General Dentistry

Cleanings and Exams
Exams are performed at your regularly scheduled check up appointments. All regular check up appointments will include the following:

  • Examination of diagnostic X-rays (radiographs): Essential for detection of decay, tumors, cysts, and bone loss. X-rays also help determine tooth and root positions.
  • Oral cancer screening: Examination of the face, neck, lips, tongue, throat, tissues, and gums for any signs of oral cancer.
  • Gum disease evaluation: Examination of the gums and bone around the teeth for any signs of periodontal disease.
  • Examination of tooth decay: Examination of all tooth surfaces for decay with specialized instruments.
  • Examination of existing restorations: Examination of current fillings, crowns, bridges, etc.

Schedule an appointment with us soon so you can receive a thorough exam and maintain your oral health!

Dental Cleaning
Cleanings differ from your at-home dental routine of brushing and flossing. During a cleaning our hygienists include:

  • Removal of plaque to prevent gum inflammation and periodontal disease
  • Removal of calculus (tartar) formed from plaque to prevent gingivitis
  • Teeth polishing to remove stains and plaque

It is important that your teeth are regularly cleaned. Removal of plaque and calculus can only be done in a dentist office with the use of ultrasonic tools and specialized instruments.

Fillings
A filling is used to repair a tooth that is affected by decay, cracks, fractures, and so forth. In just one appointment, the decayed or affected portion of the tooth will be removed, cleaned, and filled.

Composite fillings can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth. There are further options aesthetically suited for use in the front teeth or the more visible areas of the teeth.

As with most dental restorations, composite fillings are not permanent and may someday need replacement. However, they often last for many years, and provide you with a fully restored smile.

Procedure
The procedure is usually completed in one appointment. In preparing your tooth for the filling, the doctor will remove all decay, and thoroughly clean your tooth. If the decay was near the nerve of the tooth, a special medication may be applied for your protection. After preparation, the composite filling will then be precisely placed, shaped, and polished.

At the conclusion of your treatment, you will be given care instructions and advice from your doctor. It is normal to feel sensitivity to your filling when the treatment is first performed, but your doctor’s instructions will let you know how to manage any short-term sensitivity, and how to maintain restored oral health.

Crowns
A crown (or cap) is a covering that encases the entire tooth’s surface, restoring it to its original shape and size. A crown protects and strengthens tooth structure that cannot be restored with fillings or other types of restorations. A crown may become necessary or desired, for one or more of the following reasons:

  • Broken/Fractured Teeth
  • Cosmetic Enhancement
  • Decayed Teeth
  • Fractured Fillings
  • Large Fillings
  • Root Canal

Crowns are durable and strong. They are expected to last many years, but as with most dental restorations, a crown may eventually need replacement (especially when maltreatment of a crown has taken place). Crowns are made and customized in size, shape, and color to match your natural teeth. This is done to restore full functionality to your teeth and to provide optimal cosmetic results for your smile.

Procedure
The procedure will usually take place over the course of two appointments. The first appointment will consist of taking several highly accurate molds (impressions). These molds will be used to help create both your finalized porcelain crown, and a temporary crown. Once the molds have been taken, your porcelain crown will be custom-created in a dental laboratory over the course of approximately two weeks. During this time, you will wear a temporary crown. In preparation for the temporary crown, the dentist will numb your tooth, and clean any decay. Your tooth will be shaped to properly fit the crown.

At your second appointment, the temporary crown will be removed. The doctor will prepare your tooth for the final crown by carefully cleaning your tooth again. The new crown will be carefully placed to ensure that full functionality will be restored to your mouth.

Instructions will be given from your dentist regarding your new crown. You will be encouraged to have regular dental visits to ensure your new crown remains in good shape.

Bridges
A dental bridge is a non-removable dental appliance used to replace a missing tooth (or missing teeth). A bridge can be used to accomplish the following:

  • Fill gaps left my missing teeth
  • Prevent the shifting of teeth due to extra space
  • Restore a fully functioning bite
  • Retain your face’s natural shape
  • Replace a partial denture
  • Promote a natural, radiant smile

Bridges comprise two crowns which go over the teeth, adjacent to the gap. We call these abutment teeth. Between the crowns, we place an artificial tooth, known as a pontic. This tooth will look and function like a natural tooth. Best of all, when you smile, no one will know you have a dental appliance!

Please call us to schedule an appointment if you are interested in receiving a bridge treatment.

Root Canals
When the inner nerve of a tooth becomes affected by decay or infection, root canal therapy may be required to restore the tooth. The tooth may become extremely sensitive to both pressure and temperature and intense pain can be expected. No symptoms may be present in the initial stages. However, in the advanced stages of decay and infection an abscess (pimple-like inflammation on the gums) will form.

When confronting this type of decay or infection, the patient has two options: pull the affected tooth or save the tooth through root canal therapy. When extracting a decayed or infected tooth, significant and costly dental problems will arise for adjacent teeth. In the end, tooth extraction may cause more problems than it will solve. Root canal therapy is a much more desirable alternative, as it will provide full functionality to the tooth and mouth, and will not cause any future problems with adjacent teeth.

The reasons a dentist will recommend root canal therapy include the following:

  • Decay has reached the tooth pulp (the living tissue inside the tooth)
  • Development of infection or abscess inside the tooth or at the root tip
  • Trauma or injury to the tooth

The restoration that root canal therapy provides will usually last a lifetime. It will provide full functionality back to your tooth and mouth. There may be a need in the future to retreat the tooth, but this would only be necessary if a new, separate infection arose.

Procedure
Root canal procedures will usually require more than one visit to a dentist or an endodontist (root canal specialist). Using special instruments, the dentist or endodontist will remove pulp, nerve tissue, bacteria, and tooth decay (if present).

Once the tooth is thoroughly cleaned, it is sealed by either a permanent filling or a temporary filling, depending on the need of additional appointments.

On the next appointment (usually a week later) the roots and the inner cavity of the tooth will be filled and sealed with medicated dental materials. The tooth will then be sealed with a filling, and then a crown (cap). This will protect the tooth, prevent further breakage, and restore full functionality.

It is considered normal to experience some pain and discomfort for a short time after the treatment. All pain will subside as the tooth and gums heal. The doctor should give you some care and instructions regarding how you can maintain health and functionality to your tooth, as well as recommendations on how to care for your tooth during the healing process.

To prevent any future infection and decay, good oral hygiene practices as well as regular dental visits will aid in the overall health of your mouth, and provide greater longevity in the life of your root canal treatment.

Extractions
Once your permanent teeth are grown in, there may be some instances where the tooth (or teeth) may need to be extracted. These cases need to be properly diagnosed by a professional dentist—any and all alternatives should be discussed when considering tooth extraction. Reasons for tooth extraction may vary, but often include one or more of the following:

  • Preparation of orthodontia or cosmetics
  • Infection
  • Risk of infection
  • Advanced periodontal disease
  • Advanced decay

In most cases, the extraction of the tooth is the last resort in maintaining dental health. In order to keep your teeth healthy and functional, it is important that you keep a proper oral hygiene routine within the home, and consistently attend scheduled dental appointments.

Procedure
At the start of your visit, the doctor will administer a local anesthetic over the specific area where the tooth will be extracted. This will prevent you from feeling any pain during the procedure. Once the local anesthetic has taken effect, the doctor will extract the tooth, and provide gauze to help you heal. The doctor will provide you with specific instruction on how to receive the best possible result when healing. The doctor will also tell you that soreness and pain will be expected for the first few days after extraction. This is normal, and the sore feeling will subside.

Veneers
Veneers are designed to help your smile look its best. Veneers are shaped and custom-made in a dental laboratory. When bonded to your teeth, they can make your smile beautiful and flawless. Veneers can enhance your smile by:

  • Cosmetically perfecting your smile
  • Correcting crooked teeth
  • Fixing misshapen teeth
  • Correcting severe discolorations/stains on teeth
  • Correcting teeth that are too small or too large
  • Fixing unwanted/uneven spaces between teeth
  • Repairing chipped or worn teeth

Veneers are very durable and generally last many years, providing you with a new and beautiful smile.

Procedure
The procedure takes place over the course of two visits to the office. In the first visit, your teeth will be prepared to receive the veneers. They are lightly buffed and the surface is shaped to prepare for bonding and the additional thickness provided by the veneers. Molds (impressions) will also be taken to provide the custom fitting of the veneers to your teeth. The correct shade to match surrounding teeth will then be chosen by your dentist.

In the second visit, the veneers will be bonded to your teeth. It is important, after the procedure, to follow recommended care instructions given by your dentist. Maintaining proper dental hygiene (brushing, flossing, etc.) will support the life of your veneers.

Composite Bonding
In dental bonding, a tooth-colored composite material is applied to the tooth and hardened with a special light. Bonding is a solution used to accomplish the following:

  • Change the shape of teeth
  • Close spaces between teeth
  • Repair decay in teeth
  • Repair chips or cracks in teeth
  • Cosmetic improvement
  • Protection of sensitive teeth

Bonding restores beauty and functionality to the teeth. After bonding, your teeth will be stronger, your smile brighter, and your confidence higher. The smile you’ve always wanted may not be far away. Like other restorative dental services, bonding may need to be treated or replaced at a future date. Usually the bonding will last for many years before any replacements will need to take place.

Procedure
The bonding process is usually completed in one visit. In preparation to bonding, the surface of the tooth will be prepared and conditioned for the application of a putty-like material called resin. The resin is then applied with careful sculpting, shaping and coloring to contribute to the naturally grown teeth in your mouth. A high-intense light then causes the resin to harden (bond) to the surface of your teeth. The resin is then smoothed and polished to look and feel like your naturally grown teeth.

After the procedure the doctor will inform you with care and maintenance instructions for the new bond. By following consistent hygiene practices you will aid the life of the bond. It is also important that attend regular dental appointments.

Mouth Guards
Dr. Meyers can make mouth guards for your budding athlete. We promote the use of mouth guards because it provides an extra level of safety to anybody who uses them. You can use a mouth guard while participating in sporting events and feel that extra sense of security if you receive a blow to the face or the mouth. If you have any questions about receiving a mouth guard, please give us a call.

Oral Surgery
Oral surgery may be needed when dental health conditions have reached a significant level of decay and damage. Oral surgery can correct extreme problems or damage to the mouth, teeth, and jaw.

Oral surgery can be used for the following reasons:

  • Remove advanced decay
  • Remove wisdom teeth
  • Prepare mouth for dentures
  • Repair jaw problems
  • Perform root canals

When extreme pain and decay have occurred, it’s easy to believe that you are beyond repair. Oral surgery treatments are here to repair and fix problems that most people would think is beyond dental treatment. We’re glad to let you know that it’s never too late to restore full functionality and dental health to your mouth. Please call us if you have any questions or to schedule a consultation appointment today.

Dentures and Denture Repairs
A denture is a removable dental appliance created to replace missing teeth. Dentures are an important part of keeping the teeth and mouth in frame when one or more teeth are missing.

There are two types of dentures: complete and partial. Complete dentures are for patients who are missing all of their teeth, while partial dentures will only fill the spaces for missing teeth along an arch. When missing any teeth, partial dentures play an important role in preventing other teeth from shifting their position in the mouth.

Typically, our patients receive dentures for the following reasons:

  • Replace complete loss of all teeth in an arch.
  • Replace partial loss of teeth in an arch.
  • Enhance smile and facial tissues.
  • Improve chewing, speech and digestion.

The dentures received are strong and durable. On occasion, dentures may need to be remade, repaired, or readjusted due to regular wear and tear.

Procedure
The procedure requires several visits to the practice that are scheduled over the course of several weeks. Within these scheduled visits, accurate molds will be taken to provide custom-made dentures. Preliminary fitting appointments may be necessary to provide optimum outcome in the shaping, color, and fitting of the denture. At the final appointment, the dentures will be ready for adjustment and to be placed by the dentist for a natural and comfortable fit.

Please provide adjustment time for your muscles and tissues to become familiar to the new dentures. During this temporary adjustment period, it is common to experience an increase of saliva flow, soreness, and possible speech and chewing difficulty. Keep in mind this is normal and, in time, your mouth will be fully healed and adjusted.

Additional instructions regarding the care and maintenance of your dentures will be given by the dentist. Proper cleaning and hygiene will help with the longevity of your dentures.

Cosmetic Dentistry
A little change in your smile can make a big change in your appearance. Within the past ten years, there have been great advances in the field of cosmetic dentistry. It is because of these advances that we can improve smiles in quick, painless, and affordable treatments.

Cosmetic dental treatments can:

  • Change the size, shape, and alignment of certain teeth
  • Fill in unattractive spaces between teeth
  • Improve or correct bites
  • Lighten or brighten the color of teeth
  • Repair decayed, broken, cracked, or chipped teeth
  • Replace missing teeth
  • Replace old, unattractive dental treatments

Enhancing your appearance includes modifying your smile. A healthy and beautiful smile will give you a new confidence that you can benefit from every day of the year. We know that a little change can make all the difference. If you are interested in improving your smile, call us today to make an appointment.

Whitening
Like many people, you may feel unhappy about the color of your teeth. Maybe you have even tried over-the-counter bleaching products with little to no success. You need an effective way to remove the stains that give your teeth that dull, yellow appearance. With our whitening system, you can achieve that brilliant smile you have been dreaming of!

There are many causes of tooth discoloration. These include:

  • Stains from tobacco, coffee, tea, soda, red wine, berries, or any food or drink with dark pigmentation/li>
  • Plaque and tartar deposits/li>
  • Use of the antibiotic Tetracycline during childhood (this creates dark “ribbons” of color)/li>
  • Ingestion of excess fluoride while teeth are forming (this gives teeth a “mottled” look)/li>
  • Trauma to the mouth and teeth, which can cause yellow, brown, and gray spots/li>
  • The natural aging process

We offer take-home Crest Supreme Professional Strength Whitening Kits, an effective solution for brightening your smile with dramatic results. You can use this whitening kit in the convenience and privacy of your own home. Ask us for more information about this product.