General and family dentistry

Regular exams are an important part of keeping your mouth healthy. At your appointment we examine your entire mouth, look for cavities and other signs of decay or wear, check your teeth and gums for gingivitis and signs of periodontal disease, and remove the tartar and plaque that build up on the teeth and below the gumline.

This appointment is typically scheduled for 60 minutes. Visiting every six months gives you the chance to ask the doctors any questions about your oral health.

Bonding is a conservative way to repair slightly chipped, discolored or crooked teeth. A tooth-colored filling is placed onto the tooth and bonds with it, closely matching your natural teeth. Bonding costs less than other cosmetic treatments, such as porcelain veneers, and can usually be completed in one visit.

A bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth, literally bridging the gap where one or more teeth were. It can help maintain lip and cheek support and relieve stress on your bite. Bridges can be made from gold, alloys or porcelain and are bonded to the surrounding teeth for support, so it is vital to keep your existing teeth, gums and jaw healthy.

A crown is a cap cemented onto an existing tooth to improve its shape or strengthen it, most often for teeth that are broken, worn or badly decayed. Crowns or onlays (partial crowns) are needed when there is not enough tooth left to hold a filling. Porcelain crowns are most often preferred because they mimic the color and translucency of natural teeth and are very strong.

Your crown is designed just for you so your bite and jaw movements work normally. In some cases we can make your crown in the office, the same day, with CEREC technology.

Dentures are natural-looking, removable replacement teeth. Full dentures replace all of the natural teeth; partial dentures attach to a metal frame connected to your natural teeth and fill in where teeth are missing. Dentures can also be attached to dental implants for extra support and stability. See dental implants.

Sometimes a tooth has to be removed: a baby tooth whose roots stop it falling out, a tooth with too much decay to restore predictably, an infection, orthodontic correction or a problem wisdom tooth. After an extraction neighboring teeth may shift, so we may recommend replacing the tooth with an implant, a bridge or a partial denture.

Fillings replace tooth structure lost to decay or a fracture. Materials include composite resins, glass ionomers, ceramics and amalgam. With today's dental adhesives, tooth-colored composite resin is typically the material of choice: it looks natural and has a great track record.

Fluoride helps prevent cavities and tooth decay, and a treatment in our office takes just a few minutes. Afterward you may be asked not to rinse, eat or drink for at least 30 minutes so the teeth can absorb it. Depending on your oral health, you may have a fluoride treatment every three, six or 12 months.

A dental implant is a titanium post placed in the jawbone to replace the root of a tooth, and an excellent way to replace one tooth or many. Options range from single crowns to implant-supported dentures. See dental implants.

Whether you wear braces or not, protecting your smile in sports is essential, and the American Dental Association recommends a mouthguard for any full-contact sport. There are three basic types: pre-made, boil-and-bite, and custom-made by a dentist. We can help you choose one that is tear-resistant, comfortable, well-fitted, easy to clean and lets you breathe properly.

If you often wake with jaw pain, earaches or headaches, or find yourself clenching or grinding, you may have bruxism. Many people do not know they grind, because it often happens in their sleep, and left alone it can lead to broken or cracked teeth and even tooth loss. A nightguard, custom-made by our office, fits over your top or bottom teeth and prevents contact with the opposing teeth.

When a tooth is cracked or has a deep cavity, bacteria can reach the pulp and cause an infection inside the tooth. Left untreated, an abscess may form, with pain and swelling that can harm the jawbone and your overall health. In root canal treatment the affected tissue is removed, the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed, and the tooth is filled. If the tooth has extensive decay, we may suggest a crown to strengthen it.

Sealants are plastic resins bonded into the deep grooves of the teeth, so the grooves become smooth and less likely to hold plaque. They are usually placed on children's permanent teeth once they come in, and adults can have them on healthy teeth too. We recommend them case by case. Sealants last from three to five years, and it is fairly common to see adults with sealants still intact from childhood.

Veneers are thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored porcelain that cover the front of your teeth, correcting gaps, chips, stains or misshapen teeth. Your doctor may need to prepare the tooth conservatively for the result you want, and once placed they look like natural teeth.

Wisdom teeth are the molars at the very back of the mouth. They usually appear in the late teens or early twenties, and may become impacted when there is not enough room. They are typically removed at that age, when the roots are not fully formed and the surrounding bone is less dense, which can make extraction easier and recovery shorter. Wisdom teeth left in place can be hard to clean and may cause tender gums or tooth pain.