We understand that dentistry can be difficult for some people to understand. Whether it’s your first visit in a long time or you’ve never missed a dental appointment, our goal is to help educate patients in every way possible and address their specific questions and concerns. For your convenience, we’ve included some frequently asked questions and answers.
We recommend visiting our dental office at least once every six months in order to complete a routine exam and cleaning. These appointments help confirm that your oral care at home is working as intended and make sure that there are no underlying causes for concern. Some patients may need to come in more often or less often, depending upon their oral health and risk factors for cavities, gum disease, and oral cancer.
Absolutely! Our dental office provides custom-made restorations designed to last and look incredibly natural in your smile. Whether you need a dental filling or crown, it’s imperative that you complete treatment to protect your tooth and prevent it from breaking down further. After all, the enamel will not repair itself; only a dedicated restoration can help you avoid future damage. We’re not sharks- once we have our adult teeth, that’s all we get!
As an active member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. Long has you covered when it comes to cosmetic dental treatments! Not only does she place porcelain veneers to restore teeth to a beautiful luster, but she can even complete dedicated smile makeovers for those looking to pursue multiple treatments.
Tender, sensitive, red, or bleeding gums are not normal and require professional attention to treat. In the earlier stages of gum disease (aka gingivitis), you likely only need to improve your at-home oral care habits to address infected gum tissue, as well as have regular professional hygiene appointments. However, we also provide scaling and root planing should your gum disease be more advanced. This addresses the infection directly at the source.
Sensitive teeth could be a result of many issues, including untreated tooth decay. However, there’s also a chance that you have an underlying teeth grinding habit that’s slowly wearing down your enamel. For issues like these, we recommend a custom-made nightguard. This oral appliance works to protect teeth while you sleep, which is when teeth grinding and clenching most commonly occur.
Our dental office is happy to provide alternative solutions to silver/amalgam fillings, including tooth-colored fillings that make use of composite resin to repair teeth. Not only can these restorations be color-matched to your enamel, but they won’t expand and contract when exposed to hot and cold temperatures in the same way that metal fillings tend to do. We can also keep the treatment more conservative when placing composite fillings versus amalgam fillings.
Our dental office partners with dental implant specialists in the area so you can receive the most comprehensive dental care possible. We’re happy to provide you with restoration options to cover your newly placed dental implants.