FAQs
We are always available for emergencies, take most insurance plans, visa and mastercard, and offer financing through Carecredit. We try to be accessible to our patients, offering early morning, evening and same-day appointments. When is it time to transform your smile?

• Are there spaces or gaps between your teeth?
• Are you self-conscious when you smile?
• Are your teeth crooked or is your bite misaligned?
• Are you unhappy with the color or shape of your teeth or gumline?
• Are you always unhappy with your photos?
• Are your teeth "wearing down" causing facial changes due to an improper bite?

A recent survey revealed that:

• Over 75% of people don’t feel confident to smile in a photograph.
• Over 45% of people make judgements about people by the look of their smile.
• Over 75% of people think that a beautiful smile helps people psychologically.
• Over 65% of people think that an attractive smile helps romantically.

What are the Links Between Overall Health and Oral Health?
There is an important relationship between your overall health and your oral health. Those with gum disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary heart disease. Periodontal disease, if allowed to progress to periodontitis, may allow oral germs to enter the bloodstream. Contributing to the formation of clots, these germs may affect the heart by attaching to fatty plaques in your arteries. Periodontal disease is also linked to premature births, respiratory disease, and a general state of well-being. (can be linked to-- listerine.com/connection.aspx) Veneers vs. Crowns?
Often an alternative to crowns, veneers are very thin pieces of specially-shaped porcelain or acrylic that are cemented over the front of your teeth with little or no anesthesia needed. They are the cure for teeth that are severely discolored, chipped, have small holes or pits, misshapen or crooked, or for the correction of unwanted or uneven spaces. Unlike crowns, veneers don't require the removal of much tooth structure. Typically costing less than crowns, veneers won't stain, making veneers a very popular solution for many people seeking that perfect smile. Strong and very durable, veneers last from ten to fifteen years, and come in colors that will brighten dark teeth without the worry of them changing color. What is dental bonding?
Dental bonding utilizes a composite resin and is used for a variety of structural problems as well as cosmetic purposes. Like a sculptor’s clay, dental bonding materials can be used to restore chipped or broken teeth, fill in gaps and reshape your smile, or change the color of a discolored tooth. What is a dental bridge?
A dental bridge is a false tooth or teeth, known as a pontic, which is fused between two porcelain crowns to fill in the area left by a missing tooth or teeth. There are two “anchor” crowns holding it in place that are attached to teeth on each side of the false tooth. This is known as a fixed bridge. This procedure is used to replace one or more missing teeth. Fixed bridges are permanently cemented, unlike removable partial dentures. What are composite resin fillings?
Most of us have had amalgam fillings (silver) or gold filling restorations. Some amalgam fillings were what we have called mercury fillings, as some amalgam fillings contained mercury. Metal fillings were effective, but very conspicuous and have tended to blacken in color over time. Composite resin dental fillings were created as an alternative to traditional metal dental fillings. Acrylic dental resin colored to look like a natural tooth is fashioned into Composite Resin Dental Fillings. Composite Resin Dental Fillings are strong, durable, and make for a very natural looking smile. Most dental insurance plans cover their use. What are dentures?
Dentures are removable replacements for missing teeth typically made out of an acrylic resin and they often incorporate porcelain or metal for additional structural support. There are two main types of dentures. Both Complete Dentures and Partial Dentures are finely crafted, and custom-fitted. Functionally dentures help strengthen muscles controlling your expressions that require the support of your teeth, rid you of pronunciation problems caused by missing teeth and aid with chewing. What is a crown or a cap?
Dental crowns, often called caps, are restorations that protect damaged, cracked or broken down teeth. A crown strengthens your existing, damaged tooth to preserve its functionality. A crown sits over the existing tooth, covering the entire outer surface which is beneficial for cosmetic purposes as well as structural purposes. Why might I need crowns?

• If your tooth has undergone significant decay and there is not enough tooth structure remaining that a filling or inlay can be used instead.
• If a large portion of your tooth has fractured and it cannot be built up using traditional composite bonding techniques.
• If you have had a dental implant to replace a missing tooth, a crown will be fitted to the abutment of the titanium implant.
• Following root canal treatment, a crown is most often needed to strengthen the fragile, now non-vital tooth.
• Erosion from grinding or other problems may reduce your teeth to a point where the only option available is to crown them to build them back up.
• For cosmetic reasons, to improve the aesthetics of your smile, porcelain cosmetic crowns can completely change the color, shape, and look of your smile.

Are dental crowns always the best solution?
Veneers or dental bonding are less invasive alternatives. Crowns are required when the strength of the tooth supporting the restoration is compromised, since veneers and dental bonding restorations are only as strong as the supporting tooth. What materials can crowns be made from?
Many types of crowns with different grades of porcelain are made in the dental lab. Some crowns are made from full gold, where as others are made from an alloy of metals fused to a porcelain outer shell. After time, crowns that are made from a combination of porcelain fused to metal can begin to show a dark line at the gumline that can be unattractive. All-porcelain crowns are the best choice for a natural cosmetic look but often cannot be used on the back teeth because of a patient’s “heavy bite.” There are many different brands and grades of porcelain we can discuss with you. Brands like Procera by Nobel Biocare, IMP Empress, ESPE Lava, Elite by Arrowhead, are some you may have heard of. What exactly is a root canal?
The actual root canal is the part of the tooth that houses the nerve and the vital blood supply of the tooth. During the root canal procedure, diseased tooth pulp and the nerve is removed, the canal is cleaned with antiseptic solution, then filling material will be used to completely fill the canal. Measuring is done with either x-rays or electronic imaging devices to determine the length of the canals within the tooth. A temporary filling is placed until a crown or permanent filling can be done when there is no sign of infection. Most often, a crown is done to restore the tooth, since the root canal procedure weakens the tooth. The crown is usually placed a few weeks later. What symptoms point to poor dental hygiene?

• Bleeding or painful gums.
• Persistent bad breath.
• Yellow or brown deposits on teeth.
• Loose teeth and widening gaps between teeth.

Consequences of improper oral and dental hygiene -- Tooth decay, gum irritation and foul breath. As a result of improper dental and oral hygiene, soft plaque accumulates on the hard surfaces of teeth, then turning to hard calculus. Oral bacteria, harbored in the plaque, use the sugar and starch from your food to release acid. This acid eats away the tooth enamel and creates cavities. It also irritates the gums, causing inflammation, bleeding and bad breath. Eventually the bleeding gums shrink away from the teeth, and the exposed roots of the teeth are very susceptible to decay.