Oral Health Care and Prevention
The Importance of Preventive Dental Care
Enjoying the benefits of a vibrant smile in tip-top condition is not something to be taken for granted. To maintain optimal oral health requires establishing an effective oral hygiene regimen at home along with making periodic visits to your dentist for a program of...
Dental Checkups
By scheduling a periodic appointment for a checkup and professional dental cleaning, your dentist can help to keep your smile looking good and functioning at its best. At every checkup visit, your medical and dental histories are carefully reviewed and a comprehensive...
Dental Cleanings and Oral Hygiene
Although these two conditions are largely preventable, dental decay (caries) and periodontal disease, which is more commonly known as gum disease, represent the two biggest threats to your oral health. As part of an effective program of preventive care, thorough...
Brushing Your Teeth
Maintaining a healthy smile depends upon keeping your teeth and gums clean with a daily routine of brushing and flossing. According to the recommendations of the American Dental Association, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day for two minutes each...
How to Floss Your Teeth
To help prevent tooth decay and gum disease, it is also important to remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gumline on a daily basis. By taking a few minutes to gently floss the teeth once a day, children and adults can reduce their risk...
The Application of Dental Sealants
As part of a pediatric dental program of preventive care, the dentist may recommend the application of dental sealants. These thin, plastic-like coatings painted onto the biting surfaces of the newly erupted permanent back teeth provide your child with an added level...
Periodic Fluoride Treatments
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease. Over 50 percent of 5 to 9 year old children have at least one cavity or filling, with that proportion increasing to 78 percent...
Diseases and Conditions Affecting the Oral Cavity
Tooth Decay
Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting both children and adults and is second only to the common cold in frequency. According to the World Health Organization 60-90% of children worldwide, and nearly 100% of adults...
Periodontal (Gum) Disease
The two most common forms of dental disease, caries (tooth decay) and periodontal disease (gum disease) are caused by the presence of bacterial communities in dental plaque, which is a sticky film that is constantly accumulating in the mouth. While in the case of...
Dry Mouth
Dry mouth, also known by its medical name, “xerostomia” is a condition characterized by either a lack of saliva or a decrease in its flow. Since saliva plays an important role in aiding digestion and maintaining good dental health, the consequences of xerostomia can...
Bad Breath/Halitosis
Bad breath, which is also known as halitosis, is a common and embarrassing condition. According to recent estimates, 75 million people in the United States are affected by bad breath and 10 billion dollars are spent annually on oral hygiene products to address the...
Mouth Ulcers
One of the most commonly occurring lesions in the oral cavity is a mouth ulcer. While mouth sores can be annoying, uncomfortable and unsightly, they are often harmless, and will resolve within a few days without requiring any medical treatment. However, when these...
TMJ Disorders
The Prevalence of Temporomandibular Joint Problems According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), temporomandibular joint disorders (TMJ), also referred to as temporomandibular disorders (TMD), are the most common source of chronic...
Malocclusion
A healthy occlusion refers to teeth and jaws that are well aligned and in functional harmony. When a malocclusion, more commonly referred to as a “bad bite” is present, either the teeth, the jaws or both are not in the correct positions or proper relationships. There...
Oral Cancer
Oral cancer accounts for 2.9% of all diagnosed cases of cancer in the United States. According to the American Cancer Society it is estimated that 51,000 people across the country will develop oral cancer this year and that 10,000 fatalities are expected from the...
Repairing and Restoring Decayed or Damaged Teeth
Amalgam Fillings
For many years, amalgam fillings, more commonly referred to as “silver fillings,” have represented the standard of care in rebuilding the form and function of a tooth that has been treated for dental decay. Composed of a combination of metals that include silver, tin,...
Composite or “Tooth Colored” Fillings
With advances in dental materials and science, restorative materials that are aesthetically pleasing as well as strong and durable are widely available for the filling and repair of teeth that have been affected by tooth decay or dental injuries. Composite fillings,...
Inlays/Onlays
Dental inlays and onlays offer an excellent alternative to “direct” amalgam or composite fillings to restore teeth that have sustained some damage, but not enough to require a full coverage crown. While “direct” fillings such as dental amalgam and composite fillings...
Dental Crowns or “Caps”
If a tooth has been significantly damaged by decay or injury or if it is too misshapen, undersized, or darkly stained to be restored with fillings, dental bonding or veneers, a full coverage restoration is typically required. Known as a dental crown or “cap,” a full...
Root Canal Therapy
A root canal procedure is considered one of the most effective methods of saving and retaining a tooth that has been severely compromised by dental decay or injury. According to the most recent American Dental Association Survey of Dental Services, almost 41,000 root...
Treating Periodontally Involved Teeth
Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment
When periodontal disease is detected early in its onset, conservative or non-surgical methods of care in combination with improved hygiene routines can restore periodontal health. While periodic, professional cleanings are sufficient to maintain periodontal health in...
Periodontal Surgery
When gum disease has advanced beyond the initial stage, periodontal surgery is often recommended to effectively remove bacteria and tartar from around the teeth, reduce gingival pocket depth, restore lost tissue as possible and halt the disease process. Untreated gum...
Crown Lengthening
Crown lengthening is a common procedure that is routinely performed to re-contour gum tissue and bone, as needed, with the intent of making more tooth structure available for the placement of a dental crown or dental bridge. This is often the case when a tooth is...
Soft Tissue Grafts or “Gum Grafts”
In addition to the development of pockets and bone loss, periodontal disease can cause the gums to recede, thereby exposing the roots of the teeth. When the root of a tooth loses its overlying soft tissue, it becomes more vulnerable to decay, sensitivity and...
Osseous Grafts or “Bone Grafts”
Bone loss in the jaws and around the teeth can be the result of missing teeth, periodontal disease, or trauma. This bone loss is more than a detriment to oral health and function; it can also alter facial appearance as the support for the natural contours of the face...
Replacing Missing Teeth
Full or Partial Dentures
According to the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), 3.75% of adults 20 to 64 in the United States are completely edentulous. For the overall population in this age group, the average number of remaining teeth is 24.92 out of a total of 32...
Fixed Bridgework
Fixed dental bridges involve the preparation and crowning of teeth on either side of an area missing teeth to support artificial teeth to span the edentulous area. A fixed bridge is a non-removable appliance fabricated to replace missing teeth, which closely resembles...
Dental Implants
Dental implants represent the most recent and advanced method of replacing lost or missing teeth. Invented in 1952 by a Swedish surgeon named Per-Ingevar Branemark, dental implants today offer a highly effective, long-term solution for replacing missing teeth to...
Cosmetic Dentistry
Dental Bonding
Dental bonding is a procedure that is often used to restore teeth affected by decay as well as for the repair of chipped or fractured teeth and masking a range of dental imperfections such as stains, discolorations, gaps, misshapen, or undersized teeth. A popular...
Teeth Whitening
A teeth whitening procedure or bleaching simply refers to any process that will make the teeth appear whiter. It is considered a non-invasive procedure that is designed to whiten and brighten teeth that are stained, discolored, darkened, or yellowed. First introduced...
Veneers
For teeth with imperfections that cannot be addressed with teeth whitening procedures, but are not so flawed as to require full coverage crowns, dental veneers can provide the desired cosmetic improvements. Dental veneers are custom-fabricated facings that offer a...
Ceramic Crowns
Once commonly referred to as, “porcelain jackets,” today’s all-ceramic crowns are fabricated from advanced generations of aesthetically appealing, lifelike materials affording strength and durability approaching that of tradition metal and porcelain fused to metal...
Orthodontics
Braces
A healthy, functional and attractive smile requires teeth that are straight and jaws that are well aligned. A good bite with teeth that are straight not only looks good, it contributes to overall oral health and well being. Braces are orthodontic devices that are used...
Invisalign®
Invisalign® is a form of orthodontic treatment that works to correct many different types of malocclusions through the use of a series of clear plastic trays called aligners. As a more discreet, comfortable and completely removable method of care, Invisalign aligners...
Dental Emergencies
Toothaches
A toothache is the most common reason for oral pain. It is an uncomfortable, distressing and debilitating situation that if left untreated can result in serious consequences to an individual’s oral health as well as overall well-being. Depending upon the underlying...
Traumatic Injuries
Traumatic oral injuries can range from dental injuries to the teeth and their supporting tissues to lacerations in and around the mouth as well as more complex and severe damage to the soft tissues and bones of the face. These injuries are often caused by direct...