it is possible, over time, for the veneer to come off or for decay to develop. In that case, a new veneer may be required.

Bonding

Bonding can improve the appearance of teeth that are chipped, broken, cracked, stained, or gapped. Tooth-colored materials are attached, or bonded, to a tooth surface. The process can improve unsightly stains from coffee, tea, tobacco, or some childhood medications; front-tooth gaps; and cracks or chips, as well as exposed tooth roots. Bonding usually lasts from three to five years.

The bonding process involves preparing the tooth surface with an etching solution that allows the bonding material (composite resins) to adhere. The resin is applied, contoured into the proper shape and hardened using a special light or chemical process. It is then smoothed and polished to appear natural. Bonding may not require the use of anesthesia or drilling and can usually be completed in one visit.

Enamel Shaping

Enamel shaping is a process of shaping, or contouring natural teeth to improve their overall appearance. When teeth are slightly crowded or uneven, or when eye teeth appear too long, enamel shaping may be used to correct the flaw. The process, which is often combined with bonding, is usually quick and comfortable. No anesthesia is necessary. Enamel shaping should be approached with caution, however, because enamel cannot be replaced.

Keep in mind that this more conservative process cannot solve all problems. Crowded teeth may need braces. If so, your dentist may provide treatment or refer you to a specialist in orthodontics.

Sealants

Your teeth are covered with a sticky film of bacteria, called plaque. The bacteria convert the sugar or starch in food into harmful acids that attach tooth enamel for up to 20 minutes after eating. Eventually this can lead to cavities. Sealants can protect parts of the tooth, particularly pits and fissures in permanent molars, from plaque and food. They can also stop small areas of decay from becoming larger.

How are sealants applied? Sealants take only a few minutes for each tooth. The teeth that will be sealed are cleaned. Then the chewing surfacaes are conditioned to help the sealant adhere to the tooth. The sealant is then 'painted' onto the tooth enamel, where it bonds directly to the tooth and hardens. Sometimes a special curing light is used to help the sealant harden. Sealants last for several years before a reapplication is needed.

Are sealants worth the expense? Prevention is better than treatment. Saviangs in both dollars and discomfort can be gained by application of sealants, rather than allowing decay and requiring the tooth to be restored, especially for those with high risk factors for tooth decay, including health status, medication, access to fluoridated water, and history of previous decay.

Lumineers

Lumineers are a thin veneers that can go over damaged are stained teeth or old crowns--I'm sure some of the dentists you have worked with do them but if you need information about either let me know.

www.lumineers.com

Conscious Sedation

Take a pill and it helps them relax and greatly reduces anxiety. I have used the line: Sleep while we create the smile of your dreams.

Tooth Whitening

Tooth whitening is a bleaching process that lightens discolorations of enamel and dentin. The system uses a mild solution retained in a custom-filled tray that is worn over your mouth.

What causes tooth discoloration? There are many causes. The most common include aging, consumption of staining substances (coffee, tea, colas, tobacco), trauma, nerve degeneration, and old restorations. During tooth formation, consumption of tetracycline or excessive fluoride may also cause tooth discoloration.

Who may benefit from tooth whitening? Almost anyone. However, there are some cases where the treatment may not be effective. A dentist may determine viable candidates for the process through a thorough oral examination and diagnosis. Nite White is ideal for patients who have healthy, unrestored teeth and would like to have a whiter, brighter smile, day or night.

Is the process safe? YES! Research and clinical studies indicate that whitening teeth with carbamide peroxide under the supervision of a dentist is safe for teeth and gums. In fact, many dentist consider this whitening process the safest cosmetic dental procedure available today.

How does it work? The whitening gel is placed in a thin bleaching tray that fits over your teeth. As the active ingredient in the gel, carbamide peroxide, is broken down, oxygen enters the enamael and dentin an bleaches the colored substances. The structure of the tooth is not changed; only the tooth color is made lighter.

How long does it take? Results are usually seen after the first application. Maximum results generally occur when the process is continued for 10-14 nights.

Are there any side effects? Some people experience temporary increased tooth sensitivity to cold during the treatment. These symptoms disappear within 1-3 days after iinterruption or completion of the treatment. Patients using Nite White EXCEL are less likely to get tooth sensitivity.

How long do the results last? The teeth will always be lighter than they once were. However, some patients may need a tooth whitening "touch-up" for 1-2 days, once or twice a year. In order to maintain the whitest tooth shade possible, it is best to avoid substances like coffee, tea, red wine and tobacco.

Crowns

A crown caps a tooth to restore it to its normal shape and size. Its purpose is to strengthen or improve the appearance of a tooth. Crowns are made from gold or nonprecious alloys, porcelain or ceramic, acrylic or composite resin or combinations of these materials.

How is a crown placed? Usually at least two visits are necessary. The dentist will remove the outer portion of your tooth, then make an impression to provide an exact model of the prepared tooth. Temporary crowns are placed while the permanent crown is made. On the second visit, the permanent crown is put in place and adjusted as necessary.

Bridges

A bridge restores one or more teeth that have been lost. Bridges can be fixed or removable. Fixed bridges are bonded into place and while more expensive, are more stable than removable bridges.

Why do I need a bridge? When a tooth is lost, the nearby teeth may tilt toward the empty space, or the teeth in the opposite jaw may move up or down toward the space. This places unusual stress on both the teeth and tissues in your mouth. Tipped teeth are more difficult to clean, and more likely to be lost. Missing teeth can also affect the way you chew and speak.

How is a crown attached? A fixed bridge is commonly cemented to the natural teeth next to the space left by the missing tooth. Crowns, which are cemented onto the natural teeth, provide support for the bridge. Bridges are made from gold and non-precious alloys, porcelain, or a combination of these materials.

Dentures

More commonly known as false teeth, are prosthetic devices constructed to replace missing teeth, and which are supported by surrounding soft and hard. Conventional dentures are removable, however there are many different denture designs, some which rely on clasping onto teeth or mini dental implants.

Trauma

Knocked-out tooth (dental avulsion)

1. Do not touch the root of the tooth. Handle the tooth by the crown only.
2. Rinse the tooth off only if there is dirt covering it. Do not scrub or scrape the tooth.
3. Attempt to reimplant the tooth into the socket with gentle pressure, and hold it in position.
4. If unable to reimplant the tooth, place it in a protective transport solution, such as Hank's solution, milk, or saline. This will hydrate and nourish the periodontal ligament cells which are still attached to the root. A small container of Hank's Balanced Salt Solution can be purchased in dental emergency kit form at many drug stores. Contact lens solution is not an acceptable storage medium.
5. The tooth should not be wrapped in tissue or cloth. The tooth should never be allowed to dry.
6. Take the child to a dentist or hospital emergency room for evaluation and treatment.

Oral Care: Proper Brushing

Proper brushing is essential for cleaning teeth and gums effectively. Use a toothbrush with soft, nylon, round-ended bristles that will not scratch and irritate teeth or damage gums.

1. Place bristles along the gumline at a 45-degree angle. Bristles should contact both the tooth surface and the gumline.
2. Gently brush the outer tooth surfaces of 2-3 teeth using a vibrating back & forth rolling motion. Move brush to the next group of 2-3 teeth and repeat.
3. Maintain a 45-degree angle with bristles contacting the tooth surface and gumline. Gently brush using back, forth, and rolling motion along all of the inner tooth surfaces.
4. Tilt brush vertically behind the front teeth. Make several up & down strokes using the front half of the brush.
5. Place the brush against the biting surface of the teeth & use a gentle back & forth scrubbing motion. Brush the tongue from back to front to remove odor-producing bacteria.

Oral Care: Proper Flossing

Flossing is an essential part of the tooth-cleaning process because it removes plaque from between teeth and at the gumline, where periodontal disease often begins. If you find using floss awkward or difficult, ask your dental hygienist about the variety of dental floss holders or interdental cleaning devices that are available.

1. Wind 18" of floss around middle fingers of each hand. Pinch floss between thumbs and index fingers, leaving a 1"- 2" length in between. Use thumbs to direct floss between upper teeth.
2. Keep a 1" - 2" length of floss taut between fingers. Use index fingers to guide floss between contacts of the lower teeth.
3. Gently guide floss between the teeth by using a zig-zag motion. DO NOT SNAP FLOSS BETWEEN YOUR TEETH. Contour floss around the side of the tooth.
4. Slide floss up and down against the tooth surface and under the gumline. Floss each tooth thoroughly with a clean section of floss.