Family Dentistry

Even with great oral care habits, teeth still develop buildup that needs to be professionally removed by your dental hygienist.  And having the hygienist and dentist reviewing your x-rays and performing an oral cancer screening every 3-6 months will help to identify problems and potential problems before they become larger issues.  This is not only great for your overall health, but good for your budget!

92% of Americans have had at least one cavity.  At Washtenaw Dental, we are committed to the health of our patients, which is why we ONLY offer white composite fillings for our patients.   White fillings are strong, stain-resistant, require less removal of tooth structure and do not contain mercury like amalgam fillings. 

A dental crown may not make you feel like royalty, but it is one of the premiere treatments for teeth which have extensive decay or damage. Dental crowns are made of ceramic and porcelain, and placed during a multi-step process. The first step is to remove decay and take a dental impression/scan. A temporary crown is then placed to protect the tooth while the impression/ scan is sent to a laboratory to create the final restoration. With good oral hygiene your beautiful new dental crown can last up to 30 years. 

Using dentures to replace missing teeth is not only great for your oral health; it's a great way to look and feel younger! Today, there are a variety of natural-looking and comfortable dentures for patients who need to replace missing teeth. Partial dentures, which can be either fixed or removable, are great for patients who have several missing teeth scattered along the upper or lower jaw. Dental Implants can be used to add stability.

Just as with your natural teeth, dentures require daily maintenance. With regular wear and tear, your dentures can last 5-7 years. During that time, you may need periodic denture relines to accommodate changes in the contours of your mouth. Regular denture relines involve resurfacing the base to ensure that your dentures fit and function perfectly. If you break your dentures, it's critical to bring them to your dentist for professional denture repair. Home denture repair kits can cause more damage and be even more costly to fix.

No matter how often you brush and floss, plaque and tartar deposits can still build up on your teeth. A professional teeth cleaning is the single most effective way to remove these deposits and prevent them from causing more serious problems in the future. While a traditional teeth cleaning involves manually scraping away these deposits with special dental tools, advances in dental technologies now give you more options for teeth cleanings.

An ultrasonic cleaning, is a popular alternative to traditional teeth cleanings. With ultrasonic scaler is used to remove deposits, kill harmful microbes and eliminate bacteria around the teeth and gums through high-frequency sound waves. Many patients find ultrasonic teeth cleanings more comfortable than traditional teeth cleanings because they are quicker, quieter and pain-free.

A deep cleaning may be recommended if excessive plaque and tartar deposits have developed below the gum line. Deep cleanings, also known as scaling and root planing, involve a two-part process: first, the stubborn deposits are removed, and then the root surfaces are smoothened. A deep cleaning helps prevent periodontal disease and restores gum tissues to a healthy state.

Pulp capping is an alternative to root canals that is used when the infection has yet to penetrate the pulp. Pulp capping is also used to prevent a large dental filling from getting too close to the nerve.

 

f you've been living with persistent jaw pain, ear pain and headaches, you could have TMJ – temporomandibular jaw disorder. TMJ can often be traced back to an improper bite, misaligned jaw joints, or an injury to the jaw or face. TMJ treatment can vary from patient to patient and could involve one or several procedures, including ortho or night guards. The goal of TMJ treatment is to stabilize your bite so that your teeth, jaw muscles and jaw joints work together properly without strain or pain!

Snore Guards / EMA® or Elastic Mandibular Advancement is a custom appliance prescribed by our dentist for our patients that suffer from snoring.  Snore Guards are comfortable to wear, and effective no matter your sleep position preference.

Over 5 million teeth are lost due to sports activities every year. PlaySafe sports mouthguards are credited with protecting and preventing an estimated 200,000 oral injuries every year. When worn correctly, PlaySafe decreases oral injury by 99%. Which is why it is the most prescribed mouthguard not only in the U.S., but also in Europe and Australia.

Oral surgery is an umbrella term for surgical treatments such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extractions and bone grafting. Dental implants, an excellent solution for missing teeth, are surgically placed tooth roots that hold dental crowns in place. A wisdom tooth extraction may be recommended if there isn't enough room in your mouth to accommodate wisdom teeth and they become impacted, partially erupted or infected. Bone grafting transfers bone from one part of the jaw to another, usually to accommodate a dental implant. While a general dentist can perform some oral surgery procedures, an oral surgeon is required for others.

Conscious sedation is a moderate level of sedation that causes drowsiness and is taken in pill form. IV deep sedation is typically administered intravenously and works very quickly.