General Services

An oral examination is a visual inspection of the mouth, head, and neck, performed to detect abnormalities.  Radiographs allow for a more complete examination, helping the doctor to detect cavities, problems in existing dental restorations, gum and bone recession or other abnormal conditions within the mouth, head and neck area.

A dental cleaning, also known as an oral prophylaxis, is the removal of dental plaque and tartar (calculus) from the teeth. Specialized instruments are used to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth. First, an ultrasonic device that emits vibrations and is cooled by water is used to loosen larger pieces of tartar. Next, hand tools are used to manually remove smaller deposits and smooth the tooth surfaces. Once all the tooth surfaces have been cleaned of tartar and plaque, the teeth are polished.

Many sports require athletes to use a Mouth Guard to protect their teeth while practicing and playing. Frequently used in contact sports, the mouth guard covers the gums and teeth to provide protection for lips, gums, teeth and arches. A properly fitted mouth guard can reduce the severity of dental injuries.

Pre-formed, ready-to-wear mouth guards can be purchased inexpensively at many sporting stores, but they do not always fit well. They can be uncomfortable and interfere with talking and even breathing.

Sporting goods stores also offer semi-custom mouth guards, in which the plastic is heated and then the athlete bites on it while still warm to provide some level of custom fit.

Your dentist can make a custom mouth guard by taking an impression of your teeth and then creating a device fitted to your mouth for the highest level of both comfort and protection. A custom fitted mouthguard can be particularly important for athletes who wear braces.

Be sure to bring your mouthguard to your dental appointments so your doctor can be sure it still fits you well.

Sealants protect your child’s teeth from decay. Sealants are placed on the biting surfaces of premolars and molars to seal the grooves and pits of the teeth. The teeth are prepped for the sealant application and the sealant is painted directly on the chewing surface of the teeth and then hardens. Sealants are applied in one visit.

A crown is a dental restoration that completely covers the outside of a severely decayed tooth, fractured tooth or tooth that has lost a significant amount of structure. Dental crowns can be completed in one visit. During the visit, the tooth is prepped (shaved down) and a digital impression is taken. A permanent crown is fabricated out of high strength cosmetic porcelain and is cemented in place.

Visit our Same Day Crowns page for more information.

A bridge replaces missing teeth without the use of a denture or dental implant. A false tooth is held in place by being attached to a neighboring tooth. In order to fabricate a bridge, crowns are made for the teeth on either side of the space and a false tooth is placed in between the crowns, which act as supports.

Dental implants are the replacement of tooth roots in the mouth. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth. Dental implants, which are placed in the jawbone, are small anchors made of a biocompatible metal called titanium. The anchors begin to fuse with the bone over the course of a few months. After the fusing process, known as osseointegration, abutment posts are inserted into the anchors to allow for the permanent attachment of the replacement teeth.

For more information on our dental implant services, please visit our Dental Implant Website:

Dental Implant Services

A denture is a removable replacement for missing teeth. There are two types of dentures, complete (full) and partial dentures.

Complete (Full) Dentures are made after all the teeth in the upper and/or lower jaw have been removed and the gum tissue has healed. The denture includes an acrylic base that is custom made in the dental laboratory and are made to look like natural gums, which sits over the gums or can be anchored to dental implants.

Removable Partial Dentures are made only when a few teeth need to be replaced. The removable partial denture either attaches to crowns on either side of the denture or to a metal framework that is attached to the teeth on both sides of the partial denture. Partial dentures can be removable or they can be anchored in place by attaching them to dental implants.

Removable partial dentures can be supported in place by attaching them to dental implants when wearing them during the day.

Tooth-colored fillings are the most lifelike material used to fill cavities. Composite fillings can be done in one visit. Once the decay is removed from the tooth, it is filled with this composite material and left to harden immediately afterwards.

Whitening, also known as bleaching, is the procedure used to brighten teeth. There are two different ways to achieve a desired whiter smile, In-Office Bleaching and At-Home Bleaching.

In-Office Bleaching usually requires only one office visit. A protective gel or a rubber shield is placed over the gums to protect the soft tissue. A bleaching agent containing various peroxide agents are applied to the teeth, and a laser light is then used to enhance the action of the whitening agent .

At-Home bleaching requires an impression of the teeth to be taken to make a customized mouth guard to hold the whitening gel, containing a low dose of carbide peroxide, against the teeth. Once the mouth guard is made, it is worn for a period of time, as instructed by our office. The amount of time may vary from a couple hours a day, or all night, for up to four weeks or longer, if desired.

Invisalign® takes a modern approach to straightening teeth, using a custom-made series of aligners created for you and only you. These aligner trays are made of smooth, comfortable and virtually invisible plastic that you wear over your teeth. Wearing the aligners will gradually and gently shift your teeth into place, based on the exact movements your dentist plans out for you. There are no metal brackets to attach and no wires to tighten. You just pop in a new set of aligners approximately every two weeks, until your treatment is complete. You’ll achieve a great smile with little interference in your daily life. The best part about the whole process is that most people won’t even know that you’re straightening your teeth.

Porcelain veneers are thin pieces of porcelain used to recreate the natural look of teeth. To place a veneer, a very small amount of the original tooth enamel must be removed. Afterwards, an adhesive layer is placed between the slightly prepped tooth and the veneer. The veneer is then hardened with a curing light.

BOTOX® Cosmetic is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles and used to improve the look of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyebrows (glabellar lines) and around the side of the eyes ( crow’s feet lines) in adults for a short period of time (temporary).

BOTOX® is used for a number of medical conditions. Ask your doctor for more details to find out if treatment with BOTOX® may be right for you.

Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure used to treat gum disease. During the scaling process, specialized dental instruments are used to remove dental plaque and calculus from beneath the gums. Planing is the procedure used to smooth the tooth’s root after the scaling process. Root planing helps the gums heal and reattach themselves to a cleaner and smoother root surface.

Root canals are most often necessary when decay has reached the nerve of the tooth or the tooth has become infected.  When root canal therapy is performed, infected or inflamed pulp is removed from the tooth chamber. The inside of the tooth is then cleaned and disinfected before being filled and sealed to limit the possibility of future infection.  Soon after the root canal is performed, the tooth is restored with a dental crown or filling to protect the tooth and restore normal tooth function.

A tooth that can not be saved with restorative materials may need to be removed. Before removing your tooth, the area will be numbed with anesthesia. The tooth is then loosened using a special dental instrument known as an elevator. After it is loosened from the socket, it is gently removed by forceps, a dental instrument commonly used in dental extractions. Stitches may be necessary after the removal of a tooth.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is similar to a sliding hinge that connects your jawbone to your skull. TMJ disorders can cause pain in the jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement.

To treat TMJ disorders, first the cause has to be identified. In less severe cases TMJ disorders can be treated with self-managed care (easting soft foods, using ice packs, avoiding extreme jaw movement) or nonsurgical treatments (anti-inflammatory medications, Botox injections, stabilization splints).

Nitrous oxide, sometimes referred to as “laughing gas,” is an effective and safe sedation agent that is inhaled through a mask that fits over your nose to help you relax. Mixed with oxygen, Nitrous oxide allows you to breathe normally through your nose and within minutes you should start to feel the effects. You may feel light-headed or a tingling in your arms and legs. Some patient’s comment that their legs and arms feel heavy. Ultimately, you should feel comfortable and calm. The effects of nitrous oxide wear off quickly after the small mask is removed. Talk to the doctor about whether nitrous oxide would be a good option for you.

What is obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)?

OSA is a common disorder that causes breathing pauses while you sleep. These breathing pauses may occur 30 times or more an hour. As a result, your quality of sleep suffers, making you tired during the day.

What causes OSA?

• Enlarged tongue and/or tonsils
• Overweight
• Narrow airway
• Aging

OSA can increase the risk of:

• High blood pressure
• Heart attacks, stroke, or irregular heart beats
• Severe weight gain
• Diabetes
• Loss of libido
• Work-related or driving accidents

Optisleep® is an advanced oral appliance by design. It helps control your OSA and offers great comfort from the start. OSA must be diagnosed by a Physician first. Please call us for a free consultation.

CEREC® is an acronym for Chairside Economical Restorations of Esthetic Ceramics. Translated, it means that a dentist can economically restore damaged teeth in one single appointment using high quality porcelain material that matches the color, shape, and composition of natural teeth. CBCT allows us to diagnose and treat patients with extreme accuracy and precision by rendering high resolution 3D x-rays. Dental lasers helps us treat patients more comfortably without the need of invasive surgeries.

CEREC® Dental Technology combines in one system an optical camera, computer and milling machine within the office that allows for a perfect design replacing tooth structure and placement of the restoration all in one visit without the need of impressions and temporaries.

Lasers in dentistry allow for many dental procedures to be performed with no noise, minimal pain, faster recovery times and often fewer appointments. All lasers work by delivering energy in the form of light.

When used for surgical and dental procedures, the laser acts as a cutting instrument. When used for “curing” a filling, the laser helps to strengthen the bond between the filling and the tooth. When used in teeth-whitening procedures, the laser acts as a heat source and enhances the effect of tooth-bleaching agents. The procedures performed with dental lasers are minimally invasive and preferable to conventional surgery.

Other benefits of laser dentistry over traditional methods can include:

• Reduced heat and vibration
• Little or no need for anesthetic
• Faster treatment time
• Increased rate of retention
• Less post-operative complications

Lasers can be used to:

• “Cure” or harden fillings
• Whiten teeth
• Reshape gum tissue
• Biopsy or remove soft tissue lesions and ulcers
• Remove areas of tooth decay
• Eliminate pockets of infected gum tissue
• Root canal therapy
• Correct ankyloglossia (tongue-tied)
• Perform oral surgery and extractions