Night Guards

Clenching your jaw and grinding your teeth can cause tooth and jaw deterioration.  We can fabricate a night guard to act as a shock absorber to protect your teeth and jaw.  You wear this custom-made appliance at night to restore harmony to your mouth.

Why do people grind or clench their teeth?

Stress

Anxiety

Use of some medications

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Snore Guards

Snoring can affect your sleep as well as the sleep of those near you.  We can fabricate an appliance to reposition your lower jaw to decrease the noise of snoring.  Please note that these appliances may quiet snoring but are not intended to treat a sleep apnea condition.  We refer our sleep apnea patients to a great team of specialists.

Why do people snore?

Sleeping on the back

Mouth and throat anatomy

Obstructive sleep apnea — this needs to be addressed by a specialist

Periodontal disease is better known as gum disease.

When plaque and tartar are allowed to build up both above and below the gum line, periodontal disease can set in.  The bacteria in the plaque and tartar cause inflammation of the gums and loss of bone from around the teeth.  If the plaque and tartar are not removed you may eventually lose your teeth.

Many studies have revealed an association between periodontal disease and heart disease as well.

What starts as “gingivitis” or mild swelling of the gums can quickly progress to periodontal disease without proper professional and home care.

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Diagnosing Gum Disease

If you have tartar buildup and your gums bleed easily you may have periodontal disease.  We will take measurements of the space or “pocket” between your tooth and gums to determine if your gums are healthy.  We do this exam on a regular basis.

Periodontal disease is painless so you may not even know if you have it!

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Further Treatment

If you have active periodontal disease a regular cleaning or “prophy” is not enough for you.

A deeper cleaning or “scaling” will need to be performed to remove plaque and tartar from under your gums.  We use a topical or local anesthetic to ensure your comfort during the procedure.

Four to six weeks later we polish your teeth and reevaluate to see how your gums heal.  It is at this time we recommend a “perio” maintenance schedule or further treatment as needed.

You will need a regular home and professional care regimen to keep your mouth healthy.  If the plaque and tartar are allowed to build up again, damage to teeth and gums will continue to progress.

Professional whitening is faster and more effective than over the counter methods.  We offer several options for professional whitening.  We will help you decide which option is the best for you.

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In-Office Whitening

This is one of the most popular dental treatments in the world.  No other whitening procedure produces faster results.  We will evaluate your teeth to determine if this is the best whitening option for you. 

Procedure:

The teeth are polished

A material is applied to protect your gums and retract your lips

A whitening product is applied

The whitening product is left on your teeth for an allotted amount of time

The teeth and gums are rinsed

This cycle may be repeated as needed

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At-Home Whitening

Not everyone is a candidate for In-Office Whitening.  We offer At-Home Whitening options as well.

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Post-Procedure Care

We usually recommend a product to combat post-procedure sensitivity.  This is commonly a gel or paste applied in a tray or used as a toothpaste.

Things to avoid:

Tobacco products

Coffee and tea

Red wine

Food coloring

Any bright-colored drinks