Family Dentistry

VELscope® Oral Cancer Screenings

Our practice takes the threat of oral cancer seriously and uses VELscope technology to detect abnormalities in the oral tissue. When discovered early, oral cancer can be much easier to treat, and we want to give you every opportunity to fight the condition. The VELscope system works by using fluorescent light to penetrate the tissue of the gums. When placed over normal skill cells, the light glows a bright, vibrant color; upon passing over abnormal tissue growth, the light is unable to penetrate. This allows us to spot cancerous cells before they ever begin wreaking havoc on the surface!

For the well-being of our patients, and because we truly care, we provide cancer screenings as a part of every oral care appointment.

Gum Disease Therapy

Gum disease is a fairly common condition that occurs in three separate stages – each becoming more severe and destructive. These stages are gingivitis, periodontitis, and advanced periodontitis. In the later phases of the condition, the disease can lead to tooth loss and deterioration of the jawbone; it may even spread to other parts of the body.

The good news is that gum disease is preventable with proper oral hygiene at home and regular professional cleanings in our office. If you have gingivitis, the condition can be treated by implementing an improved hygiene routine. In the later stages, the condition can be managed with the help of trusted dental care experts – like us! Our office offers both scaling and root planing services and gum surgery to reverse the damage and help you regain your smile health.

If you have gum disease, please contact our office to schedule an appointment. That way, we can better recommend a course of treatment that fits you.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep apnea is a condition that prevents patients from gaining a full night of rest due to repetitive breathing interruptions throughout the night. Sleep apnea is most often caused by obstruction of the airway, as the tissues relax and fall back into the throat while the patient is asleep. This can limit the airflow and lead to irritability, depression, morning headaches, fatigue, and an increased risk for heart disease.

It is necessary for sleep apnea to be diagnosed by a sleep lab first, but once the condition is confirmed, our team can certainly help! We can craft a dental appliance just for you that can be worn at night while you sleep. The mouthpiece is simply placed into the mouth, and it shifts your lower jaw forward to open the airway and prevent obstruction. This can help improve sleep and allow breathing to continue through the night – without interruption!

Wisdom Teeth Extraction

Wisdom teeth are the last sets of teeth to develop in the oral cavity. Typically emerging between the ages of 18 and 21, our team members begin monitoring their growth and movement as soon as they are detected. Most often, we recommend their removal as soon as possible. This is because most patients do not have the space in the mouth to accommodate these teeth; instead, wisdom teeth may grow to damage other teeth, become impacted, cause infections, or impair the nerves of neighboring tooth roots. Our team works to remove these teeth carefully through a surgical process performed in our office.

• First, the wisdom teeth are precisely located through a digital x-ray. This imaging is used to plan and guide the surgery.
• When we are ready to begin, the area is thoroughly numbed to prevent any discomfort.
• Once this is complete, we will create a small opening in the gum tissue at the back of the mouth.
• Through this opening, the wisdom tooth will be accessed and removed as a whole piece or in fragments.
• This process may be repeated at each of the back four corners of the mouth – depending on the total number of wisdom teeth that developed or are emerging at health-compromising angles.

Root Canal

A root canal is a procedure performed to relieve patients from tooth infections once decay or damage has reached the interior of the tooth structure. The root canal eliminates pain and restores the health of the tooth by cleaning infected canals and removing contaminated tissues. While a root canal may seem like a frightening process, it is actually a fairly common procedure that helps save damaged teeth and preserve the integrity of the smile.

• The procedure begins by having the area numbed to prevent any discomfort.
• Once we are ready, we will remove any decay from the tooth and create a small opening on the tooth surface.
• Through this opening, we will remove the inflamed nerves and tissues inside the tooth.
• Then, we will clean the tooth canals.
• The tooth will be filled with a biocompatible material known as gutta-percha.
• Finally, the tooth will be sealed closed and capped with a dental crown.

Dentures

Dentures are custom-made prosthetic devices used to restore a patient’s mouth after tooth loss. Dentures can replace a full arch of missing teeth, or just fill in areas throughout the mouth where one or more teeth are missing. They also support the tissue surrounding the mouth, and hold the lips and cheeks to prevent facial sagging. Our office provides both full dentures and partial dentures to meet the needs and interests of every patient.

• Full dentures fit the entire upper or lower arch and replace all of these missing teeth. This appliance is typically secured using suction or dental adhesive.
• Partial dentures replace one or more missing teeth and are usually connected or clipped onto neighboring teeth for support.