Our Services


Our office offers a full array of General and Restorative Dental services to help you maintain healthy teeth. You can read more on this page about specific services.

Initial Oral Examination
Your initial oral examination includes a visual examination, charting, periodontal probing, diagnosis and treatment recommendations. We will also take x-rays, which includes the panoramic x-ray for proper diagnosis of the anterior (front) and posterior (back) teeth as well as the bite-wing x-ray series for proper diagnosis of proximal decay of posterior teeth.

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Regular Hygiene/Cleaning Visits
The most predictable way to maintain your oral health is through routine homecare and routine maintenance with your team of dental professionals.  Our goal is to keep your teeth and gums as healthy and as comfortable as they can be, thus looking their best. A thorough cleaning appointment, necessary X-rays, lessons in proper home care, and a complete check up with our dentists is our standard of care and we will not settle for anything less.

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Bonding/Tooth-Colored Fillings
Dental bonding, also known as composite or tooth bonding, is an excellent way to fix cosmetic and structural imperfections in the teeth. Dental bonding can repair cracked, chipped, and discolored teeth as well as replace silver amalgam fillings. Cosmetic bonding can also repair misaligned teeth, providing a straighter, more uniform smile.

Bonding offers several benefits for patients. Bonding can usually be completed in one office visit, depending on the extent of repair needed. It is quick, affordable and relatively painless. Dental bonding is also a great alternative to more extensive/invasive cosmetic dentistry treatment with porcelain veneers, fixed bridges, and crowns. Additionally, the composite resin used in a cosmetic bonding procedure is very flexible, expanding and contracting with the natural tooth to prevent cracks and tooth loss. Dental bonding is an excellent option for individuals looking to repair minor imperfections in their smile.

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Inlays/Onlays
Porcelain inlays and onlays are dental restorations that have grown in popularity in the last several years.  When a restoration is indicated and the area in question is too large for a regular filling but not large enough to warrant a full-coverage restoration, an inlay or onlay may be in order.  Durable and long-lasting, porcelain bonded inlays and onlays maintain the strength and integrity of porcelain restorations while remaining more stain-resistant than direct composite bonding.  Furthermore, an inlay or onlay restoration will not compromise additional healthy tooth structure and preserves as much of the remaining tooth as possible.

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Crowns
For teeth that are badly damaged, dental crowns can be an effective treatment option. The dental crown procedure utilizes tooth-shaped coverings made of metal, ceramic or porcelain to restore strength, protect the underlying tooth and eliminate discomfort. In addition, dental crowns may be used to anchor a dental bridge or to cap a dental implant post. 

The vaious types of crowns include all ceramic crowns, porcelain fused to metal crowns and all-metal crowns.  In the past, porcelain fused to metal crowns have been the gold standard for prosthetic dental treatment.  Recently, all ceramic crowns, made of porcelain or other dental ceramic materials, have become increasingly popular. They create an extremely natural-looking appearance and are typically used on front teeth. The tooth-colored ceramic material is translucent, like the enamel of your natural teeth, and size and shape can be carefully matched to complement the rest of your smile.

Typically, the dental crown procedure is completed in two stages. During the first stage, the dentist removes portions of your natural tooth’s structure to accommodate the dental crown. Surrounding teeth may also be prepared in this way. An impression is made and sent to the lab, where your dental crown is created in about three weeks. A temporary crown will be in place between visits to ensure the most natural look and feel. When you return to the dentist’s office, the temporary crown is removed and your new, custom dental crown is securely bonded in place.  History shows that patients can expect to replace their dental crowns after approximately 8 to 15 years depending on tooth wear, recurrent decay, leakage or corrosion in the surrounding area.

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Veneers (also referred to as Porcelain Laminates)
Veneers are wafer-thin, custom-made shells of tooth-colored porcelain designed to cover the front surface of teeth to improve your appearance. These shells are bonded to the front of the teeth changing their color, shape, size and/or length.

Porcelain veneers resist stains better than composite bonding and better mimic the light reflecting properties of natural teeth.  Porcelain veneers are routinely used to fix
teeth that are discolored, teeth that are worn down, teeth that are chipped or broken, teeth that are misaligned, uneven, or irregularly shaped and teeth with gaps between them. 

Veneers offer a nice intermediate option between composite bonding and full-coverage crowns. Veneers may be best suited for individuals who want to change the shape of their teeth more than just a little bit-as is done with bonding-but do not quite need a full-coverage crown.

The advantages of Dental veneers include providing a natural tooth appearance, allowing the gum tissue to tolerate porcelain, resistance to staining, a stronger, more aesthetic alternative to bonding and a longer-lasting restoration as compared to composite bonding.  Dental veneers also do not require special care, as following good oral hygiene practices including brushing and flossing will maintain the restorations longer.

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Dental Implants
Dental implants replace missing teeth with prosthetic teeth that look, feel and perform like their own. During the first step of this procedure, a doctor surgically places a titanium post in the mouth, serving as an artificial root replacement.  This titanium implant osseointegrates into the existing bone and forms a structural and functional connection between the living bone and the implant.  Once in the bone, a cover screw is placed and the operation site is allowed to heal for a few months for complete integration to occur, prior to building on top of the titanium implant.

Generally, after some months the implant is uncovered and a healing abutment and temporary crown is placed onto the implant. This allows the gum to grow in the right scalloped shape to approximate a natural tooth's gums and allows assessment of the final aesthetics of the restored tooth. Once this has occurred a permanent crown will then be constructed and secured on the implant.

Dental implant-retained dentures are a vast improvement over conventional dentures. They’re more stable and user-friendly than many other teeth replacement options, and because the posts that secure dental implants in place are integrated into the jaw, they also help prevent bone loss and mandibular atrophy.  However, some medical circumstances – including radiation therapy in the mouth area, and diseases such as diabetes — lower the success rate for implant dentistry. For that reason, patients must undergo a rigorous screening process before they may proceed with implant dentistry.

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Whitening
Whether you are self-conscious because you have yellowed teeth from smoking or drinking coffee, or you just want to look your best, tooth whitening is a sure way to brighten your smile and gain increased confidence in your appearance.  The tooth whitening process eliminates discoloration and stains on the teeth, and can also brighten the natural pigmentation of the teeth. The degree of improvement is variable and will depend upon how severely the teeth are stained or discolored as well as the nature of the stains. When teeth are brown or yellow due to coffee, tea, or smoking, stains will generally lighten four to five shades. Teeth that are gray due to natural pigmentation or antibiotics use will lighten two to three shades. Regardless, your teeth will be noticeably brighter after teeth whitening. While there are a number of over-the-counter teeth whitening methods that make various claims, only a dental professional can recommend the most effective teeth whitening treatment for you.

The most effective teeth whitening techniques available today are in-office professional whitening and the at-home whitening kits, with custom-fit trays. Both teeth whitening techniques are best performed under your dentist’s supervision to ensure the safest results.

In-Office, High-Intensity Light Tooth Whitening:
In-office teeth whitening methods are performed with bleaching gel and ultra-violet laser light. This method is closely monitored by the cosmetic dentist. The teeth are carefully isolated from the lips and gums, and then a bleaching gel is applied to them. A laser is used in conjunction with the gel to accelerate and amplify the tooth whitening process.  Teeth-whitening systems usually involve in-office applications of gel to the teeth and then the application of light in order to activate the gel. We utilize the popular Zoom2 Whitening, as seen on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover.”

At-Home Tooth Whitening:
There are several choices for those who are interested in at-home teeth whitening methods. Our office can take imprints of your teeth and then make custom-fitted trays for you to take home to complete the tooth whitening process. There are also over-the-counter products available to brighten your smile. These include a variety of whitening toothpastes and "paint-on" whitening products and whitening strips.

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Root Canal Therapy
Root Canal Therapy is indicated in a variety of dental situations.  Most commonly teeth that are a result of decay, trauma or previous dental treatment may lead to Root Canal Therapy.  and Treatment starts by cleaning out the damaged areas of the tooth. The pulpal tissue within the pulp chamber is removed and any remaining nerve tissue from the root canals is cleared. This is done to eliminate the pain from a damaged tooth and to remove infected tissue.  The root canal space is then slightly widened and the inside of the tooth is shaped and disinfected.  Once the tooth has been properly prepared, the root canal space is filled with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha filling. In most instances the pulp chamber is then restored with a core buildup material and ultimately repaired with a crown. 

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Invisalign
A proven, effective way to gradually move your teeth through a series of custom-made, removable and nearly invisible Aligners.

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