Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, with routine dental and preventive care combined with excellent oral hygiene.

No, when proper techniques are used, dental treatment can are comfortable and pain free.

Yes. Flossing once a day prevents the buildup of plaque & deters the onset of gingivitis & periodontal disease.

This a sign that Periodontal Disease is present and needs to be treated. This is what leads to tooth loss.

Tooth decay & periodontal disease are the most common causes of tooth loss. Tooth decay takes place when most of the tooth's mineral makeup has been dissolved away & a hole (cavity) has formed. While tooth decay primarily affects children, periodontal disease, or gum disease, affects mostly adults. Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums caused by the buildup of plaque, & its earliest stage is known as gingivitis.

Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums around the roots of the teeth. It marks the early stage of periodontal disease & it is characterized by red, swollen gums.

If periodontal disease is caught at an early stage (when it has not progressed beyond the point of gingivitis), it can be treated with scaling and root-planing (removing plaque around the tooth & smoothing the roots' surfaces). If the disease progresses to a later stage, the patient may need surgical treatment, which involves cutting the gums, eliminating the hardened plaque build-up, & repairing the damaged bone.

No, our equipment is state of the art and minimizes patient exposure.

Gaps may range from wide spaces between the teeth, to a missing tooth or teeth. Gaps, or diastematas, are efficiently closed by use of bonding with composite resin, veneers or crowning.

Worn teeth are usually a sign of "bite problems". Worn teeth can be restored with some form of reconstruction, veneers and/or crowns.

Some signs are heat and cold sensitivity, swelling and pain, or a bad taste in your mouth. Or, you may experience no symptoms at all, and not realize that you have a dental problem until your Dentist discovers this before you get symptoms.

A child should have his first dental appointment no later than his third birthday. Many dentists recommend a child have his first appointment when the first tooth comes in.

Anyone who is in danger of developing impacted wisdom teeth (third molars that only partially erupt or get trapped or stuck in the jaw) should have them removed so that they do not damage adjacent molars & cause other oral problems. In addition, anyone who is getting dentures should have their wisdom teeth removed.

Also known as "aesthetic dentistry" cosmetic dentistry is a branch of dentistry that implements many different procedures to improve the beauty of your smile.

Yes, we offer professional teeth whitening.

It is a bleaching process that lightens discoloration of enamel and dentin.

The complete procedure takes less than an hour. The procedure begins with a preparation period followed as little as by 45 minutes of bleaching. And who may benefit from tooth whitening? Almost anyone.

No, porcelain or white composite fillings are our treatment of choice.

Dentures are a partial or complete set of artificial teeth used to occupy the upper or lower jaw, usually attached to a plate. Simply put, dentures are a set of false teeth. If you have lost most or all of your teeth, you are a perfect candidate for complete dentures. If you still have some natural teeth remaining, a partial denture is recommended to help improve chewing ability, speech, & support for facial muscles.

In order to determine your specific needs, an orthodontist will completely evaluate your mouth. This will likely include: -Impressions of your teeth, from which models are made (these are useful for the orthodontist, and will remind you exactly how your teeth looked before correction). -Photographs of your teeth, face, and smile -X-rays of your head and teeth -Your medical health history and dental health history

Brush between wires and gums to loosen any food particles. There are special toothbrushes for this, check with us for recommendations. i) Start on the outside of your upper teeth, positioning the bristles at a 45 degree angle, toward the gum. Brush two to three teeth at a time using a circular motion, about ten strokes. ii) Next, brush the inner surfaces in the same manner. Brush the chewing surfaces. Repeat the same process for the lower teeth as for the upper ones. iii) Rinse your mouth as well as your toothbrush. Check your teeth in a mirror to make sure you’ve brushed all tooth surfaces. iv) Floss daily between braces using a floss threader. Toothpicks, stimudents, and other interdental devices work well under brackets.

You can eat just about anything, but there are some exceptions. We feel that getting used to braces also usually means making a few adjustments in your eating habits. This is because some food might damage your braces or cause problems for your teeth. Here’s a list of items to avoid (or some ways they can still be enjoyed with caution): -Apples (don’t bite into a whole one! Cut it into wedges first.), Candy (caramels, taffy, nut brittles, fruit-flavored chewy candies, gummi anything!), Carrots (avoid sticks, cut into thin curls), Corn on the cob (remove the kernels from the cob, then enjoy!), Corn chips/crisp tacos, Hard foods (they’re tough on braces, causing bending and breaking), Ice (no crunching!), Lemon juice/lemons (pure lemon juice is very hard on your tooth enamel), Nuts, Pizza crust/crusty breads (outer edges), Popcorn, Pretzels (the large, hard varieties), Sticky foods (can bend wires and pull off brackets), Sugary foods (avoid these as much as possible; if you do eat them, brush your teeth or at least rinse your mouth with water)

A dental implant is a titanium metal replacement for a root of a tooth that is surgically implanted in the jawbone. As the body heals for approximately two to six months after the surgery, the bone around the implant fuses to the implant through a process called osseointegration. After the healing phase is complete, the implants are used to anchor crowns, bridges, or dentures.

We begin with a thorough evaluation of the patient’s medical and dental history, and a full clinical examination of the entire mouth and missing tooth area. The clinical exam should also include specific X-rays. After assessing the patient, a comprehensive treatment plan can be devised. From that point, implants are surgically placed in the jawbone under local anesthesia. The length of the healing time is based on the quality and quantity of bone, as well as the type of implant placed. After adequate healing is allowed to occur, the implant can be used to support a crown, bridge, or denture.

Root canal is necessary when the nerve or blood supply of the tooth (also known as the pulp) is infected due to injury or decay. Root canal treatment involves removal of the diseased pulp, followed by the cleaning and sealing of the pulp chamber & root canal.

Root canal disease can manifest itself with a wide variety and combination of symptoms. Common symptoms of root canal disease include: -Lingering sensitivity to cold liquids, Lingering sensitivity to hot liquids, Sensitivity to sweets, Pain to biting pressure, Pain that is referred from a tooth to another area, such as the neck, temple, or the ear, Spontaneous toothache, such as that experienced while reading a magazine, watching television, etc., Constant or intermittent pain, Severe pain, Throbbing pain, Pain that may occur in response to atmospheric pressure changes, such as when flying or scuba diving, Pain that may occur in response to postural changes, such as when going from a standing to a reclining position, Swelling. If you have any of these symptoms and concerns, please contact us because you might have root canal disease or another dental problem. Some of these symptoms may also be attributable to decay, defective fillings, periodontal diseases, cracked teeth, or other tooth or bite-related problems. On other occasions, the symptoms may even be caused by disorders that are not related to the teeth.

Many people alarmed when their dentists tell them they need root canal therapy. While dentists are sympathetic to fears of pain, we also want you to know that root canal therapy has three purposes: i)Stop the toothache ii)Prevent bacteria and pain from spreading into the jaw iii)Maintain the original tooth instead of replacing it with a denture or bridge The root canal is actually a channel that runs from the root of the tooth, which connects to the bone, up to the top surface of the tooth. The canal contains blood vessels, nerves, and the complex cells that make up the living tissue inside the tooth. This lifeline inside the tooth is called the pulp. When a tooth is decayed or cracked, bacteria can get to the pulp. The acid from the bacteria irritates the pulp and it becomes inflamed; it’s the same process you watch when other parts of your body become infected. When the pulp tissue becomes inflamed, it’s harder for blood to flow to the tissue, and the resulting pressure creates pain inside your tooth.

A root canal procedure limits the infection and keeps it from destroying the tooth. During the root canal treatment procedure, the dentist removes the inflamed or infected tissue, carefully cleans, disinfects, and shapes the root canal space inside the tooth, and then fills and seals this space. It may take one or more appointments to complete the procedure. A protective restoration should be placed after root canal treatment has been completed in order to restore the tooth to function and help prevent tooth fracture. We think of a root canal as washing the invasive bacteria out of the root, filling it with a biocompatible material that soothes the area, then sealing it back up again. Fill it with a solid filling or a crown, and you’re as good as new.