Diagnostic

• Dental Examination
  We want every patient to enjoy the benefits of a healthy and beautiful smile. At the office of White Smile Dental Group, you can rest assured that your oral exam is performed with the utmost care and that every member of our team is sensitive to your needs. Based on your oral exam findings and what we see on your diagnostic films, we'll outline what further treatment, if any, may be needed and discuss all your options in care.
• X-rays
  Although we perform a thorough visual inspection of every aspect of your smile, the only way to see the deeper structures of the teeth, as well as the surrounding tissues and bone, is with dental x-rays or radiographs. Diagnostic x-rays not only reveal the presence of dental disease, but they also provide valuable information on the development, health, and integrity of teeth and orofacial structures.
• Oral Cancer Screening
  At the office of White Smile Dental Group, we emphasize taking a proactive approach as the best way to maintain a healthy, beautiful smile. By coming to our office as recommended for checkup visits and routine care, we can help you and every member of your family prevent the onset and progression of many oral health problems. As skilled and experienced providers of care, we offer a comprehensive range of preventive services, including examinations, professional teeth cleanings, and oral cancer screenings, along with patient education on hygiene, diet, and healthy practices.

Preventive

• Teeth Cleaning
  Tooth decay, also known as dental caries, is one of the most prevalent diseases affecting both children and adults and is second only to the common cold in frequency. According to the World Health Organization 60-90% of children worldwide, and nearly 100% of adults have dental cavities. Although tooth decay is a worldwide epidemic, it is also a condition that is largely preventable with effective oral hygiene practices, a healthy diet as well as routine checkups and professional dental cleanings.
• Fluoride Treatment
  As an added level of protection against dental decay, it is recommended that children receive periodic fluoride treatments as part of a program of preventive dental care. Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that helps to prevent cavities by making the hard outer enamel of the teeth more resistant to the acids produced by the harmful sugar processing bacteria in dental plaque. It can also help to remineralize the teeth to reverse incipient decay.
• Dental Sealants
  As part of a pediatric dental program of preventive care, the dentist may recommend the application of dental sealants. These thin, plastic-like coatings painted onto the biting surfaces of the newly erupted permanent back teeth provide your child with an added level of protection through the cavity-prone years. Covering the pits, fissures and grooves in the hard to reach back teeth, dental sealants prevent decay-causing bacteria and food particles from accumulating in these vulnerable areas. Sealants may also be useful in areas of incipient dental decay to stop further damage from occurring.
• Space Maintainers
  Sometimes, due to tooth decay or a traumatic injury, a child may lose a primary tooth early, before the permanent one underneath is ready to come into place. When this happens, our dentist will consider the best way to hold the space left by the baby tooth in order to maintain a clear path for the succeeding adult tooth. Sometimes a small dental appliance, known as a space maintainer, is required to make sure the permanent tooth does not become crowded out of the dental arch or impacted by shifting adjacent teeth.

Restorative

• Fillings
  For many years, amalgam fillings, more commonly referred to as “silver fillings,” have represented the standard of care in rebuilding the form and function of a tooth that has been treated for dental decay. Composed of a combination of metals that include silver, tin, mercury and copper, dental amalgam has both the strength to withstand the heavy forces generated during chewing as well as the durability to retain its integrity over time. Although not as aesthetically pleasing as other types of restorations, amalgam fillings are less likely than some other types of fillings to break or wear down over time.
• Resin Composite
  While in the past, many inlays and onlays were caste from gold; today’s dental inlays and onlays are typically custom made of either the highest grade of dental porcelain or composite resins. In addition to providing an exact match to the color of tooth for a cosmetically pleasing result, inlays and onlays have the distinct advantages of being more durable than other fillings, preserving more underlying tooth structure and actually strengthening the tooth so that it can bear up to 50 to 75 percent more chewing forces.
• Veneers
  At the office of White Smile Dental Group, we recognize that every smile is different and tailor treatment to address individual needs and expectations of care. Whether your smile is best served by the fabrication of dental veneers or another cosmetic dental procedure we provide, you can count on our office for the latest, most effective, pleasing, and healthy solutions for your smile.
• Crowns
  Dental inlays and onlays offer an excellent alternative to “direct” amalgam or composite fillings to restore teeth that have sustained some damage, but not enough to require a full coverage crown. While “direct” fillings such as dental amalgam and composite fillings are placed immediately after the decay or damage is removed and the tooth is prepared, inlays and onlays are known as “indirect” fillings. This means that they are fabricated outside of the mouth prior to final bonding or cementation.
• Bridges
  Far from a new idea, the history of replacing teeth with a fixed dental bridge goes back thousands of years. Ancient civilizations made impressive use of available materials, including animal and human teeth, bones, gold, and ivory, to fill gaps in a person's smile.
• Dental Bonding
  Composite fillings, which are frequently referred to as either "tooth-colored fillings" or "white fillings," consist of a combination of biocompatible resins and finely ground, glass-like filler materials that become strong and durable when set. Available in a complete range of natural-looking shades, composite fillings offer a cosmetically pleasing alternative to traditional "silver" fillings. Composite resins are also used in dental bonding procedures to improve a tooth's color or shape, mask defects, or close minor gaps between teeth.

Endodontics

• Root Canal Treatment
  A root canal procedure is considered one of the most effective methods of saving and retaining a tooth that has been severely compromised by dental decay or injury.
• Apicoectomy
  With a success rate that exceeds 95%, root canal therapy remains the most effective procedure to save a tooth in which the inner vital tissues have been damaged. However, as with all healthcare procedures, there are a small percentage of cases where the teeth become symptomatic a second time. The good news is that many of these teeth can still be saved with root canal retreatment or a minor surgical procedure known as an apicoectomy.

Periodontics

• Periodontal Surgery
  When gum disease has advanced beyond the initial stage, periodontal surgery is often recommended to effectively remove bacteria and tartar from around the teeth, reduce gingival pocket depth, restore lost tissue as possible and halt the disease process. Untreated gum disease is a progressive condition, which will continue to compromise the appearance of one’s smile, dental health, oral function and overall well being if the appropriate measures are not taken.

Prosthodontics

• Dentures
  Whether from disease, malnutrition, genetic disorders or an accident, it is occasionally necessary for patients to have some or all their upper and lower teeth extracted. While this can be upsetting news, partial or full dentures can be fabricated to restore an attractive smile, provide needed support for normal facial contours, and reestablish a highly functional occlusion.

Implants

• Dental Implants
  With grafting procedures, the dental bone can be restored to its original dimensions to maintain facial esthetics, repair the damage caused by periodontal disease as well as facilitate the success of procedures such as the placement of dental implants. A bone graft provides a platform or “scaffolding” for new bone growth and the material for a bone graft can be derived from the patient, other donor sources or be comprised of synthetic, bone-like materials.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Oral Surgery
• Jaw Surgery
  While most malocclusions will respond to the appropriate orthodontic treatment, some require a combination of orthodontic treatment and orthognathic surgery to improve the skeletal jaw relationships.
• Flap Surgery
  While a surgical procedure known as flap surgery during which the tissue is surgically reflected away from the teeth and bone so that the area can be treated before the tissue is sutured back into place, is typically performed, some practitioners are now using soft tissue laser procedures to reduce pocket depth.
• Gum Surgery
  Gum disease is typically the result of inadequate or ineffective oral hygiene practices that lead to the accumulation of dental plaque, which is sticky film that is colonized by oral bacteria. The harmful bacteria and the products they produce provoke a defensive, inflammatory response in the gums. When this inflammation is not resolved, tissue damage ensues and spaces between the gums and teeth that are known as periodontal pockets develop. As the periodontal pockets deepen, the bacteria become more difficult to remove and the gaps between the surface of the teeth and gums get larger. When pocket depth increases to the point of being beyond the reach of deep cleanings and other conservative methods of care (5mm or more), gum surgery to clean and treat the damage to gums and underlying bone is recommended.
• Tooth Extractions
  There are many dental issues, which can affect the positions of the teeth and jaws that require orthodontic treatment to resolve. A malocclusion may be due to crowding, spacing, problems with jaw development, or the failure of certain teeth to erupt into their proper positions. Harmful oral habits such as finger sucking or tongue thrusting can also cause bite problems as well as the drifting of teeth into the unrestored spaces left by dental extractions or tooth loss. Sometimes, teeth develop in the jawbone facing in directions that prevent them from erupting at all. These teeth are referred to as impacted.
• Ridge Augmentation
  In addition to bone grafting for purposes of ridge preservation or augmentation to allow for dental implants, an aesthetic ridge augmentation procedure to restore the natural contours of the bone is sometimes performed in preparation for fixed bridgework to achieve a more cosmetically pleasing result.
• Bone Grafting
  For traditional fixed bridges, the crowned teeth need to be strong and have sufficient bone surrounding them to offer strong support. Sometimes, a bone-grafting procedure to boost bone volume and provide a solid foundation is required before the fabrication of an implant-supported or traditional bridge.

Orthodontics

• Orthodontics
  A healthy, functional and attractive smile requires teeth that are straight and jaws that are well aligned. The goal of orthodontic treatment is to correct the cosmetic and functional problems associated with teeth that are either overcrowded, have spaces between them, or that have shifted over time due to extractions, habits, or abnormal bite patterns. Orthodontics can also address skeletal discrepancies between the upper and lower jaws.
• Invisalign Orthodontics
  An innovative, discreet, and effective system of care, Invisalign® treatment offers a cosmetic way to align your smile with minimal interference to daily activities using a series of clear aligners.
• Braces
  Most parents wonder when is the best time to have their child evaluated for braces. One common misconception regarding orthodontic treatment is to wait until all of your child's permanent teeth (except the wisdom teeth) are present. However, an orthodontist can identify most problems involving the alignment of the teeth and jaw growth by the time a child is in the first or second grade. For this reason, the American Association of Orthodontists recommends that all children have a check up with an orthodontic specialist no later than age 7.

General

• Teeth Whitening
  Teeth that have been stained or darkened by food, tobacco use, age, medications or injury can be lightened and brightened by means of a non-invasive process known as teeth whitening.
• Cosmetic Dentistry
  With warmth and compassion, we offer full service care including preventative, restorative and cosmetic dentistry. We will handle all of your needs from a regular dental exam to a full mouth restoration and everything in between. We welcome you and your entire family to become a part of our dental family.