Dentistry for Adults
Why We Recommend Regular Cleanings
It is very important to have your teeth cleaned by our professional hygienist. Consistent brushing may clean most areas of teeth, but there are hard-to-reach areas that will let plaque and tartar accumulate on teeth. Once tartar starts to form below the gumline, you risk more than just cavities – gum disease will start. The bacteria in the gums travel throughout the body, having an unhealthy effect on vital organs.
Please keep your teeth clean with regular professional cleanings for overall good health.
Saving a Tooth from Extraction
Root canal treatments have become easier for patients with advancements in modern dentistry. What used to be a dreaded procedure is now very manageable and much easier with the latest anesthetics. Saving a tooth is recognized as important for good dental health, and our doctors are very successful in keeping a tooth intact with this therapy.
The tooth is saved by removing the interior pulp chamber and filling it with a specific material. Sometimes a crown is placed over the tooth for additional strength. The tooth will be fully functional again after treatment.
Early Detection of Oral Cancer Could Save Your Life
We provide visual screening for oral cancer at your six-month visits. If either the hygienist or doctor sees anything unusual, you are referred to an oral surgeon. Early detection is important, as this type of cancer takes the life of one American every hour. The fatality rate hasn’t changed in 40 years! But early detection is key to effective treatment, so this screening could literally save your life.
Protect Your Teeth During Athletic Performance
Without the proper protection, teeth can easily be knocked out when participating in sports. Each year, nearly 5 million teeth are lost due to trauma and injury to the mouth.
The one-size-fits-all mouth guards bought in stores do not protect well and can actually hinder your athletic performance due to breathing difficulties while wearing it. We offer custom-made mouth guards that fit well, can be inserted and removed easily, and do not interfere with your best performance.
The American Dental Association recommends the use of custom-made mouthguards for these sports:
Acrobatics, basketball, boxing, field hockey, football, gymnastics, handball, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, racquetball, roller hockey, rugby, shotputting, skateboarding, skiing, skydiving, soccer, squash, surfing, volleyball, water polo, weight lifting, wrestling.
Custom Nightguard Eliminates Teeth Grinding
If you are aware of clenching and grinding your teeth while you sleep or during stressful times, we can reduce the wear and tear on your teeth with a custom-made nightguard. We fit and make your appliance right here in our office. Using this protection will relieve pain symptoms, keep more tooth structure intact, and protect restorations from damage. Regular use will produce optimal results for elimination of pain and protection of teeth and fillings.
Do You Suffer From Bad Breath?
Bad breath is often symptomatic of gum infection. Before this problem becomes chronic, it is important to come into our office for a diagnosis and treatment. We have a fresh breath center where we use a Halimeter™ to measure your breath and help return it to its freshest for your good health and best social life.
In-House Tooth Extractions
Occasionally, a tooth cannot be saved by typical treatments and must be extracted. Examples include impacted third molars or extensive infections or damage to the tooth. Leaving the tooth intact would only create other problems.
We perform almost all extractions here in our office. No need to be inconvenienced and referred to another doctor. You can be assured of our skills and caring nature to take care of the problem.
Extracting Third Molars
Third molars, commonly referred to as wisdom teeth, start to grow in later years, usually 17 to 25. They appear at the very back of your dental arch, one on each side of both the upper and lower jaws. They often crowd other teeth and do not have sufficient room to grow in properly.
There are a range of problems that result from wisdom teeth impaction, which means the teeth do not grow upward and straight. They cause other teeth to twist and turn, cavities can easily develop in these teeth, and a jaw bone infection can occur. We recommend having wisdom teeth removed early in life, before problems occur in the jaw and teeth.