An oral exam is performed on both new and existing patients to determine their dental and health status. New patients receive a more comprehensive exam that includes x-rays and checks for gum and bone disease, systemic disorders and oral cancer. A more routine exam is done for existing patients to see if there have been any changes in health since their last visit. In order to look for gum disease, the gum tissue is measured with a small ruler to measure the pocket depth between the tooth and connective tissue. A measurement of over 4mm could indicate disease or infection. Gum disease can develop easier in deeper pockets due to the extent that plaque collects in these deep pockets. If the oral exam reveals the need for tooth scaling or root planing, these services are performed in lieu of or in addition to the routine cleaning.

It is recommended to have a full set of dental x-rays taken once a year during a regular dental checkup. Most dental insurance plans will cover the cost of x-rays taken once a year and should not be skipped out on. Dental x-rays will expose any problems that might be currently present and can be used to prevent problems that may occur in the near future. Tooth roots, jaw bone and sinuses are all visible with a quick x-ray which allows us to detect problems with the bone surrounding teeth and even allow us to see teeth that have not erupted such as permanent teeth in children or wisdom teeth in adults.

Safe, Digital X-rays
We use modern digital x-rays that use an extremely low level of radiation to create an x-ray. Digital x-rays also eliminate x-ray films from having to be developed which also minimizes the time you spend in our dental chair.

Panoramic x-rays offer patients a complete detailed image of the entire mouth including the teeth, jaw (upper and lower), sinuses, and TMJ.

It provides a complete picture on how everything looks and relates to each other.

We use a powerful autoclave to sterilize equipment and dental instruments. This helps to safeguard against germs and contamination.

During every dental checkup, we will visually check and feel around for any signs of oral cancer. We check for signs of visible lesions inside the mouth and gently feel around the jaw for any lumps or swelling that may be present. Many early signs of oral cancer can go unnoticed by people as they go about their daily lives but we want to make sure that your overall oral health is in as best condition as possible when you see us for a dental checkup.

An intra-oral camera allows the patient and doctor to view the condition of the mouth at the same time. This technology helps the patient understand and consider all the treatment options available for their situation.

Instead of using tap water, our office uses distilled water to protect our patients from germs and contamination.

The Diagnodent is the latest in cavity detection. The Diagnodent can detect the smallest cavities that even the trained eye of your dentist can miss, even while using magnification loupes! The earlier the cavity can be detected, the sooner it can be removed and chances are, there will be minor, if any, pain involved.

The leading causes of caries (cavities) are bacterial infection, absence of saliva and poor dietary habits. The CariFree system identifies and measures the magnitude of harmful decay-causing bacteria on your teeth.A simple, easy 1 minute CariScreen swab and culture test will determine if you have cavity causing bacteria infection. If you have bacterial infection, a prescribed rinse treatment can arrest the infection and place you at a low risk for cavities. If moderate to high levels of bacterial infection are identified, an overnight incubated culture may provide a base line to determine the effectiveness of the treatment rinse at future CariScreens.

We provide our patients with the luxury of Ultrasonic Scaling. It is more comfortable for patients and allows for the scaling process to be completed faster than having to 'scrape' tooth surfaces like the conventional scaling process.

Discover the Future of Pain-Free Dental Injections Today!

DentalVibe is a patented, award-winning multipurpose clinical instrument designed to alleviate intra-oral injection pain. It is a cordless, rechargeable, hand held device that delivers soothing, pulsed, percussive micro-oscillations to the site where an injection is being administered. Its proprietary VibraPulse technology gently stimulates the sensory receptors at the injection site, effectively closing the neural pain gate, blocking the pain of injections.

The Revolutionary Solution to Dentistry's #1 Challenge: Patient Anxiety About Pain

When you consider that 50% of Americans avoid dental care entirely due to the fear of pain, the use of DentalVibe will reduce patient anxiety by eliminating injection pain, and bring those patients back into the dental office for the care they desperately need and elective treatments they truly desire.

We use the latest in patient education to educate our patients in their oral health, treatment recommendations, and treatment alternatives.