- Teeth CleaningBe sure to see your dentist for regular checkups and professional teeth cleanings. Most people can be seen every six months, but some people require more frequent visits. Talk to your dentist to determine your appropriate schedule.
- Fluoride TreatmentYour child should visit the dentist every six months for regular checkups and professional dental cleanings. We recommend fluoride treatments twice a year, at your child’s cleaning, to keep your child’s teeth strong. We recommend sealants to coat the deep grooves in your child’s teeth, to keep decay from forming and preventing cavities. Sealants can last for several years, but will be monitored at regular checkups.
- Dental SealantsDental sealants are protective coatings that are applied to the chewing surfaces of molars, where decay often starts in deep grooves. Ask your dentist if dental sealants are a good option for you or your children.
- Fillings
- Resin CompositeCavities are most often treated with fillings. A filling is synthetic material that your dentist uses to patch a cavity after removing all the tooth decay. To keep you comfortable during your filling procedure, your dentist will numb the tooth needing treatment with an anesthetic. Materials that dentists use for fillings include: silver amalgam, ceramic, gold, and composite resins. Tooth colored dental fillings are made out of ceramic or composite resins. If you require a filling, be sure to discuss with your doctor what material is best for you and your smile.
- Veneers
- CrownsAfter a crown prep procedure, a temporary crown is placed. The cement used is weak to provide easy access for placing your permanent crown.
- Bridges
- Root Canal TreatmentDuring and immediately after a root canal procedure, before and until the permanent restoration is placed, the tooth in treatment is more prone to fracture. Chew food on the opposite side and take any medication as prescribed.
- Gingivectomy and GingivoplastyFor smiles that are too gummy, have gums covering too much of some teeth while leaving others the right length, or have teeth that look too short, dental crown lengthening procedures or gingivoplasty may be a good solution. These procedures involve excess gum tissue being removed to expose more of the tooth, sculpting the gum line to reveal a more balanced smile.
- Periodontal SurgeryThe goal of periodontal surgery is to reduce pocket depth with the ideal result being pocket elimination, creating an ideal environment for the patient to practice good oral hygiene. If the bone under the gums has not been altered by infection, trimming excess tissue may be all that is required. Flap surgery, which gives the periodontist access to the bone underneath the gum, allows the periodontist to smooth and recontour the bone. This can allow for the gum to effectively attach to the bone and reduce the pocket. Smoothing and recontouring can allow the gum tissue to attach more effectively and reduce the pocket.
- Deep CleaningDr. Kastenholz was inquisitive so she could get a better understanding of my teeth/mouth, she analyzed the x-ray carefully (continuously asking to switch between the digital x-ray images), personally gave me the full debridement (similar to deep cleaning), after gave me her full analysis and recommendation and the reasoning behind her advice. She must have spent 3/4 -1hr with me–no dentist would ever do this! I feel that her advise were sincere and were to benefit me, the patient. I find it pretty hard to find service practitioners with this high of an integrity that’s still existing.
- DenturesShould your crown, temporary or permanent come off, you can recement your crown using a paste/gel denture adhesive such as Fixodent or use a temporary cement/temporary filling material kit that is occasionally available at drugstores. It is important that the crown, temporary or permanent, not stay off the tooth for very long as the tooth can become damaged or teeth can shift causing the crown to no longer fit. NEVER USE SUPER GLUE. Super glue is very toxic and can damage the tooth under the crown and the surrounding teeth as well. Call the office to be scheduled for a recement at your earliest convenience.
- Dental ImplantsWhen a patient loses a tooth or multiple teeth, a dental implant is often the best option for replacement. Dental implants are tiny posts that look like screws or cylinders. They are surgically placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. Implants provide a stable foundation for the attachment of a replacement tooth or a firm anchor for a partial or denture. A fully restored single implant looks just like a natural tooth and can even be stronger than one. They can last a lifetime if properly maintained.
- Oral Surgery
- Flap Surgery
- Maxillofacial Surgery
- Tooth ExtractionsFor a wisdom tooth extraction, your dentist will keep you comfortable by using a local anesthetic. It is possible that your dentist can use additional medication to help keep you calm during the procedure. Occasionally, some people have their wisdom teeth extracted all at once under general anesthesia. If the wisdom tooth is impacted, your dentist may need to remove part of the bone covering the tooth. Impacted teeth are often “sectioned” to be removed in pieces, making the procedure easier for the patient. Healing time for wisdom tooth extraction varies depending on the degree of difficulty related to the extraction and the individual patient. Your dentist will let you know what to expect and provide instructions to help you have a comfortable and swift healing process.
- Ridge AugmentationTooth loss leads to bone loss, causing indentations in the gums and bone where the tooth used to be. Bone grafting and ridge augmentation can fill in these defects to recreate the natural shape of the gums and jaw. An implant restoration can then be placed, creating a replacement that is easy to care for, beautiful, and natural looking.
- Bone Grafting
- OrthodonticsThere are situations when removing a tooth is necessary. Sometimes, a tooth might have extensive decay that puts the jaw and adjacent teeth at risk. Other times, a baby tooth may have misshapen or long roots that prevent it from falling out naturally. Orthodontics, wisdom tooth problems, serious trauma, and infections can also require extraction of a tooth.
- Invisalign Orthodontics
- BracesFor patients wanting a beautiful smile with straight teeth or needing to straighten their teeth for oral health reasons, it used to be that the only options were traditional braces (which are painful and treatment can last up to four years) or aligner trays (which are expensive, require a high degree of patient compliance, and must be removed to eat). But now there is Six Month Smiles®! The Six Month Smiles® system utilizes Lucid-Lok® clear brackets and tooth-colored wires, which are barely visible, to quickly and gently give adults (15 years of age and older) a straight, beautiful smile and healthy teeth. The system focuses on moving the teeth that show during smiling, rather than shifting the entire bite, resulting in a faster, more comfortable treatment.
- Teeth Whitening
- Cosmetic Dentistry
- General DentistryDentistry is a branch of medicine concerned with oral health: the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases, conditions, and disorders of the teeth, gums, mouth, and jaws. Oral health has an impact on a patient’s general health, affecting disorders such as heart disease and diabetes.