I am a family dentist which means that I can help you with many aspects of your dental health including preventive, restorative, periodontic, prosthodontic, oral surgical, and cosmetic dentistry. On a typical day, I will do many cleanings and if needed, I can change gears to do a filling, extraction or crown preparation instead. We may spend an hour and a half preparing a tooth for a crown, or 3 hours on the preparation, temporization and impressions for a bridge.

How do you make your patients comfortable?
Patients are not treated unless they have been made comfortable, and this includes tuning in to a good station on the earphones, being well-anesthetized, and having an opportunity to discuss the history and proposed solution to the problem thoroughly before starting. We take our time to make sure that you are physically comfortable and that the treatment we are performing is the absolute best choice for you.

Why do you take full mouth x-rays?
For every new patient who needs either periodontal treatment or referral for it, or who has many fillings, we aim to obtain a full mouth series of x-rays. Taken in duplicate, these can be shared with the insurance company or other dentists, plus they reveal details about infections, cysts, bone loss and more.

At the early visits, we discuss dental needs and options with the patient, and then preauthorize expensive treatment with the insurance company. Juggling a patient's needed treatment within the insurance plan's yearly maximum can be a challenge when there are several problem teeth to be restored. Work is often done in stages and spread over several years, if necessary.

My gums always bleed. Is that normal?
No, the bleeding is a sign of gum disease. It comes from irritation from buildup of bacteria, or plaque. They need regular cleanings at the dentist's office to remove these irritants. After 24 hours, the plaque hardens and needs to be scraped off. The longer this is put off, the harder the deposits on the teeth become, and the more effort is needed to remove them.

My denture has a sore spot under it. Should I keep wearing it?
It is best to have the dentist check the situation and adjust the denture. Sore spots can be due to pieces of food or bone coming to the surface, even long after extractions, or they can be caused by the denture itself which needs adjustment. If you wait too long, the area becomes very raw and then healing takes much longer. Best thing is to take the denture out and see the dentist soon.

Why are my 7-year-old's new teeth so yellow?
Baby teeth are always a bright white. They have more white enamel, the outer layer, than adult teeth. Probably the child's adult's teeth will have a shade inherited from someone or some people in the family.

My child is 5 and on the bottom front, he has 2 sets of teeth - the baby teeth and 2 new grown-up ones! Help!
This is not unusual. Have the dentist look at them, perhaps take an xray, and be patient. Often, the grown- up teeth will push out the baby teeth. If, after 3-6 months, there is no looseness and no change, the two baby teeth should be extracted. When possible, it is good to have the child wiggle and loosen his own teeth. This process takes time!

Those same new lower front teeth of my 5-year-old's are set so far in. Does he need braces?
Usually the tongue is powerful enough to gradually push those new teeth into position. See your dentist and possibly get a consultation with an orthodontist.

At what age are braces considered for children?
Orthodontists are now working with children as young as 6 and 7, depending on the situation. These early years provide a great time for growth and change to take place. See your orthodontist for a treatment plan.