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.

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.

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 carbamide peroxide is 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 carbamide peroxide, against the teeth. Once the mouth guard is made, it is worn for a period of time, generally from a couple of hours a day to every day during the night for up to four weeks or longer, if desired.

A crown is a dental restoration that completely covers the outside of a severely decayed tooth. Dental crowns can be completed in two visits. During the first visit, the tooth is prepped and an impression is taken. A temporary crown is placed while the permanent crown is being made. During the second visit, the permanent crown is fitted comfortably and then cemented into place for a permanent restoration.

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 a crown(s) is made for the teeth on either side of the space and a false tooth is placed in between the crowns, as a support.

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.

All on Four® are permanent teeth that do not have to be removed, can be cleaned like regular teeth, and do not need adhesives to keep them in place. All-On-Four® dental implants are a unique implant solution for patients who are missing many teeth or have compromised bone volume. Instead of using 6 or 8 implants on one arch of implants, All on Four® uses up to 4 implants per arch.

Our primary goal is to save your natural teeth whenever possible. When root canal therapy is performed the pulp chamber of the tooth is removed and then filled with a suitable filling material. Root canals are most often necessary when decay has reached the nerve of the tooth or the tooth has become infected.

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 or orthodontist 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 you’re straightening your teeth.

Sleep apnea is a disorder in which one experiences one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Sleep apnea is an ongoing condition that disrupts sleep. When breathing is paused or becomes shallow, one will often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep, making the quality of sleep poor.

Sleep apnea can be treated with lifestyle changes, mouthpieces, breathing devices, and/or surgery. For mild sleep apnea, a custom fitted mouth piece or some lifestyle changes (weight loss, smoking cessation, clearing nasal passages) may be helpful.

A habit appliance is useful to help stop a thumb or finger habit and/or to help re-train an improper tongue position or swallowing pattern. It is necessary to place an appliance to minimize the harm and distortion the habits or tongue posture can have on teeth. Most habit appliances are banded for adhesion to the back molars and are not removable.

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 mouth 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.
Partial Dentures are made only when a few teeth need to be replaced. The 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.

Lasers in dentistry allow for many dental procedures to be performed with no noise, very little pain and 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 or a vaporizer of tissue that it comes in contact with. When used for “curing” a filling, the laser helps to strengthen the bond between the filling and the tooth. 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

Some of the dental treatment provided by lasers are as followed:

• Reshape gum tissue
• Biopsy or remove soft tissue lesions and ulcers
• Eliminate pockets of infected gum tissue
• Oral surgery and extractions

Biomimetic Dentistry is defined as the reconstruction of teeth to emulate their natural biomechanical and esthetic form and function. Simply put, biomimetic dentistry means to copy what is life-like. With biomimetic dentistry, only the damage and decayed part of the tooth is removed and the final restoration is bonded to the remaining healthy natural tooth structure. Biomimetic restorations include stress-reduced direct composite restorations and porcelain/composite inlays and onlays that restore the biomechanics of broken and damaged teeth. Traditional dental treatments do not follow the biomimetic approach. When restoring damaged, broken, and decayed teeth, the goal is to return the tooth to its original strength, function, and esthetics. Biomimetic dentistry accomplishes all of this in a conservative, strong, and attractive approach.