Other Services We Offer

Extractions

Dr. Smith always recommends saving a tooth if at all possible, an extraction is a last resort. If there are no other options for the tooth or if the other options are not financially feasible for the patient then an extraction may be required. 

Tooth extraction is a surgical procedure.  It is natural that changes will occur in your mouth afterward.  Dr. Smith will give you instructions to follow after the extraction, and it’s important to talk to him if you have any questions or problems.  He also will discuss tooth replacement options if necessary.

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Fixed Bridges

A fixed bridge, or fixed partial denture, is a restoration that replaces or spans the space where one or more teeth have been lost.  Your appearance, dental health and the proper functioning or your mouth are all important reasons for wearing a fixed bridge.

 A fixed bridge is attached to your natural teeth.  Different types of artificial teeth may be used in fixed bridges.  These include gold, porcelain fused to metal, and all-porcelain. 

 A fixed bridge will look, feel and function like natural teeth.  And there’s no need to remove from mouth for cleaning.

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Night Guards / Brux Guards

Does your jaw feel stiff or do you have difficulty opening your mouth wide?  Are your teeth sensitive to cold drinks?  Do your jaw muscles feel tired in the morning?  Your teeth may be suffering from bruxism or clenching.  People with nighttime bruxing habits may wear away their tooth enamel “ten times faster” than those without “abusive chewing habits”.  Eventually, your teeth may be worn down and destroyed.

 Treating bruxism and clenching is very cost effective compared to not treating the problem.  The alternative is to replace or repair the bruxer’s damaged or destroyed teeth with fixed crowns, fixed bridges or removable dentures.  Dr. Smith can evaluate you to determine if a nightguard can help to provide relief from grinding, bruxing, or clenching.

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Periodontal Disease / Gum Disease

Periodontal diseases (also known as gum diseases) are infections of the gum and bone that hold teeth in place.  If periodontal problems are not treated, they can become severe and may eventually lead to tooth loss.  Periodontal diseases are often painless and you may not be aware that you have a problem until your gums and the supporting bone are seriously damaged.  The good news is that periodontal diseases often can be treated in the early stages with a treatment to clean your teeth called scaling and root planing.

Warning signs of Periodontal Disease:

If you schedule regular dental checkups, your dentist can detect developing periodontal disease before the gums and the bone supporting your teeth are irreversibly damaged. Periodontal diseases are most often progressive—left untreated, the condition often becomes worse.

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Professional Cleaning

While brushing and cleaning between teeth will help remove a great deal of plaque, it’s nearly impossible to eliminate all of it. And once plaque hardens into tartar, the only way it can be removed is with professional teeth cleaning at the dental office. Besides having your teeth cleaned, regular dental visits are crucial to preventing tooth decay, gum diseases and other disorders that affect the mouth and your overall health.

During your visit our hygienist will remove the hardened deposits with special instruments. They may use an ultrasonic machine that produces sound waves to vibrate free the hard deposits. After teeth are cleaned they may be polished with a mild compound that is applied with a spray or a small rotating cup. Polishing the teeth helps remove stains on the outer surface of your teeth. The hygienist will also perform a gum exam to detect Periodontal Disease in its earliest stages (see Periodontal Disease/Gum Disease). Dr. Smith will also perform an exam and oral cancer screening (One American dies every hour of every day from oral cancer).

To help prevent tooth decay, Dr. Smith may recommend a fluoride treatment and/or dental sealant (see Sealants). Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel to prevent cavities.

Reasons to have your teeth professionally cleaned:

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Removable Bridges

A removable bridge, removable partial denture, can readily be taken out of the mouth for cleaning. Although removable bridges generally are less expensive, fixed bridges, when indicated may feel more stable and comfortable. Depending on your situation, however, a removable bridge may be for you. Removable bridges usually have replacement teeth attached to gum-colored plastic bases connected by metal framework. They may attach to your natural teeth with metal clasps or devices called precision attachments. A claspless removable bridge, when indicated, may provide better support and esthetics. Crowns on your natural teeth may improve the way a removable bridge fits your mouth. Dr. Smith will help determine which type is right for you.

Once your missing teeth are replaced, eating should be a much more pleasant experience. Since missing teeth can make it difficult to speak clearly, wearing a removable bridge can help with that, too.

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Root Canal Therapy

If your tooth’s nerve chamber becomes infected by decay, root canal treatment is often the only way to save your tooth. Root Canal Therapy often involves one or more visits and will require a filling or crown to strengthen the tooth and improve its appearance after treatment.

Inside your tooth’s hard outer shell is a nourishing pulp of blood vessels, lymph vessels and nerves. The root canals, which contain the pulp, extend to the bone. Deep tooth decay, or an injury, can cause serious damage and infection to the pulp’s nerves and vessels. Root canal, or endodontic, treatment cleans out the infected pulp chamber and repairs the damage.

Some indications of the need for root canal treatment may be:

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Scaling & Root Planing

If gum disease is diagnosed, the first non-surgical step usually involves a special cleaning, called scaling and root planing. This is sometimes referred to as “periodontal” or “deep” cleaning. Scaling and root planing is a method of treating periodontal disease when pockets are greater than 3mm. Scaling is used to remove plaque and tartar beneath the gum line. A local anesthetic may be given to reduce any discomfort. Using an instrument called a small scaler or an ultrasonic cleaner, plaque and tartar are carefully removed down to the bottom of each periodontal pocket. The tooth’s root surfaces are then smoothed or planed. This procedure helps gum tissue to heal and periodontal pockets to shrink. The procedure also makes it more difficult for plaque to accumulate along the root surfaces.

Treatment requires one or more visits. You’ll be given instructions on how to care for your healing teeth and gums after treatment

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Sealants

Thorough brushing and flossing help remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth. Pits and fissures, however, are places that are extremely difficult to clean. Toothbrush bristles cannot reach all the way into the depressions and grooves to extract food and plaque. The normal flow of saliva, which helps clean food particles from other areas of the mouth, cannot “wash out” pits and fissures. So they are places that are especially prone to decay. In fact, most cavities form in pit and fissure areas, and permanent molars are extremely susceptible to this form of decay. Sealants protect these vulnerable areas by “Sealing out” plaque and food.

A sealant is a resin material that is usually applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth—premolars and molars. This resin bonds into the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) of the chewing surfaces of back teeth. The sealant acts as a barrier, protecting enamel from plaque and acids.

Sealants are easy to apply, and it takes only a few minutes to seal each tooth. Prevention is better than treatment. Savings in both dollars and time can be gained by application of sealants, rather than allowing decay and requiring the tooth to be restored.

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Snore Guard

The snore guard prevents/lessens snoring by opening the airway and making breathing easier.

Snoring research has shown that custom fabricated dental devices worn at night that move the lower jaw into a forward position, increase the three dimensional space in the airway tube which reduces air velocity and soft tissue vibration. By increasing the volumetric capacity of the airway and preventing soft tissue vibrations, snoring is eliminated or greatly decreased.

The dental device positions the lower jaw into a forward position by means of special connectors that are attached to transparent flexible upper & lower forms. The forms are custom laminated with heat and pressure to the dentist’s model of the mouth. The fit is excellent and comfortable.

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Digital X-rays and Pictures

Dr. Smith is proud to announce that he has the Dexis Digital X-ray System available for his patients. The Dexis System is one of the best digital x-ray systems available to the dental profession. With the digital method, Dr. Smith, his assistant or hygienist glide a small sensor around inside a patient’s mouth and the x-rays instantly pop up on a computer screen in the exam room. The digital x-rays, which look similar to traditional x-rays, can then be enlarged and manipulated, which enables Dr. Smith to diagnose dental disease such as cavities much earlier. This means catching cavities much sooner while they are still small. This also comes with the advantage of an 80% reduction in radiation, thus making digital x-rays extremely safe. Along with digital pictures of your teeth, Dr. Smith can do a comprehensive evaluation of your mouth. By reviewing your own x-rays and pictures you can participate in planning your own treatment.

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