During an oral examination, a visual inspection is performed to detect normal and abnormal structures of the entire mouth, head and neck. Along with radiographs, an examination detects cavities, abnormalities in existing dental restorations, gum and bone recession and any other abnormal findings within the mouth, head and neck.  Also included in the oral examination is a thorough oral cancer screening to check for any oral tissue inconsistencies and/or lesions.

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.

These removable acrylic appliances are intended to relieve temporomandibular joint pain and other effects of grinding the teeth (bruxism). Day Guards are thinner, less bulky mouthpieces that can help alleviate teeth grinding during the day, while Night Guards are thicker, softer mouthpieces intended for wearing while sleeping.

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. People have anywhere from 1 to 4 canals in a tooth. Extra canals may branch out and are called “accessory canals.” The number of canals and anatomy of a tooth can vary.

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

Chairside Whitening 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 .

Take Home whitening 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.

 GLO™ Science Professional teeth Whitening, available exclusively from your dentist, is a low sensitivity, high concentration state of the art system that provides superior whitening in one visit. Using a closed system mouthpiece, GLO™, or Guided Light Optics, combines the use of heat and light to activate the the GLO™ professional strength whitening gel. The closed mouthpiece prevents oxygens from escaping from the mouth, making the process more efficient and effective. There are no trays required and the patient gets to keep the mouthpiece after the treatment is complete. 

 Using transparent aligners that have been custom made for your teeth, Clear Aligners (Minor Tooth Movement®) work to correct small imperfections in your smile, such as crowding and gaps. A set of aligners will be created to slowly change the position of your teeth, leaving you with a beautiful smile at a fraction of traditional braces.

Virtually invisible, there are several advantages clear brackets have over traditional braces and aligners. Clear braces combine tieless braces with high technology arch wires that are clinically proven to move teeth fast and comfortably with truly spectacular smile and facial results. Clear braces combine the best of traditional clear braces and invisible aligners to deliver a discrete treatment experience with results that go beyond straight teeth.

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 (shaved down) 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.

An inlay or onlay is a partial crown restoration that can be placed when there is not sufficient tooth structure to support a filling, but not quite large enough to require a crown. They are made of a composite or porcelain that aesthetically replaces the missing tooth structure.

After cavities are cleaned, a composite filling is used to “patch up” the cavity that bacteria leave behind when they infect the tooth. Composite fillings are safe and shaded to match the color of the tooth.

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.

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.

Dental implants are the replacement of tooth roots in the mouth. Implants provide a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth. Dental implants are small anchors made of a biocompatible metal called titanium, which are placed in the jawbone. The anchors begin to fuse with the bone over 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.

Also called Sub Epithelial Connective Tissue Grafting, it is commonly used to treat root exposure resulting from receded gum tissue. Connective tissue is removed from the gum tissue near the tooth and stitched into the area needing gingival repair. In this procedure, the tissues used for the graft does not remove the top layer of epithelial tissue, which makes this type of procedure more comfortable for the patient.

Commonly used to expose more tooth structure. Crown lengthening involves the removal of gum tissue and/or bone to expose more of a tooth’s structure.

Commonly used to treat root exposure resulting from receded gum tissue. Tissue is removed from the roof of the mouth or from gum tissue near the tooth and stitched into the area needing gingival repair.

The replacement or enhancement of bone around teeth. When a tooth is lost, the surrounding bone collapses. Bone grafting is performed to reverse bone loss or enhance bone. The bone can be taken from parts of the body or from synthetic material. Bone grafting allows for proper support of dental implants or prostheses.

A surgical procedure used to smooth and reshape affected bone under the gum tissue. This procedure is performed when a pocket around a tooth (or teeth) has not responded to other treatments. It creates a shallow pocket making it difficult for bacteria to survive and damage bone, resulting in bone loss and ultimately, tooth loss.

A periodontal surgical procedure that regenerates jaw bone and surrounding tissue. This procedure is often performed to protect your existing teeth and the tissues that keep them in place from bacterial plaque. The gingival tissue is folded back to remove the disease-causing bacteria. Membranes, bone grafts or tissue-stimulating proteins can be used to encourage the body’s natural ability to regenerate bone and tissue.

Involves placing a regenerative bone grafting material into empty tooth sockets to rebuild bone where an extraction has left an empty, weakened area. This process encourages your body’s natural capacity to regenerate bone.

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.

 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.

For moderate to severe sleep apnea, a breathing device called CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) or surgery to widen the breathing passages by shrinking, stiffening, or removing excess tissue in the mouth and throat or resetting the lower jaw may be helpful. A CPAP machine uses a mask that fits over your mouth and/or nose and gently blows air into your throat. This air pressure helps keep your airway open while you sleep. Surgery to shrink the tissue involves a small shot into the breathing passages. Surgery to stiffen excess tissue requires a small incision in the tissue and inserting a piece of stiff plastic.