- Dental ExaminationWe will take the required time to properly diagnose your immediate dental concerns, review your past medical and dental history, and create a treatment plan that provides for your optimal dental health. With your cooperation, we will complete a thorough comprehensive dental evaluation. If you have an dental emergency, we may postpone the comprehensive examination until you are comfortable, so please tell us right away if you have a pressing issue.
- X-rays
- Oral Cancer ScreeningFor adults, the first visit is usually the most comprehensive dental exam you’ve ever had. We will do an exam of your head and neck, including your TMJ (jaw joint), chewing muscles, lips, cheeks, and tongue. This also includes an advanced oral cancer screening where we shine a specialized light and look at your tissue through glasses with a specific filter that helps us to see damaged tissue that may be invisible to the naked eye. This helps to diagnose bad problems earlier, and lessen the chance of serious disease.
- Teeth CleaningA tooth cleaning is broken down by dental hygienists into six different parts. We’ll discuss each and give a brief description of what they include.
- Fluoride TreatmentFluoride Treatment – Fluoride treatments help to add a protective layer to your teeth to continue to protect them and keep them cavity-free. Fluoride hardens when it contacts saliva, so you can consume food and drink immediately after your appointment.
- Dental SealantsIf you’ve recently had a dental procedure, you may have received a sealant treatment. It is a quick and easy procedure that many patients don’t know much about. Sealants are thin plastic coatings that are painted onto the surface of the tooth that help to reduce tooth decay and protect the underlying tooth.
- Fillings
- Resin CompositeFillings are the simplest and most commonly used variety of dental restoration. They are created from gold, silver amalgam or tooth-colored composite resin and can be put into your tooth in just one visit.
- VeneersA veneer is an ultra-thin molding of porcelain that is custom created for your tooth and bonded to the front surface of an affected tooth in order to improve its appearance. They are most commonly used to restore teeth that are chipped or misshapen, but they can also be used to completely change your smile!
- CrownsDental crowns are a very common, popular solution to repair damaged or unsightly teeth. They take the form of a tooth-shaped ‘hat’ that sits over the problem tooth, encasing it entirely right down to the gum line. Crowns are an ideal way to restore the strength, shape, size and overall appearance of any damaged teeth.
- BridgesDental bridges fill the gap where the missing tooth would have been by using a false tooth, which looks and feels just like the real thing.
- Dental Bonding
- Restorative Dentistry
- Root Canal TreatmentNothing strikes fear into the heart of dental patients quite like the words ‘root canal treatment’. When the blood or nerve supply of a tooth (often known as the ‘pulp’) becomes damaged through injury, infection, or decay, it can cause the nerve of the tooth to die. Years ago this would have meant that the tooth would have to be removed entirely before the whole area became infected. However, thanks to root canal treatment, it is now possible to save teeth that are at risk from the damaged pulp.
- DenturesDentures are often a difficult topic for people to discuss. It can be embarrassing for many patients to be able to talk with friends and family about their dental health and for these reasons, dentures may also be surrounded in your mind with a negative stigma.
- Dental ImplantsI have been practicing dentistry in Utica since 2005, and with the exception of during my schooling, I have called central New York my home for my whole life. I went into private practice with my father as soon as I completed my residency program at St. Luke’s, and I have now taken over the practice since his retirement in 2019. I have continued my involvement with St. Luke’s as a volunteer attending the residency program, and I am a proud member of the American Dental Association, the Academy of Laser Dentistry, and an associate fellow in the American Academy of Implant Dentistry.
- Oral SurgeryDr. Amela Jasarevic was born in Bosnia but grew up in Utica, NY and is a graduate of Proctor High School. She attended Utica College where she graduated with honors. She went on to attend the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine for her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, graduating Cum Laude. From there, she completed a General Practice Residency at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY. Dr. Amela brings with her experience in general restorative dentistry, oral surgery, and special needs dentistry to name a few. Dr. Amela’s interests include cosmetic dentistry, endodontics, and orthodontics.
- Tooth Extractions
- Orthodontics
- Invisalign OrthodonticsInvisalign consists of a series of clear aligners that correct teeth crookedness over a period of time. Each aligner is customized according to the patient’s needs and comfortably fits each and every time. Once we obtain models of your teeth from impressions or an intraoral scanner, the files are uploaded, and a set of slowly changing models are printed from a 3D printer. From there, the models will be used to create the aligners that we will insert every few weeks, and monitor to make sure the movement is taking place as planned. The number of aligners will depend on the severity of the issue, but most people complete the process in a year.
- BracesInvisalign and braces are both tools to move the teeth, and one would be more appropriate in some circumstances versus others, and we will go over that with you at your consultation.
- Teeth WhiteningNow don’t go swishing with a bottle of peroxide and expect to notice a difference. In order to get a significant color change, you need the peroxide to be in a gel, and in prolonged contact with your teeth. Over the counter whitening strips containing peroxide can work just fine, and we usually recommend starting there, but if you want the most comfortable, most effective, fastest way to whiter teeth, we can make you custom whitening trays in the office.
- Cosmetic DentistryI hope this information about cosmetic dentistry has been valuable to you. We’re extremely proud to offer all of the services that we do, but cosmetic dentistry is an especially exciting one for you and for us. When patients decide to get their perfect smile it is absolutely transformational for them when they are done, and we love to see their new smiles more than anyone. The smile is really that important to all of us, and I hope that you all have many, many reasons to smile in the future.
- General DentistryCathy has been a dental assistant since 1981. She graduated from Monroe Community College in 2010 as a Certified Licensed Dental Assistant, enabling her to make temporary crowns and attaching orthodontic wires. She is passionate about helping her patients achieve optimum oral health and improving their smiles. Her experience provides clinical skills in all aspects of general dentistry, including dental implant surgery.