How can we help you?
We are happy to answer questions about our services and procedures.
These are a selection of some common questions that patients have. If your question isn't answered here, please contact our office. It's important to us that our patients understand their dental care.
Crowns and Bridges
Dental crowns are designed to be very durable and to function much like your own teeth. You need to use common sense, however, and avoid biting down directly on foods like hard candy or nuts. A broken crown is not just costly to replace, but you may also damage underlying healthy tooth structure.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are intended to blend in seamlessly with your natural teeth.
One of the advantages of this is that you can brush them and floss them the same as you would with your regular teeth. While implants never get cavities (and never need root canals!), you still want to continue brushing and flossing to keep your natural teeth and your gums healthy.
Dentures and Partials
It will take your mouth some time to get used to the feel of dentures. After a few months, however, you will feel comfortable eating and speaking with your dentures in and experience little to no soreness or discomfort. If you ever do experience soreness or if your dentures aren’t fitting right, please let us know.
Family Dentistry
We welcome all ages in our office! We are happy to discuss your scheduling needs, so just give us a call and speak with our friendly front desk staff!
General Dentistry
As a general dentistry practice, we take care of most of the dental needs that arise on a day-to-day basis by supporting good oral health and wellness using preventive, restorative, and teeth replacement dentistry services. Dental exams, cleanings, x-rays, fillings, crowns, bridges, and dentures are all part of what we do here in our office.
We are also here to answer questions about your oral health and to educate patients on the importance of healthy teeth and gums.
In our office, we also offer cosmetic dentistry enhancements to improve the way you feel about the appearance of your smile. We can discuss this with you at your regular dental exam or we can schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation.
Each patient is different. While we strive to provide most of the care you need here in our office, we want what is best for you and will refer you to treatment with a specialist when necessary.
Our goal is to help our patients maintain good overall health by promoting the health of their teeth and gums. We will let you know if we find any conditions that require treatment so that you and your dentist can discuss which options will work best for you.
Preventive Dentistry
For most patients, we recommend twice-yearly visits for cleanings and examinations. If you are currently being treated for a particular concern, we may recommend that you visit us more often.
Smile Makeovers
If you are looking for solutions that address the health and wholeness of your smile, the answer is yes! Treatments like crowns, bridges, and dental implants enhance your appearance while protecting your oral health. Certain dental health problems can also affect your overall wellness, so it is important to work with your dentist to decide the best way to maintain a smile that is both healthy and beautiful.
Teeth Whitening
While the whitening kits you can find at your local drugstore cost less than professional kits, the truth is that this is a case where you get what you pay for. Drugstore whitening kits are designed to be "one size fits all," which often translates to "one size fits none." The strengths are much lower than what you can get in a professional kit, meaning that you must use the product for a longer period of time and are still unlikely to get the results you can find in a professional product. Additionally, your results are not being monitored by the dentist you know and trust.
Treatment for TMJ and Bruxism
Having headaches can be a symptom of TMJ disorders. In order to determine if that is the case for you, we can do an evaluation. If your symptoms are due to TMJ, we will provide treatment alternatives to help.
Veneers
Porcelain veneers have been known to last anywhere from several years to decades. Porcelain veneers are very strong and durable, but how long they last really depends on how well you take care of your teeth and your oral health in general. Proper oral hygiene plays a very important role in the longevity of your dental veneers. In general, though, you will get the most out of your veneers if you treat them with the same care as your natural teeth.