Compassionate Care Close to Home

We proudly welcome new patients to our practice. The referral of a friend, coworker, or family member is the highest compliment one can give our dental team. Over the years, we have found that as we have helped our patients with their smiles, they have been confident to invite others to our office. If you have questions about new patient procedures, please give us a call.

At your first visit to our office, we take the time to get to know you on all levels. We enjoy getting to know you personally and familiarizing ourselves with the dental and medical information you provide us with. This allows us to understand your past dental and medical experiences better. We can then move forward to address all of your dental concerns and customize a plan to maintain your oral health at its highest level.

Part of this process involves taking the necessary X-rays to assess your overall oral health accurately. This allows us to check for any decay (cavities) and to measure bone levels to help determine if you have periodontal (gum) disease. Should there be an adequate amount of time remaining, we will begin scaling your teeth to remove the bacteria from above and below the gumline. Depending upon the level of build-up and how long it has been since your last professional cleaning, we may need to bring you back to complete the cleaning.

From there, you can meet with Vicky or Teresa to go over our many convenient financial options to make the treatment we recommend affordable for you.

Typically, there is no pain associated with gum (periodontal) disease. That is why it is so important for you to have regular dental care. At these visits, your gum health can be assessed, and preventative measures are taken to avoid the ultimate end result of periodontal disease – tooth loss.

We completely understand how anxious people can feel when they come into the dental office environment. Many of our patients have felt nervous about their scheduled dental treatment. However, we have found that with certain measures we have taken in our office, people routinely express how their visit went more smoothly than they initially thought it would.

From a warm, reassuring smile upon entering the office to relaxing music played over headphones while one receives treatment or special freezing techniques, people become calmer than they had originally thought possible.

For those that are extremely nervous, we offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) therapy. We utilize this treatment for both children and adults. This gas is inhaled through a nosepiece and causes the patient to become extremely relaxed. Fingers and toes will tingle, and although awake the entire time, it is often described as a dream-like state. After the visit, pure oxygen is inhaled to allow the patient to return to their normal state of being. Following this treatment, patients are fine to operate a motor vehicle.

Advances have been made with composite materials to allow them to function well on posterior (back) teeth in addition to anteriors (front). Please ask us at your next visit if you are concerned about filling materials, and we will discuss your options with you.

At our office, we offer a take-home whitening solution in addition to a hybrid take-home / in-office whitening option. We have success with both systems. We will make a custom recommendation based on the current condition of your teeth.

Secondly, there is the option of placing a veneer covering over the teeth. We can do this by utilizing composite filling material or porcelain. This allows not only for an improvement in color but can address tooth shape challenges as well. The porcelain option is a longer-term solution as the composite (white filling) treatment will need some maintenance and repair work overtime.

Lastly, for teeth in the smiling zone that have been heavily restored, it may make sense to place a porcelain crown to protect the tooth from fracture while chewing and at the same time improve tooth color.

Through utilizing one or a combination of these three options, we find that our patients can smile confidently and achieve their desired result.