Our office provides a number of services to suit each patients needs. Treatment can range from a simple filling to full-mouth reconstruction. Local anesthetic is generally given for most procedures.  For those who are anxious or nervous, we offer nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or Valium to help make your appointment more comfortable.  Our Doctors:  Dr. Ladowski, Dr. Pitzen, and Dr. Tomlinson are excellent in administering anesthetic; many patients don’t even feel it!

Dental treatment for children:
We love children!  We recommend your child’s first visit start at 3 years old.  Even if it’s just a chair ride, it’s a good age to start getting them used to the world of dentistry. Kids love our TVs in each room.  They can watch cartoons on the TV, and educational programs through our CASEY Patient Education System! We will guide your children through proper brushing and flossing techniques, plus take the necessary x-rays to detect cavities as early as possible. We strongly recommend sealants on our young patients. They are a special coating placed on unrestored permanent molars and bicuspids on the biting surface to help prevent tooth decay.

Composite fillings:
Our office uses the newest technology for restoring decayed teeth.  We use resin based composite material (white fillings). This type of restoration is actually bonded to the tooth and requires less tooth structure removal than when placing an amalgam (silver filling).

Crowns (Caps):
Crowns are usually placed on a single tooth when there is not enough tooth structure that a simple filling restoration can replace. Teeth that have had endodontic (root canal therapy) are also usually crowned.  Three common types of crowns are all gold, all porcelain, or porcelain fused to metal (the metal does not show, the porcelain is baked over the metal). The first visit for crown preparation involves shaving the top and sides of the tooth down into a peg-like shape. We then take an impression of the tooth, make a temporary crown, and send the impression to the laboratory for design.  We customize the shape, size and shade to your specific needs. A follow up visit is needed a couple of weeks later to place the crown with permanent cement.

Our office proudly offers some of the most state-of-the-art technology in creating and designing crowns. In addition to the traditional method, we offer another method called CEREC^®. The CEREC machine actually makes your crown right here in our office that very same day, in one visit!  Dr. Ladowski prepares your tooth much like a traditional crown and sends the data to the CEREC machine.  The CEREC then process all the information it is given and starts to work on milling your crown. The CEREC not only makes crowns but can also make inlays and onlays. This single office visit means no waiting and no temporary crowns! This solution works great for those of us with busy schedules and eliminates multiple visits to the dental office.

Inlays and Onlays:
Inlays are much like a filling. They do the same job by replacing tooth structure, usually from decay, but they are actually created much like a crown. The decay is removed from the tooth and the data is sent to our CEREC machine for milling. An inlay is much smaller than a crown and replaces less tooth structure.  So what is the benefit to an inlay?  The material is actually bonded to your tooth with a special agent that actually fuses your tooth structure with the replacement material. This is the highest level of tooth structure replacement second to keeping your own!  Inlays tend to be more costly than regular fillings and insurance companies don’t usually cover them.

Onlays are more similar to a single tooth crown thought they replace less tooth structure.  Full crowns replace all cusps of the tooth and go all the way to the gum line, while onlays usually cover 1-3 cusps and part of the tooth.  Onlays can be made in either porcelain or gold.  If it is done in gold, it is sent out to a laboratory for fabrication and the procedure is much like a crown.  If it is done in the tooth colored porcelain we are able to use our CEREC machine to mill it the same way we do an inlay.

Veneers:
These are very thin custom made porcelain jackets that cover the front of your anterior (front teeth on top or bottom). Veneers are considered a cosmetic procedure and generally not covered by insurance companies. Minimal tooth structure is removed from each tooth, much less than a full crown or inlay/onlay. Veneers can be made to match your existing teeth or can be altered to create a more desirable shape, size and color. They are very natural looking and can rarely be identified by the average person.

Root Canal Therapy:
What is a root canal?  It is treatment usually involving the removal of the tooth’s pulp or nerve, a thread-like tissue that was important for tooth development. The pulp is located inside the tooth chamber and runs down to the tip of each root. Teeth only have one pulp chamber but may have several root canals. If the pulp is diseased or injured and unable to repair itself, it loses its vitality. The most common causes of death are a deep cavity, a crack, or trauma. If untreated, the tissues surrounding the root can become infected or abscessed resulting in serious pain and swelling. Without treatment the tooth may have to be removed. Treatment involves one or more visits.  Once root canal treatment is complete your dentist will advise you of proper restoration, usually a crown is placed. The blood supply has been severed from the tooth and it will become brittle over time and may be susceptible to fracture.

Extractions:
Sometimes a tooth needs to be removed due to various reasons ranging from impaction (usually occurring with wisdom teeth), severe decay, broken teeth beyond repair, periodontal disease, or as a preventive measure to counter act overcrowding.  Most extractions can be done here in our office but some situations require a specialist for treatment. If infection is present you may be prescribed an antibiotic. A post-op visit is usually scheduled for one week after the surgery at which time the dentist will make sure the site is healing properly, and remove sutures (stitches) if necessary.

Replacement of missing teeth:
There are several different methods for replacing missing teeth; removable partial denture, complete denture, fixed bridge, and implant.

Removable Partial Dentures are custom fit to each individual’s mouth and can replace several teeth. They are usually anchored in by special clasps or made with special rest attachments fitted to crowns. Partial dentures can be very comfortable and can restore a natural chewing environment for your mouth but can cause soreness and irritation with extended wear.

Complete Dentures are also custom fit for each individual patient through a series of impressions and are used when all teeth are missing. Upper dentures are usually quite successful as they have a lot of surface area to suction to, where lower dentures can tend to “float” or move around when eating.

Fixed Bridges are usually placed when one to two, or sometimes even more teeth are missing. Bridges are very natural looking and can restore chewing to normal.  Unlike dentures, where the appliance is removable, bridges are cemented (glued) to the adjacent/anchor teeth permanently. When preparing for a bridge the tooth on either side of the missing tooth space is prepared by shaving down the tops and sides to reduce the size of the tooth so it can hold the new bridge in. We match the shade of your new bridge to your existing teeth so it looks natural (sometimes patients may want to whiten teeth prior to bridge preparation). The bridges are usually all porcelain or porcelain fused to metal, this material will not change shade, even with whitening techniques, so it is important you are happy with the shade of your teeth before beginning treatment.

Implants are a newer technology in comparison to dentures and bridges but are becoming a far more desirable, safe and esthetically pleasing solution. Although our office does not currently place the actual titanium post implant, we place the implant crown (cap) and abutment piece. We work in conjunction with our specialty offices to provide the most convenient and efficient care for implant restoration. It typically takes about 6 months of healing once the titanium post is place before we can start preparation for the crown (cap). If this is a front tooth a single tooth removable appliance (flipper) is worn in the interim. The first appointment to prepare for the crown is scheduled in which an impression is taken and shade and shape is decided upon. It is then sent off to a laboratory where the crown is made. A second appointment is scheduled to place the crown permanently.

Implants can also be used to replace more than a single.  They can be used as the anchor teeth for a bridge or used as anchors for partial or complete denture.  Please call us today to see if you are a candidate for implants! 

 Invisalign is essentially an invisible way to straighten your teeth without braces.  The Invisalign system uses a series of clear, removable aligners to move your teeth over time to give you the smile you deserve.