We Provide a full range of dental services.
Please click on one of services below to learn more!
Dental Services
|
Cosmetic Services
|
|
|
|
DENTAL SERVICES
CLEANINGS Back to Top
Our doctors and hygienist follow the recommended guidelines of the American Dental Association, (ADA). The ADA and the Surgeon General recommends that patients are examined by their dentist at least every six months. This exam can help our office promote good oral hygiene and identify dental issues before they become painful and expensive problems.
Our hygienist provides gentle touch cleanings that are thorough. Our goal is to help return every patient to good oral hygiene by offering regular cleanings and education and demonstration so you can continue the good habits at home on your own in between you dental visits.
PEDIATRIC CLEANINGS Back to Top
The American Association of Pediatrics recommends for children to have their first dental visit between one to two years of age. By exposing the toddler at such an early age it decreases dental anxiety, promotes good oral hygiene and dietary habits at an early age and identifies dental treatment needs when they are small rather than painful or more complicated and stressful for the pediatric patient and the parent.
If your toddler or child does need further dental treatment, we have a variety of techniques that our doctors and staff use so they have a positive experience.
DENTAL SEALANTS Back to Top
Sealants are used to protect the grooves of your teeth and prevent cavities on the biting surfaces.
Dental sealants are recommended for both adults and children to help prevent cavities in the grooves located on the biting surfaces of the teeth. The sealants are placed on the molars and premolars in both children and adults.
The procedure is short, easy and painless. The grooves on the tooth are cleaned out, an etch gel is placed and then rinsed off the tooth. The tooth is then dried and the plastic material is placed into the grooves of the tooth and cured to harden.
PERIODONTAL CLEANINGS Back to Top
Periodontal or gum disease is caused by bacteria that is below the gum line. Sometimes you can visually see the buildup of the bacteria on the tooth known as calculus. Periodontal disease is often painless at first but when left untreated can cause bad breath, red, swollen gums and eventually bone destruction, tooth loss and pain.
Periodontal scaling and root planning is used to treat gum disease. Anesthesia is used to anesthetize and numb the areas so the hygienist can effectively clean around the tooth and underneath the gum tissue. An ultrasonic scaler with water as well as an antimicrobial rinse is used to gently remove the calculus and bacteria.
TOOTH FILLINGS Back to Top
Fillings are placed on teeth to restore portion of the tooth that has a cavity, is missing or is fractured. The white resin filling material that we use, is bonded to the tooth to add strength to the weak tooth as well as provide a filling that is esthetic and not noticeable like the old silver fillings. These white fillings can be placed on the tooth and used immediately on the same day.
Due to the current ADA research of the mercury or silver fillings, our office has elected to only use the white resin filling materials. As a mercury-free practice, we can provide fillings that are healthier, do not stain, are stronger and are more esthetic for our patients.
INLAYS AND ONLAYS Back to Top
These are restorations that are also bonded to the damaged and missing tooth. Inlays and Onlays are used when there is more tooth structure missing than is needed for a filling alone, yet more conservative than a crown. Due to advances in dental technology, these restorations restore the tooth without having to trim the entire tooth down for a crown.
These restorations can be placed with porcelain, composite resin or gold. Most often these restorations are performed on two visits. The first visit the old filling or decay is removed, a simple impression is taken to be sent to our lab and a temporary onlay is placed in the tooth. On the second visit, we will remove the temporary, cement the restoration and polish the final onlay or inlay.
CROWNS OR CAPS Back to Top
Often times a tooth is severely compromised from a large cavity, missing or fractured tooth that it needs more than a filling to be functional. At this point, we would rebuild the tooth with a white filling material called a core and trim all sides of the tooth down to allow for the crown. An impression would be taken and sent to our certified dental lab and a temporary crown would be worn for a few days.
At the second appointment, we would remove the temporary, clean the tooth and cement the new crown onto the tooth.
Crowns are solutions to restoring teeth to where they are functional again due to accidents, grinding, fractures, and cavities. Crowns can be made out of metal, porcelain or a combination of both.
Crowns can also be used to enhance a persons’ smile by making the teeth whiter and straighter than the original teeth.
ROOT CANALS Back to Top
When a cavity or fracture is in or close to the nerve, a root canal maybe suggested trying to save the tooth. A root canal can relieve discomfort and allow the patient to keep the tooth and not have the tooth extracted.
The nerve is located inside the center of the root of the tooth. While the patient is anesthetized or numb, the doctor can easily remove the nerve, clean the canal out that once housed the nerve and then fill the canal back up with a special filling material. Usually the root canal can be completed in one visit. The tooth is then restored with a core filling or a post and core filling and then a crown. It is recommended that teeth that have been treated with root canals, be crowned since they are now weak due to lack of nerve and blood supply.
EXTRACTIONS Back to Top
You and the doctor may decide that it is in your best interest to have a tooth extracted or removed. Most often, teeth are extracted due to large cavities, extensive fractures where the tooth cannot be saved, orthodontic reasons, impacted teeth, poorly positioned teeth, or periodontal disease.
Often times, there are alternatives to extracting teeth, which can lead to other significant problems such as loss of function and ability to proper chew food, shifting teeth, joint pain and decrease in dental and overall health.
If the tooth is extracted, further treatment may be indicated to replace the space such as a partial, dentures, bridge or implant. Replacing the spaces allows the patient to functionally chew food and restore the spaced from the missing teeth.
Once you have decided to extract the tooth, the doctor will numb to tooth and the surrounding areas so you are comfortable. During the extraction, you may feel the sensation of pressure, but you should not feel uncomfortable or painful.
If at anytime during the procedure you should feel pain, the doctor will stop and administer more anesthetic to allow for you to properly and comfortably get numbed. Once the tooth is lifted out of the socket, gauze is placed in the space for you to bite down on with pressure until the bleeding slows down or stops.
SURGICAL EXTRACTIONS Back to Top
Sometimes teeth that are severely broken down will need to be surgically removed by sectioning or cutting the tooth into sections to remove easily. Sometime sutures or stitches are placed to help with healing but they are not used on ever person.
DENTAL BRIDGES Back to Top
A fixed partial bridge is a restoration that can be used to replace a space from missing or extracted teeth. Dental bridges improve your dental health by replacing the missing teeth so you can chew food properly, prevent speech problems, shifting of teeth and restoring lip and facial support. The bridge is usually permanently cemented so it cannot be easily removed.
The teeth on either side of the space, also called abutments, are trimmed down much like crowns. An impression is then taken so the doctor can send the case to the certified dental lab and a one piece bridge can be constructed and custom fit for your mouth. You will wear a temporary bridge for a few days. Once the custom fit bridge is ready, we will remove the temporary, clean the abutment teeth and permanently adjust and cement the final bridge restoration.
Various materials can be used for bridges such as porcelain, gold, various metals and combination of both.
Good oral hygiene is important to maintain with bridges. You must continue to brush and floss the bridge and the surrounding teeth in order to maintain the bridge. If proper hygiene is not practiced by the patient a new cavity can form around the bridge and cause the bridge to fail, causing further tooth destruction and tooth loss.
Before After
DENTAL IMPLANTS Back to Top
Dental implants in most cases are the optimal option for replacing missing or extracted teeth. The dental implants are small titanium posts that are placed into the bone where the tooth is missing. The bone will adhere to the post, similar to a tooth root. Once this occurs, a tooth buildup or an abutment and then a implant crown can be placed onto the implant.
When more than one tooth is missing, implants can be used as fence post to help restore multiple teeth with a bar or an implant bridge.
REMOVABLE PARTIAL DENTURES Back to Top
Removable Partials are used to replace several teeth in the mouth with one appliance. They can be made for the maxilla (upper teeth arch) or the mandible
(Lower teeth arch). Partials are can be made of acrylic or acrylic fused to a metal substructure. They are similar to a retainer in that come in and out of your mouth but also have the missing teeth on them.
DENTURES Back to Top
A complete denture is a removable appliance that is worn in the mouth that replaces all missing teeth, gum tissue and restores lip, cheek and facial support. Most dentures are made of acrylic and can be constructed in two ways:
A complete denture is made once all the teeth have been extracted and the gums and bone have had several months to heal.
An immediate denture is constructed and placed in the mouth the same day the teeth are extracted to enable you to leave with your new teeth. A reline will be needed several months after the teeth are extracted to insure a better fit.
Ideally, we recommend that implants be placed and the dentures can be snapped into place to help hold them into place and provide better retention.
COSMETIC SERVICES
TEETH WHITENING Back to Top
Many patients want a quick and inexpensive way to lighten and brighten their smile. Teeth Whitening is used to improve discolored and stained teeth. There are several methods available to enhance and lighten your smile. The most common method is the use of custom fitted trays.
The simple process takes only a few minutes in our office. We take impressions of your teeth and then fabricate the custom fitted trays. You return to the office and your trays and the whitening solution is dispensed to you along with instructions for use. The trays will be worn as little as 30 minutes to over night for a few days, depending on the strength of the solution and degree of discoloration.
If you ever do need more whitening solution, there is no need for the expense of new tray; you can just purchase the whitening solution by itself.
BONDING Back to Top
Tooth bonding is a less expensive and less permanent way to enhance your smile. A composite resin is bonded to the area of the tooth that is chipped, missing, discolored or asymmetrical. Bonding can be used to fill is unsightly spaces as well as to add tooth structure to give the appearance of a straighter smile.
Bonding can be treated in one visit and can enhance the function and esthetics of you smile. Unfortunately, the resin is not as durable as porcelain veneers and crowns; which makes the bonding more subject to staining and chipping. Bonding is usually replaced every three to five years.
PORCELAIN VENEERS Back to Top
Veneers are a restoration that is usually placed over the front side of the tooth to create a more esthetic smile. Little to no tooth structure is removed in order for these highly technical restorations to be bonded to your teeth.
We redesign smiles every day that hide unwanted spaces, discolorations, misalignment and tooth asymmetry. Porcelain veneers natural looking and are highly resistant to staining from coffee and smoking habits.
Before After
CROWNS Back to Top
Dental crowns can be used to enhance your smile by replacing missing tooth structure, covering up discolored teeth, mal-aligned teeth, and large space discrepancies. The tooth is trimmed to create a space for the crown to fit. An impression is taken and sent to our certified cosmetic dental laboratory to be custom fabricated. A temporary crown is placed on the teeth that have been crowned for a few days. When you return the temporary crown is removed and the new and improved crown is cemented onto the remaining tooth structure.
INVISALIGN Back to Top
Invisalign is a highly technical and computerized process to straighten teeth. Patients wear these invisible and comfortable aligners or retainers that move the teeth to there desire and straighter position.
The clear Invisalign aligners are worn at night and throughout the day virtually undetected. Most patients have completed this orthodontic treatment within a few months to one year.
Please see the website at: www.Invisalign.com.
Before After
6909 Burlington Pike
Florence Professional Commons, Suite A
Florence, Kentucky 41042
859-647-7068