What are veneers?

Veneers are thin, custom-made moldings that cover the fronts of unsightly teeth. They are crafted from high-tech, non-staining materials to portray a natural, bright smile.

Veneers provide an alternative to traditional crowns. They cover unattractive gaps, and can mask stained, mis-shapen or crooked teeth.

If you have been diagnosed with periodontal disease your regular scheduled cleanings will now be periodontal maintenance cleanings.

Periodontal Disease is an inflammatory and infectious disease affecting the gums and supporting tissues of the teeth. If left untreated it can worsen in time, which may lead to bone loss and premature tooth loss. In the early stages of periodontal disease, your gums become red or swollen, and may even bleed. In time, your gums separate from your teeth and deep spaces called pockets form. Bacteria then collect in these pockets, and their toxins cause inflammation of the gums which destroys the bone that anchors your teeth.

Dental insurance is actually a money benefit typically provided by an employer to help their employees pay for routine dental treatment. The employer usually buys a plan based on the amount of benefit and how much the premium costs per month. Most benefit plans are designed to cover a portion of the cost.

Why is there an annual maximum on my benefits?

Maximums limit what a carrier has to cover each year.

When you bite down do you feel a sharp pain? It quickly disappears and perhaps you ignore it. You avoid certain foods or chew on one side of your mouth. Does this sound familiar? You may have a cracked tooth!

A cracked tooth hurts because the pressure of biting causes the crack to open. When you stop biting, the pressure is released and a sharp pain results as the crack quickly closes.

Even though the crack may be microscopic and may not show on an x-ray, when it opens, the pulp inside the tooth becomes irritated. The pulp is a soft tissue that contains the tooth’s nerves and blood vessels. If the crack irritates the pulp, the tooth may become sensitive to temperature extremes. If the pulp becomes damaged or diseased root canal treatment may be necessary to save the tooth.

The American Dental Association recommends that bitewing (cavity detecting) radiographs be taken once a year and a full mouth series to be taken every three years.

Many diseases of the teeth and surrounding tissues can not be seen when your dentist examines your mouth clinically. Radiographs can reveal the presence of small cavities between the teeth, infections in the bone, abscesses, cysts, developmental abnormalities and some types of tumors. A failure to diagnose and treat these conditions before obvious signs and symptoms have developed can threaten your oral and general health.

Finding and treating dental problems at an early stage can save time, money and unnecessary discomfort!

Dental radiographs are only taken when absolutely necessary and with the use of modern digital imaging, the amount of radiation received is miniscule. Only a small part of the body is exposed and the risk of harmful effects from dental radiographs is extremely small.

There is at present no proof of such effects from doses commonly employed in dental practice… Recent analyses suggest that the cancer risk to a patient from a dental radiographic examination is of the order of one in a million!