General Dental Services

Preventive and Diagnostic

Maintaining oral health includes good home care and regular visits to our office for preventive care, which includes oral examinations and cleanings. Comprehensive examinations of the mouth, teeth, surrounding gum tissues, and supporting bone structures help with early detection and treatment of problematic conditions.

Even with excellent care, however, teeth and gums can be susceptible to disease, infection, cavities, cracks, or other forms of damage.

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. Once all the tooth surfaces have been cleaned of tartar and plaque, the teeth are polished.

Dental sealants are made of a safe resin material which is applied to the surfaces of teeth (commonly permanent molars) to prevent cavities. The sealant material fills in the crevices of a tooth and “seals” off the tooth from cavity-causing agents like food and plaque. The teeth are prepared for the sealant application and the sealant is painted directly onto the chewing surface of each tooth and then hardens. Sealants are applied in one visit.

Many sports require athletes to use a mouth guard to protect their teeth while practicing and playing. Frequently used in contact sports, the mouth guard covers the gums and teeth to provide protection for lips, gums, teeth, and arches. A properly fitted mouth guard can reduce the severity of dental injuries. Our office can make a custom mouth guard by taking an impression of your teeth and then creating a device fitted to your mouth for the highest level of both comfort and protection. A custom fitted mouthguard can be particularly important for athletes who wear braces. Be sure to bring your mouthguard to your dental appointments, so we can be sure it still fits you well.

Restorative Dentistry

Restorative dentistry is the aspect of dentistry that helps maintain oral and overall health even when the health of one or more teeth or the surrounding areas is compromised. Fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures, and dental implants help restore the appearance and function of natural teeth.

Our goal is to restore the function and integrity of the tooth structure, function, and health, while maintaining a natural appearance.

A crown is a dental restoration that completely covers the outside of a tooth that is cracked, broken, worn down, or severely decayed. Dental crowns are usually completed in two visits. During the first visit, the tooth is prepared (shaved down) and an impression is taken. A temporary crown is placed while the permanent crown is fabricated. During the second visit, the permanent crown is carefully fitted and then cemented into place.

Dental implants are composed of three pieces: a small screw made of a biocompatible metal called titanium, an abutment which connects the screw and the final restoration, and the final restoration. The screw, which is placed in the jawbone, acts as a replacement for the tooth root, providing a strong foundation for fixed or removable replacement teeth. The screw begins to fuse with the bone over the course of a few months. After the fusing process, known as osseointegration, the abutment is inserted into the screw to allow for the permanent attachment of the restoration.

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Cosmetic Dentistry

Our office also specializes in cosmetic dentistry. This means that we not only pay attention to the health and function of your teeth, but we also pay close attention to aesthetics. Whitening, veneers, bonding, and microabrasion to improve aesthetics, giving you the confidence to share your smile with the world.

We want you to maintain great oral health but we also want you to have a beautiful smile and the confidence to smile often!

Teeth will naturally lose their brightness over time. Drinking coffee or tea, or using tobacco, as well as certain childhood medications can cause teeth to discolor or darken even faster than normal.

Whitening, also known as bleaching, is the procedure used to brighten teeth. Dr. Liz offers teeth whitening in the office. We also offer at-home bleaching kits that produce optimal results in as little as 3 days for only 2 hours a day with minimal cost!

Additional Services

We offer a wide range of treatments for our patients to support your dental health. We believe that excellent oral health has a significant impact on our patients’ lives and provide services to help our patients maintain or improve their oral health. Having strong, healthy teeth, gums and proper bite are also critical to a beautiful and healthy smile.

Root canals are most often necessary when decay has reached the nerve of the tooth or the tooth has become infected. When root canal therapy is performed, infected or inflamed pulp is removed from the tooth chamber. The inside of the tooth is then cleaned and disinfected before being filled and sealed to limit the possibility of future infection. Soon after the root canal is performed, the tooth is restored with a dental crown or filling to protect the tooth and restore normal tooth function.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is similar to a sliding hinge that connects your jawbone to your skull. TMJ disorders can cause pain in the jaw joint and in the muscles that control jaw movement. To treat TMJ disorders, first the cause has to be identified. Improper alignment due to genetics or injury, arthritis affecting the cartilage in the joint, malocclusion, and trauma can all cause TMJ disorders.

We make custom-fitted night guards to alleviate stress on the temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) which may be resulting in soreness or pain.

Throughout all the stresses that we put our joints through, patients may not realize that the soreness or pain they are experiencing in their jaw or ears may be due to stresses on their Temporal Mandibular Joint. We custom fabricate appliances to help alleviate those stresses and prevent further damage and pain.

Bruxism is a condition that causes clenching and/or grinding of teeth. This causes additional, unnecessarily stress on tooth surfaces and can lead to TMJ pain. Often, people with bruxism are unaware that they are clenching or grinding their teeth, especially if it happens during sleep. A night guard is a removable acrylic appliance that can help provide relief from temporomandibular joint pain and other effects of grinding the teeth. The night guard is usually worn at night to prevent grinding of the teeth during sleep.

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