Services

 

Dental Services

Fillings

A dental filling is used to replace damaged or diseased tooth structure, also known as cavities. We only use tooth colored filling materials at Advanced Dental Concepts to provide you with a healthy and esthetically beautiful smile.

Many people with teeth that have larger silver fillings may have had experiences with these teeth breaking. This is because the silver fillings rely on mechanical retention to stay in place, which often times lead to tooth fracture. White fillings bond to dentin and enamel, pulling the tooth together instead of wedging it apart. Replacing old, worn amalgam fillings before they break is advised.

Tooth colored fillings exist for every application of tooth restoration.


In this picture one of the cusps have broken off at the
margins of the silver filling.


In this picture there are multiple fracture lines
extending out from the silver filling.


In this picture you can see the fracture line that extends
from the silver filling down the side of the tooth.

 

Cosmetic Dentistry

 

At Advanced Dental Concepts, we consider esthetics in every procedure we perform. However, there are certain services aimed specifically at enhancing the esthetics of your smile.

All Ceramic Crowns

Crowns fabricated without the use of a metal core are the most beautiful, lifelike crowns available today. They offer a translucency and natural appearance unlike any other! We recommend that you whiten your teeth first, as the ceramic is transparent. This will also allow you to obtain an ideal and accurate shade match for your new crown.

Veneers

Porcelain veneers are very thin shells of porcelain that cover tooth structure. Very little preparation is necessary, so a maximum amount of tooth structure is conserved. Veneers do have the ability to become dislodged under enough force. If this happens with your veneers, we can discuss options for eliminating this inconvenience.

Bonding

Bonding is one of the most conservative procedures that exist for altering the contours of your teeth and enhancing the esthetics of your smile today. Bonding utilizes the same materials we use for fillings, and can be done completely inside our office in one day. Often times bonding can be done without having to numb your mouth!

Implant Restorations

Dental implants are one of the most successful facets of dentistry today. Dental implants are designed to provide a foundation for your new teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth. People who have lost teeth regain the ability to speak, chew, and smile with confidence, knowing that their teeth appear natural and that facial contours will be preserved.

The implants themselves are titanium posts that are placed into the jawbone where teeth are missing. The bone bonds with the titanium, creating a strong foundation for the implant crown, bridge, partial denture, or complete denture.

In addition, implants can help preserve facial structure, preventing the bone deterioration that occurs when teeth are missing.

If you are interested in using dental implants to replace your missing teeth, ask us for a consultation appointment.

In this picture you can see how the Implant Restoration works.

 

Professional Dental Cleanings

It is recommended that everyone have at least two professional dental cleanings per year. These appointments are typically combined with taking routine x-rays. If it is your first visit with us at Advanced Dental Concepts and you have not had a full set of x-rays taken, this is typically where we will start. This will give us the ability to diagnose any treatment you may require and allow us to see many things we cannot see with our eyes. Knowing every piece of the proverbial puzzle is key in collaborating with you to create a complete and comprehensive treatment plan.

After your x-rays are taken, we will determine the type of cleaning you require. Most patients require a traditional cleaning. However, some patients who have not been under dental care for a period of time may require a deep cleaning, also known as scaling and root planing. It is also possible that we may need to do a special cleaning so that we can see your teeth better in an effort to resolve any treatment concerns or questions you may have; this cleaning is considered a "debridement".

Most cleaning appointments last about an hour and are done without any type of anesthesia. Deeper cleanings, however, typically do require you to be numb. The reason for this is twofold: 1) your comfort is very important to us, and it is possible that your gingiva may experience some discomfort if your gingiva is not numb; 2) this allows us to proceed with providing you with a complete deep cleaning that we would not otherwise be able to complete.

Children's Dentistry

We are happy to provide care for the entire family at Advanced Dental Concepts, including children. As many of us are proud parents ourselves, we recognize the importance of early dental care. The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that children have an "established dental home" by the age of one. A child should be seen as well when their teeth begin to come in.

Finding out your child's teeth are coming in may begin as a "sick visit" to your pediatrician’s office. Many parents mistake erupting teeth for a cold or flu because the symptoms can be very similar. Fever, loss of appetite, fussiness/irritability, runny or stuffy nose, coughing, and sneezing are all common signs of tooth eruption. However, if you are not completely sure that your child is only teething, we recommend that you take your child to the pediatrician for an evaluation as soon as possible. If you do not have a pediatrician, please contact us, so that we can provide you with some contact information for a pediatrician near you.

We believe the sooner a child begins seeing a dental professional, the better. This can help to identify issues that may be very minor if addressed early on.

Tongue Tie or Lip Tie and Breastfeeding

A frenectomy is a procedure used to correct a congenital condition in which the tongue or upper lip frenulum is too tight, causing restrictions in movement that can cause significant difficulty with breastfeeding and in some instances, other health problems like dental decay or spacing, speech difficulties and digestive issues.

Our office is one of the only dental offices in the gulf coast area that offers laser treatment for infant tongue tie and lip tie release procedures. When we use the laser for this procedure, bleeding and discomfort are minimized because the laser itself has some analgesic properties and healing is faster. In general the procedure is very well-tolerated by children. We take every measure to ensure that pain and stress during the procedure are minimized. General anesthesia is not utilized in the office and is almost never needed to perform the procedure. A numbing topical cream will be applied prior to the procedure. This medication works very quickly. Afterwards you may breastfeed, bottle-feed or soothe your baby in any manner you’d like following the procedure. You may stay as long as necessary.

Dentures and Partials

Traditional partial dentures and complete dentures are used to restore a person's esthetics and oral function when other methods of restoration are not possible. Partial dentures attach to a person's remaining teeth to stay in place. The retention of a partial denture is dependent upon the teeth that remain in a person's mouth.

A conventional complete denture rests on a patient’s gums and relies on suction and a proper fit to stay in place. Patients usually have more difficulty with complete lower dentures than complete upper dentures. If you are experiencing difficulty with the retention of your lower denture, implants may be used to anchor your denture in place.

Periodontics

Periodontics refers to the care of the gum and bone tissue that supports your teeth. As such, periodontics is an important facet of dentistry on which the success of most restorative procedures hinges.

Typically when patients think of periodontics, they think of gum surgery or implants; and that is correct to a certain extent. In our office we provide you with the opportunity to manage or treat your gingivitis and periodontal disease with our professional dental cleaning regimens.

Several studies link chronic inflammation from periodontitis with the development of cardiovascular problems. Researchers have discovered that if you have periodontal disease, you may have an increased risk for heart disease, artery blockages, and stroke. Also, people with diabetes often have periodontal disease. It is vital to the health of your body to keep your gums and mouth healthy. We will perform a periodontal screening to check for gum disease and discuss the findings and different treatment recommendations with you.

Extractions and Bone Grafts

Sometimes there is nothing that can be done to save a tooth. The tooth or teeth may have a fracture, extensive decay, a failed root canal, or many other unfortunate circumstances. At this point, the only option a person may have is to have the tooth removed (extracted). At Advanced Dental Concepts, we do not extract a tooth without going over options to save the tooth or to restore the space once the tooth is missing. If a person is interested in restoring the space with an implant we always recommend performing a bone graft procedure at the time of the tooth removal. This will ensure that enough bone remains in the extraction site so that an implant may be placed in the future. It may also be possible to extract a tooth and immediately place an implant. This reduces your time in the dental chair and surgery appointments by half and gives you your final restored tooth back sooner.

Post-Operative Instructions

Following a dental extraction, it is normal to experience light bleeding of the extraction site. Placing a piece of moist gauze over the extraction site and biting down firmly for 30 minutes will control this. Be careful not to dislodge the blood clot that forms in the extraction socket. Do not drink through a straw, spit or smoke after your extraction to avoid dislodging the blood clot.

Swelling is normal following a surgical procedure. An ice pack placed on the face for 30 minutes on and off the first day is helpful. It is normal to experience more swelling the second day after surgery.

Some pain following a surgical procedure is normal. Over the counter pain medications such as Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen are very effective in controlling dental pain.

Proper nutrition is important following a tooth extraction. Please follow a liquid to soft diet for the first 24-36 hours. Chew on the opposite side and avoid hot liquids.

After the extraction avoid brushing the teeth near the extraction site for the first day. After that you can resume gentle cleaning. Avoid mouthwash, as it can irritate the site. Beginning 24 hours after the extraction you can rinse with salt water (1/2 teaspoon in a cup of warm water) after meals and before bed.

After a tooth has been extracted there will be a hollow area in your jawbone where the tooth was removed. We recommend that bone grafting be done at the time of extraction to avoid further bone loss and preserve bone for future implant placement and/or to preserve y our facial structure.

Relaxation Dentistry

For Patients who suffer from a fear of dental care or neeedles and shots, have complicated dental problems, difficulty getting numb and/or sensitive teeth, we offer a solution.  Sedation dentistry helps our patients safely manage pain and anxiety during treatment with medication.

Nitrous Oxide is often called laughing gas when administered to children.  Nitrous oxide is a gas that you breathe through a nose piece during your visit. Most people feel relaxed, happy, and unconcerned. There are no long-lasting effects after you stop breathing the gas so you can safely drive yourself home.

Another option is to take a mild sedative that we prescribe.  It is taken prior to coming to your visit, so you will need a driver companion. Most people feel relaxed, unconcerned, and sleepy.

Teeth Whitening

Having a beautiful smile may be even easier than you think. Many people achieve the look they've been dreaming of with our simple "whitening" procedure. It's safe, quick, and inexpensive. Just let us know at any appointment if you would like to begin whitening your teeth. We have multiple whitening options for you. Our first whitening option is the one most patients choose. It's simple and effective! As a dental health care facility, we are able to offer you prescription strength teeth whitening strips. The solution is the same strength as custom whitening trays, but is more convenient and more affordable. If you opt for the traditional bleaching, or you do not achieve the results you were hoping for with the strips, then we can begin fabricating custom whitening trays for you.

We will take impressions of your mouth and in a day or two your custom whitening trays will be ready for you to pick up. We provide you with a special whitening agent that you put into the clear, almost invisible trays. By wearing the trays with the whitening gel only a few hours every day, stains from coffee, tea, wine, and other foods and beverages are bubbled out of your enamel in a very short time without altering tooth structure or existing dental work in any way. When your teeth reach the brightness you want, only occasional treatment is needed to maintain your beautiful new smile!

If you have teeth that previously were bleach resistant or have dark stubborn stains from fluorosis, geriatric staining or tetracycline staining, we offer Kor Deep Bleaching. This system is specifically developed to deliver truly exceptional results on the most difficult stains.

There are many options, so reserve your appointment today to discuss how to brighten up your smile and improve your appearance.

Night Guards

A lot of people have tension headaches and migraines that can be caused from intense clenching or grinding most often while sleeping. Other symptoms are a sore, tired jaw, difficulty in opening and closing your mouth, ear aches, or pain in your jaw and neck. There are many different types of dental devices that can greatly reduce the intensity of the clenching and grinding and minimize the source of the pain.

Custom Athletic Mouthguards

A properly fitted mouthguard should be standard equipment!  Custom made mouthguards protect teeth by distributing the force of a blow over all of the surrounding teeth and gums, they protect against neck injuries and they serve as a shock absorber for concussive forces affecting the lower jaw.  Stock or boil and bite mouthguards offer no protection to the athlete.  They are bulky and lack any retention and therefore must be held in place by constantly biting down, which interferes with speech and breathing.  They also often lack proper extensions and frequently do not cover all the back teeth and are frequently altered and cut by the athlete in an attempt to make it more comfortable, further reducing the protective properties.  A custom mad mouthguard is designed by a dentist and is the most effective of all types of mouth protectors.  They interfere the least with speaking and studies have shown that a custom made mouthguard has virtually no effect on breathing.

Laser Dental Technology

We all want to have healthy teeth, but the thought of needles and drills make the idea of visiting the dentist less appealing.  Using a Waterlase Laser, you can now receive a better quality of dental care, with fewer visits and without many of the discomforts of traditional dentistry.
Benefits of using laser-assisted dentistry:

  • Less discomfort during and after treatments
  • Preservation of natural, healthy teeth while targeting decay
  • Fewer visits
  • Protects teeth against further decay
  • Less need for needles and drills
  • Reduced treatment time

Laser Treatment for Cold Sores

  • Can prevent the cold sore from progressing
  • Greatly reduces symptoms
  • Shorten the course of the outbreak
  • Significantly reduces the chance of another cold sore recurring in the same area
  • Gives immediate pain relief
  • Increases healing time to as little as 24 hours