No More Gooey Impressions – Easy as One, Two, TRIOS!

What is it? We are excited to announce that we have adopted a new way of taking impressions for crowns, night guards, retainers, bridges, implants and Invisalign®! We now have a 3Shape TRIOS® Intraoral Scanner that eliminates the need for goopy impression material, saving time and providing comfort to both the patient and clinician. How Does it Work? The scanner takes several images to create a 3D image of your teeth. This scan is sent to a dental lab that uses it to create the 3D models needed to create most of the items listed above. The scan takes around Read More →

Pros and Cons of Saving vs. Extracting a Tooth

We’ve all had that dreaded dream of losing teeth in our sleep. What happens when we are truly faced with this situation? While we may not want to think of needing to have a tooth extraction, there are many circumstances that can require this treatment. Traumatizing events can happen in the blink of an eye. A piece of workout equipment lands on our face and knocks out a front tooth. You bite down on a hard candy and hear a crunch that crumbles your tooth. You hit a tooth with a fork while eating a salad. These are all real-life Read More →

How Long Will Crowns Last?

Crowns are a common practice in dentistry. They are used to help prevent further cracking, to protect already heavily filled teeth, and for aesthetics. Many of our patients ask how long their crowns will last. The answer is: it depends! Crown Longevity Depends on Good Home Care There are many factors that go into the longevity of a crown. A big misconception is that crowns can’t get cavities. A crown is simply a real tooth, covered. The tooth still has a root and nerve. There are still surfaces of the tooth that are exposed and capable of getting cavities. Meticulous Read More →

What to Do When You Chip a Tooth

From Christina, Dental Hygienist: We all know someone who took a bite out of an apple and heard that dreaded crunch that signified a chipped tooth. Check out our tips for what to do when you chip a tooth and how each solution depends on the size and extent of the fracture. Smooth Over the Teeth If your tooth doesn’t have a deep fracture or if the neighboring teeth were already a bit shorter than the fractured tooth, smoothing over the chipped tooth to match the teeth around it may be a great option to consider. Even a smallest chip Read More →

Top 10 reasons for tooth pain

There are many causes of tooth pain. Sometimes it is directly related to your teeth, such as decay or gum disease. Other times it is indirectly related to your teeth, such as pressure or infection in your sinuses. Our experience has led us to the following top 10 reasons for tooth pain: Tooth decay Tooth abcess Gum disease Tooth fractures Temperature Sensitivity Damaged fillings or sealants Teeth grinding or clenching Improper brushing or flossing Misaligned teeth or impacted wisdom teeth Orthodontic Alignment If you are having pain or sensitivity it is important to see a Dentist right away. Waiting too Read More →

PRO’S and CON’S of saving vs. extracting a tooth

via GIPHY When a patient arrives with an aching tooth, their first thought may be to “TAKE THIS THING OUT”! For some cases an extraction may be the only option; however, that is a decision that you and your dentist can make together. Making the best choice now could save you time and money in the long run. Many times when a patient arrives with a constant, throbbing tooth, it likely needs a root canal. A root canal replaces infected pulp in a tooth’s canal and may be completed by your General Dentist or by an Endodontist. Once the root Read More →

What could be causing your tooth pain?

We’ve all been there, waking up in the middle of the night, not being able to fall asleep, and enduring a long, painful day, all because of a toothache. We’ve asked out doctors to help us in identifying the most common reasons for dental pain, listed below. Some of the more common ways dental pain is experienced are: Sensitivity to temperature Pain when biting or chewing Dull or throbbing aches Constant Pain The most common issues associated with these types of pain include: Infection: If you have swollen gums, a small bump on your gums, or fluid or pus present, Read More →

Do You Have a Cavity?

Have you ever awoken with a toothache and feared it was a cavity? You may not have even known that a cavity had been forming on your tooth because not all cavities are visible to the naked eye, and do not always show signs and symptoms right away. We asked our Licensed Dental Assistant, Jamie, to help us understand signs, symptoms, and prevention. The most common signs to look for are: Pain when biting down Pain when eating or drinking something sweet Pain while eating or drinking something hot or cold Holes or pits on the biting surface of your tooth Read More →

Could you be damaging your teeth without knowing it?

Could you be damaging your teeth without knowing it?  We all have habits that may be wrecking our teeth on a daily basis.  Here are a few of the most common ones: Chewing on ice Ice chewers beware.  I’ve seen this habit ruin even the most perfect teeth in our dental office.  Chewing on hard, frozen ice can chip and even crack you teeth resulting in worn down and broken front teeth and fractured back teeth.  Generally the only treatment to fix a broken or fractured tooth is with a crown.  If a fracture from ice chewing is too deep Read More →

Why Should You Choose a Same Day Crown?

The standard in dental permanent crowns has changed dramatically in the last five years. The most durable and natural looking, tooth colored crowns available today to restore your teeth can now be made and placed in a single day. What are the benefits of choosing a same day crown? In the past only a professional dental lab could make a crown, making our patients wear a temporary crown for up to several weeks. A second appointment was required to place the permanent crown. With this new technology we are able to complete your crown in one visit, eliminating the need for a second Read More →