Services

Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure used to treat gum disease. During the scaling process, specialized dental instruments are used to remove dental plaque and calculus from beneath the gums. Planing is the procedure used to smooth the tooth’s root after the scaling process. Root planing helps the gums heal and reattach themselves to a cleaner and smoother root surface.

Home care is an extremely important part of maintaining healthy teeth and gums, but even excellent home care cannot prevent bacteria and plaque. If the plaque is not removed, it can harden, becoming calculus. We will recommend a periodontal maintenance program that is best for you based on how quickly you develop calculus and your past and current periodontal health. During your maintenance visits, we will perform an oral examination as well as a dental cleaning.

During an oral examination, a visual inspection is performed to detect normal and abnormal structures of the entire mouth, head and neck. Along with radiographs, an examination detects cavities, abnormalities in existing dental restorations, gum and bone recession, and any other abnormal findings within the mouth, head, and neck

A dental cleaning, also known as an oral prophylaxis, is the removal of dental plaque and tartar (calculus) from the teeth. Specialized instruments are used to gently remove these deposits without harming the teeth. First, an ultrasonic device that emits vibrations and is cooled by water is used to loosen larger pieces of tartar. Next, hand tools are used to manually remove smaller deposits and smooth the tooth surfaces.

The health of the mucosa, the smooth, pink lining inside the mouth, is vital for overall oral well-being. Changes in its color or texture may signal underlying issues, including the potential for oral cancer. It’s imperative not to overlook symptoms such as unhealing sores or lumps within the mouth’s interior surfaces. We urge patients to report any irregularities during their visits, as timely biopsies can be crucial for early detection and treatment. Our practice emphasizes the importance of awareness and proactive communication for maintaining oral health.

Gum grafting treats root exposure resulting from receded gum tissue. Tissue is removed from the roof of the mouth or from gum tissue near the tooth and stitched into the area needing gingival repair.

Bone grafting is the replacement or enhancement of bone around teeth. When a tooth is lost, the surrounding bone collapses. Bone grafting is performed to reverse bone loss or enhance bone. The bone can be taken from parts of the body or from synthetic material. Bone grafting allows for proper support of dental implants or prostheses.

Bone regeneration is a periodontal surgical procedure that regenerates jaw bone and surrounding tissue. This procedure is often performed to protect your existing teeth and the tissues that keep them in place from bacterial plaque. The gingival tissue is folded back to remove the disease-causing bacteria. Membranes, bone grafts, or tissue-stimulating proteins can be used to encourage the body’s natural ability to regenerate bone and tissue.

Ridge preservation involves placing a regenerative bone grafting material into empty tooth sockets to rebuild bone where an extraction has left an empty, weakened area. This process encourages your body’s natural capacity to regenerate bone.

Crown lengthening is commonly used to expose more tooth structure, crown lengthening involves the removal of gum tissue and/or bone to expose more of a tooth’s structure.

Periodontal splinting is done to stabilize teeth that have become loose as a result of bone loss due to periodontal disease. The doctor will determine if periodontal splints are needed, as sometimes careful management of the periodontal disease causes the teeth to become more stable. Periodontal splints may use stabilizing wire or ribbon, composite resin, crowns, inlays/onlays, and/or veneers to accomplish the goal of stabilizing the teeth.

ARESTIN® is a locally applied antibiotic that delivers minocycline microspheres in the form of a powder. It is placed directly into the infected periodontal pocket at the time of scaling and root planing procedures for easy, targeted treatment. The microspheres adhere to the surrounding surfaces to provide a sustained release of the antibiotic at the site of active infection for effective treatment. It is used in pocket depth reduction and may be used as part of a periodontal maintenance program.
Benefits of ARESTIN® include:

• No local anesthesia required
• No adhesive required
• No dressing required
• No need for removal as the microspheres are completely bioresorbed
• Remains active in the pocket for an extended period of time

A pocket depth reduction is a surgical procedure used to smooth and reshape affected bone under the gum tissue. This procedure is performed when a pocket around a tooth (or teeth) has not responded to other treatments. It creates a shallow pocket making it difficult for bacteria to survive and damage bone, resulting in bone loss and ultimately, tooth loss.

Periodontal disease develops when plaque spreads below the gum line and causes the tissue and bone that support the teeth to decay. The gums then separate from the teeth and form what are known as periodontal pockets which can become infected, leading to loss of tissue and bone. Extensive bone loss due to periodontal disease can result in the loss of one or multiple teeth.

In order to rid the gums of bacteria, the periodontist can perform a procedure often referred to as pocket depth reduction. During this procedure, the periodontist will cut a flap into the gum and fold it back to temporarily expose the tooth root and bone. If necessary, the periodontist will smooth areas of damaged bone to limit the surfaces upon which bacteria can grow. After ridding the area of bacteria, the gum tissue is stitched back into place. This procedure minimizes the depth of periodontal pockets and gets rid of bacteria in order to minimize the effects of periodontal disease and limit its progression.

Virtually invisible, there are several advantages clear braces have over traditional braces and aligners. Clear braces combine tieless braces with high technology archwires that are clinically proven to move teeth fast and comfortably with truly spectacular smile and facial results.

Available from skilled orthodontists, clear braces combine the best of traditional clear braces and invisible aligners to deliver a discrete treatment experience with results that go beyond straight teeth.

Virtually invisible, there are several advantages clear brackets have over traditional braces and aligners. Clear braces combine tieless braces with high technology archwires that are clinically proven to move teeth fast and comfortably with truly spectacular smile and facial results. Available from skilled orthodontists, clear braces combine the best of traditional clear braces and invisible aligners to deliver a discrete treatment experience with results that go beyond straight teeth.

Metal braces made from stainless steel brackets and wires remain the most popular choice for braces and are very effective.

Lingual braces are a great solution for professionals or for anyone who prefers not to have the braces visible. Lingual braces are placed behind your teeth so that you get the same effective tooth alignment to create a beautiful smile, without everyone realizing you have braces.

Self-ligating brackets have some advantages over traditional metal braces.

The primary difference is that they do not use elastics or metal ties to connect the archwire to the brackets. There are several potential benefits to choosing self-ligating brackets if it is determined that they are a good option for your treatment.

• Aesthetics – Self-ligating brackets may appear smaller than traditional brackets.
• Cleaning – The absence of elastics and ties can make it easier for patients with self-ligating braces to keep their teeth and braces clean, although special care and attention to daily cleaning is important with any type of orthodontic treatment.
• Appointment Time – Adjustment appointments are often shorter with this efficient system due to the specialized brackets that hold the archwire within the bracket.
• Treatment Time – Overall treatment time with self-ligating orthodontic brackets is often shorter than that of traditional metal braces.

Invisalign® uses an advanced digital modeling system for the making of custom trays that will guide the patient’s teeth into a beautiful smile.

Damon Braces® combine tieless braces with high technology arch wires to move teeth faster and more comfortably than traditional braces.

Incognito™ Hidden Braces are a unique orthodontic treatment option featuring customized braces placed on the back side of the teeth where they are completely hidden from view. Since they are completely customized for you, Incognito™ Hidden Braces offer many treatment options.

Incognito™ Hidden Braces can treat nearly any orthodontic issue, while Incognito Lite Hidden Braces are specially designed to fix just your “social six” – the teeth that are visible at the front of your mouth.

No matter which option you choose, no one will know you’re wearing braces – unless you tell them!

AcceleDent® uses SoftPulse Technology ™ to help your current orthodontic treatment work faster. It does this by generating small vibrations called micropulses to gently accelerate the movement of your teeth as they are guided by your orthodontics. The micro pulses can also help to make your orthodontic experience more comfortable.

Proven – Demonstrated safe and effective in US clinical trials.
Safe – Cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration and available only by prescription from your orthodontist.
Simple – Requires only 20 minutes a day of hands-free use at home, so you can text, read, watch TV or listen to music.