On one of your first visits to our office,
as soon as any emergency situations are stabilized
and
you are free of pain, we will take the time for a comprehensive
oral health evaluation. Comprehensive means that we
will examine and evaluate all areas of your oral health.
We will screen for decay, worn out or broken fillings,
gum disease and oral cancer. We will also evaluate
your bite, your jaw function, your home care and the
cosmetic
appeal of your smile. This appointment will be one
of co-discovery. You will have an opportunity to get
to
know us a lot better and you will definitely leave
with a better understanding of the status of your
oral health--what got you where you are today and what
needs to happen to get you where you want to be. Throughout
this
educational process you will have an opportunity to
view and evaluate exactly what we are seeing through
the
use of intra-oral photography. In just a few minutes
of viewing your mouth up close and personal on a 19”
computer monitor, you will develop a great understanding
of your dental strengths and weaknesses.
A thorough, comprehensive evaluation is paramount
to designing a program which results in lifelong oral
health--a mouth that has great function, good looks
and is
very comfortable. After that appointment we will put
together an individualized recommended course of treatment
based on your specific needs and desires. We will then
meet with you again at no charge to discuss your condition,
our recommendations and to answer your questions. You
will then be able to make informed decisions about
your
treatment.
We are dedicated to making your visits to our
office as comfortable as possible. Our goal while
delivering
any dental service is that you feel no discomfort.
We take extra steps with all of our patients to assist
us in achieving this goal. We always tell our patients
at the beginning of each treatment period that if
at
any time we fall short of our goal and they do feel
something all they have to do is raise their hand
and
we will stop and take care of your discomfort.
Sedation
Dentistry:
Sedation or “sleep”
dentistry is the answer for patients who are extremely
fearful or who want to get a lot done in a long appointment--up
to several hours. With sedation dentistry
you’ll be responsive, but drowsy and in and out
of sleep throughout your appointment. The area we
will
be working on will be numb with local anesthetic,
but you will be less aware and far less concerned
about
what’s going on. Most patients don’t feel
or remember a thing.
For more details about our comfortable
care see our page on comfort
care:
We try to make ourselves available when you
need us. With emergencies, getting you comfortable again
is our primary objective. During our regular work week
most emergencies can be seen for pain control that same
day. If you are a current patient of Atrium Dental Center,
you may call Dr. Howell at home if you have an emergency
outside normal business hours. The best way to handle
emergencies is to prevent them in the first place through
a regular oral health maintenance program.
We want to do our best to help you to keep your
smile for a lifetime. That's why we believe that a program
of continuing care that's right for you is so important.
We'll recommend a program that includes effective home
care and periodic checkups and oral hygiene visits to
help prevent potentially serious problems, screen for
cancer, and help you keep your smile looking its best.
With new cosmetic procedures there are many
ways we can change the look of your smile. Some options
include:
Whitening Teeth:
There are a wide variety of both professional and over-the-counter
whitening systems, and almost all of the systems, if
used properly, will result in some benefit in brightening
your smile. Overall you can expect professional systems
to deliver a superior result because they contain stronger
whitening agents and because a custom delivery system
keeps a higher concentration of the active ingredient
in contact with the tooth surface. We use a professional
custom-tray in-home whitening system, which offers you
the flexibility of whitening your teeth whenever it
best fits your schedule. It also gives the advantage
of being able to give your whitening a booster a year
or two down the road by just purchasing the whitening
agent at a much reduced cost.
Bonding:
Bonding involves the use of highly polishable
composite resins to alter the shape and appearance
of
the teeth. Composites can produce beautiful results
which typically last from 4 to 7 years. To see before
and after shots of cosmetic bonding, visit our makeover
gallery.
Veneers:
Porcelain veneers are one of the most versatile,
lifelike and longest-lasting solutions to correct undesirable
features in your smile.
Implants are the treatment of choice for replacing
lost teeth. An implant is an artificial root placed
in the bone. The implant can then be used to hold a
crown, as a bridge abutment or simply to anchor a partial
or denture. They are very versatile tools to make artificial
teeth behave very much like natural teeth.
A beautiful smile is an asset that will pay
dividends throughout your life. Orthodontics is the
process for correcting the alignment of the teeth
and
jaws for maximum esthetics (beauty), function and cleansibility.
If you have any concerns about the alignment of your
teeth please bring them to our attention.
In addition to conventional orthodontics, we also offer
a new technique, "invisible braces", which
uses a clear, removable aligner to gradually straighten
teeth. In as little as 1-2 hours per day and at the fraction
of the cost of conventional orthodontics you can get
the smile you have always wanted.
For small to medium areas of decay on both front and
back teeth we use tooth-colored composite resin fillings.
We believe the use of composites preserves and strengthens
the remaining tooth structure, and we like the idea
that this restorative is mercury free. When larger areas
of the tooth are decayed or missing, the tooth may be
better restored with some type of inlay/onlay or crown.
In any given circumstance we will make a recommendation
of what restorative will best serve your dental needs
so that you can make an informed decision.
Crown
& Bridge:
New porcelain
restorations look like natural teeth, and are very strong.
They are used in situations where there is not sufficient
tooth structure to hold a filling. Crowns can be made
metal free, all porcelain; they can be made with a metal
framework and porcelain in the cosmetic zone; or they
can be constructed of all metal, or either gold, semiprecious
or non-precious metal. We can help you decide which
will work best for your situation.
There
are several types of removable partials. Interim partials
are used to replace missing teeth immediately following
an extraction. They can be worn for a few months, but
are not indicated for long term tooth replacement. Flexible
partials are metal free partials. They are practically
unbreakable and may be used for long term tooth replacement.
Metal frame partials work best when several teeth are
missing or when all teeth are missing on one side. The
framework gives the partial rigidity, imparting better
function.
Hybrid Removable Partial Dentures:
A
hybrid combines the advantage of the metal free, flexible
partial in the clasp areas and the advantages of the
rigid frame for better function. This is the best of
both worlds and has worked very well for many of our
patients.
Dentures:
Dentures can be beautiful reproductions of
natural teeth, or they can be downright ugly, not work
and end up in the drawer. Some peoples' mouths are much
better suited to wearing a denture than others. However,
getting the teeth in a position so they look nice, support
your lip properly and allow you to chew food are minimal
requirements. Implants may often be used to make a loose
denture function more like real teeth.
Denture Implants:
Ask us how we can make you a denture which
looks and functions more like natural teeth.
Extractions, Periodontal Surgery,
Other Minor Surgeries
With any kind of surgery, our goal is to achieve
the desired result with little or no discomfort. We
have several options to relieve your anxiety and keep
you comfortable during and after your treatments.
