Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Aesthetically pleasing orthodontic treatments are here to stay because more people are choosing to correct cosmetic and oral problems without detracting from their appearance. With clear aligners and clear braces, you can improve your smile while keeping your treatment invisible. You may even be able to combine the two treatments if needed.

Although your top priority is fixing your teeth and having the healthiest mouth possible, straightening your smile discreetly is probably a close second. Here’s how two popular invisible orthodontic treatments compare so that you can discuss them with your dentist.

Clear Braces

Clear braces are similar to metal braces and include non-removable brackets, wires, and sometimes rubber bands.

• Work well for any age group
• Can fix more severe oral issues and jaw misalignment
• Treatment time varies from one to three years
• Must take special care to remove food particles from brackets and avoid hard or sticky foods
• Brackets are plastic or ceramic

Clear Aligners

Clear aligners are removable trays that you wear for a certain number of hours per day and require discipline to wear them consistently.

• Best for older teens or adults
• Can fix mild orthodontic issues
• Treatment time averages one year
• You remove the trays to eat and can eat whatever you want
• Made of plastic

Dental crowns are designed to be very durable and to function much like your own teeth. You need to use common sense, however, and avoid biting down directly on foods like hard candy or nuts. A broken crown is not just costly to replace, but you may also damage underlying healthy tooth structure.

Yes. Unlike amalgam fillings, tooth-colored fillings are a custom-mixed resin composite. The composite mixture is matched to your tooth color and bonded directly to the tooth. This usually results in a filling that is nearly indistinguishable from your natural tooth.

Dental implants are intended to blend in seamlessly with your natural teeth.

One of the advantages of this is that you can brush them and floss them the same as you would with your regular teeth. While implants never get cavities (and never need root canals!), you still want to continue brushing and flossing to keep your natural teeth and your gums healthy.

It will take your mouth some time to get used to the feel of dentures. After a few months, however, you will feel comfortable eating and speaking with your dentures in and experience little to no soreness or discomfort. If you ever do experience soreness or if your dentures aren’t fitting right, please let us know.

We know that convenience is important for today’s busy families. That is why we offer dentistry for the whole family including your children. We begin seeing kids at a young age to make sure they have a healthy dental foundation.

Myofunctional therapy is a specialized program designed to correct improper function of the tongue and facial muscles. This therapeutic approach focuses on retraining the muscles of the mouth, face, and throat to function properly during rest, swallowing, chewing, and speaking.

Many people develop habits such as mouth breathing, tongue thrusting, or incorrect swallowing patterns that can lead to various dental and health issues. Myofunctional therapy addresses these concerns through a series of exercises and techniques that help establish proper oral posture and function.

Who Can Myofunctional Therapy Benefit?

The therapy can benefit both children and adults, potentially improving issues such as sleep-disordered breathing, TMJ dysfunction, orthodontic relapse, speech difficulties, and facial development problems. A typical myofunctional therapy program involves guided exercises performed daily over several months, with regular check-ins to monitor progress.

Treatment is typically conducted by a trained myofunctional therapist who creates a customized program based on individual needs. The exercises are simple and can be performed at home, though consistency is key to achieving lasting results.

By establishing proper muscle function and oral habits, myofunctional therapy can contribute to better overall health, improved sleep quality, and enhanced dental stability. If you're experiencing any oral functional concerns, ask your dental professional whether myofunctional therapy might be right for you.

Since most of us don’t routinely analyze the insides of our mouths, you may wonder how you can detect the signs of oral cancer. In addition to oral cancer screenings with your dentist, seek professional care if you notice any of these symptoms:

• Bleeding in your mouth that doesn’t stop or a sore that doesn’t heal
• A lump or thickening in the lining of the mouth
• Chronic hoarseness or sore throat
• Red or white patches on the soft tissues in the mouth
• Difficulty swallowing or chewing

Additional symptoms that may signal a problem include fatigue, unexplained weight loss, loose teeth, chronic bad breath, and ear and/or jaw pain. Check your tongue, lips, gums, cheeks, teeth, face, and neck for changes, and call your dentist if you have any concerns.

Factors that increase oral cancer risk:

• Tobacco use
• Heavy alcohol use
• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Excessive sun exposure
• Fair skin
• Poor oral hygiene
• Poor nutrition
• Gender (men are more prone to oral cancer than women)

Prevention is always the best way to avoid oral cancer. Discontinuing tobacco use may be the single most effective way to lower your risk, even if you’ve been using it for years.

Learning that you need a root canal doesn’t seem like good news to most people. But catching a problem inside your tooth means it will get the treatment it needs, ending your pain and preserving the tooth. A dentist performs root canals to save infected, damaged, or diseased teeth.

Your teeth have several layers - the outer enamel, the hard dentin underneath, and the inner pulp, which contains nerves, connective tissue, and blood vessels. If damage, infection, or inflammation penetrates the inner pulp, the tooth is at risk.

A root canal may be recommended in these situations:

• Deep tooth decay
• Fractures, large chips, or cracks
• Disease or infection in the inner pulp

Signs that you might need a root canal include tooth pain when biting down, sensitivity to hot and cold, tooth darkening, tenderness or swelling in the gums, or a pimple-like bump on your gums.

In the root canal procedure, the dentist removes the infected tooth pulp and seals the area. A dental filling or crown protects the tooth and completes the restoration.

If you’re concerned about a tooth, call your dentist right away for a dental exam. Root canals are highly successful, common procedures that can put an end to your pain or sensitivity and restore your tooth.

While the whitening kits you can find at your local drugstore cost less than professional kits, the truth is that this is a case where you get what you pay for. Drugstore whitening kits are designed to be "one size fits all," which often translates to "one size fits none." The strengths are much lower than what you can get in a professional kit, meaning that you must use the product for a longer period of time and are still unlikely to get the results you can find in a professional product. Additionally, your results are not being monitored by the dentist you know and trust.