Services

Dentist in Wilmington, NC

Complete Exams

Each new patient will receive a comprehensive oral exam which includes digital xrays, head and neck exam, oral cancer screening, and checking for gum disease. Your oral health is very important and may affect your overall health. Your mouth is the window to your body and it is now known that “You cannot have good general health without good oral health.  Thus, it is important to get a dental exam done twice per year.

Teeth Cleaning

This type of cleaning involves using specialized instruments to gently remove deposits without harming the teeth. Once all surfaces are smooth, we will polish your teeth with a soft “rubber cup” that spins on the end. This process is to smooth the surfaces of your teeth to minimize plaque adhering to your teeth. And last but not least, we floss, making sure all plaque and bacteria is removed from between the teeth and under the gums.

Gum Disease Treatment

If you are diagnosed with active gum disease or “periodontal disease”, we would like to treat it first using the least invasive and most cost-effective manner. This is often through non-surgical periodontal treatment. This procedure involves careful cleaning of the root surfaces to remove plaque and tartar from deep periodontal pockets and to smooth the tooth root to remove bacterial toxins. If necessary, adjunctive therapy such as delivery of local antimicrobials directly into the pockets is performed. If your gum disease is severe, periodontal surgery may be required.

Tooth Colored Fillings

No longer just considered cosmetic dentistry. Unlike the silver amalgam fillings, composite fillings also known as “white fillings” will match the shade of your natural teeth making this an excellent cosmetic option. This restoration material is commonly used to fill cavities and replace those worn out silver fillings.

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening has become one of the most popular and cost effective ways to enhance your smile. We offer in-office whitening, where we could whiten your teeth as much as 5 shades lighter, or, we can make you custom bleaching trays where you can whiten your teeth at the comfort of your own home.

Crowns

Throughout life, many of us find ourselves with teeth that are no longer structurally sound. This could be due to having a tooth that has been restored multiple times, root canals or chipping of the enamel. When there isn’t enough tooth structure to support a filling, the tooth will need a crown to restore the tooth’s natural form and function.

Bridges

A bridge may be recommended if you’re missing one or more teeth. Gaps left by missing teeth ultimately cause the remaining teeth to shift and or rotate resulting in an unbalanced bite. This could potentially lead to gum disease or TMJ disorders. A typical bridge will be anchored to the teeth in front and behind the missing tooth/teeth and will have a false tooth to replace the missing tooth/teeth. You have an option to have the bridge fabricated from precious metal such as gold or made with porcelain for a natural appearance.

Dental Implants

A dental implant is the gold standard of replacing a missing tooth or teeth. Dental implants are made out of titanium which is 100% biocompatible. It replaces teeth permanently without treating or touching adjacent teeth. The results is a beautiful and natural look.

TMJ

Temporomandibular joint diseases, commonly known as TMJ or TMD, are a category of conditions that cause symptoms such as chronic headaches, migraines, neck pain, and possibly popping of the jaw. Many who suffer this disease clench and/or grind their teeth during the night or subconsciously during the day. Grinding your teeth can create a great deal of force on your jaw, which can ultimately cause damage to your teeth and jaw joints. We can fabricate a custom night guard to fit around your teeth, which could be worn at night when you sleep or during the day. Doing this can help protect your teeth from the harmful effects of grinding and clenching and prevent further damage.

Emergency Services

A dental emergency can be a serious situation, which should not be ignored; it needs to be treated immediately. It could mean a difference of saving or losing a tooth. If you have a dental emergency, call us immediately, we have reserved times for these situations.

Root Canal Therapy

Signs that you may need a root canal

• Severe toothache upon chewing
• Lingering pain to heat or cold temperature after the hot or cold has been removed
• Discoloration or darkening of the tooth
• Swelling and tenderness in the nearby gums
• A persistent or recurring pimple on the gums

Please call us for a consult if you are experiencing any of the symptoms above.

Complete and Partial Dentures

Dentures and Partials are the most affordable and least invasive method of replacing missing teeth. We use the latest technique and material to make dentures and partials to look as natural as possible making them virtually impossible for others to tell that you are wearing them. Not only will replacing broken or missing teeth restore your smile, it will increase your chewing efficiency.

Preventative Care

• Oral cancer screening
• Intraoral Camera so patients can see what the dentist sees
• Full Mouth Debridements
• Scaling and Root planing
• Cleanings
• Fluoride and sealant treatments
• Teeth Whitening
• TMJ/TMD care

We recommend a periodic check-up every six months to prevent or diagnose any oral health issues. Preventive care begins with teeth cleaning to remove plaque and tartar which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. Recommended x-rays allow us to provide a more thorough exam. Regular exams can lead to early detection and often prevention of serious problems such as infected teeth, tooth loss,  periodontal disease and oral cancer.

At our Wilmington dental office we also have the ability to let the patient see what we see in use of an intraoral camera. The patient will be able to see broken fillings, some decay, cracked teeth, etc.

In certain situations a regular cleaning will not do the best job for someone displaying advances gum disease and periodontal disease. In these cases we may do scaling and root planing. This is a more in depth cleaning that allows us to get to tartar or plaque that is deep under the gum tissue.

Restorative Care

• Tooth Colored (Composite) Fillings
• Root Canal Therapy
• All Ceramic, Porcelain Fused to Metal, and Gold Crowns(Caps),
• Restore Dental Implants
• Dentures and partial dentures – removable
• Extractions

If a cavity is detected, then we will likely need to do a restoration on the tooth. We have the option of using tooth colored(composite)fillings or silver(amalgam) fillings. Sometimes a restoration would be so large that we recommend a cap(crown) on the tooth for a better outcome. The crown can add strength to the tooth and increases the longevity. A weakened tooth can break during the force of biting and chewing and crown can help avoid this. We offer all full ceramic crowns, gold crowns, or porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns.

When a cavity or a cracked tooth goes untreated, it can lead to a need for root canal therapy. Root canal therapy is used to remove the infection and save the tooth. It is important to treat this infection to prevent it from spreading to the root tips and causing an abscess that can be very painful.
If a tooth can not be saved, we do offer extractions. We perform extractions on all teeth including wisdom teeth. Some extractions are more difficult and are termed surgical. In some cases where the teeth are not fully in the mouth, we can refer to an oral surgeon to get the work done.
Once a tooth is missing, we offer a variety of treatment. Sometimes a patient elects to get a dental implant. A dental implant usually involves two phases, surgically placing the implant and restoring it with a crown. To place the implant, an opening is made in your gums and then a channel is shaped in the bone to receive the implant. Next, the body of the implant is placed into the prepared channel. An extension is attached to the implant at the time of surgery and may take several months to heal while the implant becomes firmly attached to the bone. These procedures are performed by a gum specialist or oral surgeon. We then make the crown that sits on top of the implant at our office.
We also do fixed bridges to replace missing teeth. The procedure is less invasive as the dental implant surgery.

When all of your lower or upper teeth are missing, a full denture (removable) is a good treatment option. Multiple visits are required (impressions, wax rim, wax replica, and final fit). Conventional dentures enable you to eat foods more easily and speak more clearly. In addition, they support your lips and cheeks for a more natural and youthful appearance.