The scientific community has now firmly established a link between oral health and overall health. With this in mind, we do everything we can, to establish and maintain the oral health of each individual that walks through our door. Achieving oral health begins with excellent preventative care. During consistent and regular checkups, we take the time to ask our patients how they brush and floss, and advise patients of adjustments if needed. We also explain how our preventive care treatments work and why they are so important.
We are a family-oriented practice. As such, we are proud to participate in a special program called ToothPrints®.
What is Toothprints? Few children have fingerprints taken and many don’t have dental records. Toothprints is a simple, cost-effective way to provide a unique record of your child.
How does Toothprints work? At the dentist’s office, your child simply bites into a plastic wafer, and the resulting impressions will register the top and bottom teeth and overall bite. You will then be given the Toothprints wafer to take home and keep in a safe place. The Toothprint system provides dental identification as well as a DNA record (authorities can get DNA from the saliva proteins remaining on the wafer).
Why should we participate in Toothprints? Hopefully you will never need to provide the authorities with a means of identifying your child. However, Toothprints can give you peace of mind knowing that you have taken an important safety measure.
Restorative Services
We take a conservative approach in saving as much of your original tooth as possible. We believe that all restorative work should be “functionally aesthetic”. It should look good, feel comfortable, and be durable. We also employ some truly innovative technologies to offer our patients greater comfort, more convenience, and the highest quality work available.
We offer the following restorative services:
Tooth Colored Fillings - we can often use the Waterlase laser instead
of more invasive numbing methods (shots!)
All Porcelain Veneers, Crowns, Onlays and Inlays - same-day service,
no temporaries, no second visit! Read about Cerec to find out why.
Cerec 3D System - we use this technology to make same-day crowns,
inlays, onlays, and veneers; the 3D camera takes digital photos so we
can design the missing tooth part and then use robotically-controlled
drills to cut the porcelain within 100 mm accuracy
Bridges
Dentures and Partial Dentures
Root Canals
Restoration of Dental Implants
Gum Disease
75% of adult tooth loss is caused by gum disease, and a t least 80% of the population has some degree of gum disease. This disease is an infection
of the gums and jawbones, and is caused by the colonization of bacteria underneath the tartar on your teeth. Bacteria and the chemical by-products that the body uses to fight these bacteria can enter the blood stream and cause serious problems in distant parts of the body. In fact, scientists have now linked gum disease to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, pre-mature births, and low birth weight.
From an oral health standpoint, healthy gums are critical because they are literally “the foundation” of your teeth. Without a solid foundation, we can’t perform restorative or cosmetic work on your teeth.
Often there are no noticeable symptoms of gum disease for a long time. Only a trained dental professional can detect gum disease in its early stages. And while gum disease is not curable, it is controllable.
Dr. Abbott has advanced training in the treatment of gum disease and we take a proactive and comprehensive approach to gum therapy by providing the following services:
Charting and Diagnostic Services
Thorough Gum Examination
X-rays
Scaling and Root Planing
Non-surgical Gum Therapy
Conventional Gum Surgery
Laser Gum Surgery
Antibiotic (Arestin) Therapy - a deep cleaning agent is placed in the
gum pockets and around the teeth to further combat bacteria
Home Care Treatments (mouth washes, etc.)
Patient Education - important information about gum disease and
prevention
Cosmetic Services
There are a number of ways, from relatively simple to more complex procedures, that we can use to enhance, rejuvenate, or just add a little more “pizzazz” to your smile. Dr. Abbott has had many hours of training in cosmetic dentistry and has studied with some of the most renowned cosmetic experts in the country.
As a team, we find it very gratifying to see the reaction from our patients when they look in the mirror at their new smile. Whatever your goals, we will work to find the best solution for you.
We offer the following cosmetic services:
Invisalign Orthodontics - say goodbye to conventional metal braces!
Visit www.invisalign.com to find out more
Tooth Colored Fillings
Porcelain Veneers
Whitening ─ take home products
Bonding
All Porcelain Crowns, Onlays and Inlays
Tooth Recontouring ─ Dr. Abbott can work wonders simply by filing
and reshaping your teeth
Technology
There are many technological innovations happening in dentistry these days. Dr. Abbott likes to research new options and invest in those technologies that aren’t the latest “fad”, but that do the most to increase the quality of our work and provide tangible benefits to our patients.
We utilize the following innovations:
Cerec - This is probably one of our favorite technologies! Dr. Abbott uses this system to make porcelain veneers and crowns, as well as onlays and inlays. He can conserve more of your original tooth by using a 3-D camera that takes digital photos, which he then uses to design the missing tooth part. He can do this in the office, same-day, so you don’t have to wear a temporary and come back for a second visit!
Digital Imaging
Digital Radiography (X-rays) ─ these are faster, and result in up to 90%
less exposure to radiation
Intra Oral Camera
Lasers - the Waterlase system is beneficial in several procedures,
including fillings and gum surgery
Chairside Computers
Patient Comfort
We know you might have a few qualms about coming to the dentist, so we do everything we can to make you feel relaxed and right at home. We also want you to feel like you are being cared for in the best way possible. We know that no two patients are alike so we do whatever makes you feel comfortable. We do this by listening to you and finding out your needs, wants, and concerns. This is how we define “custom care.”
These are some of the comfort measures we employ:
Patient Education - often, the more you know, the better you’ll feel
Sedation Dentistry (oral sedation)
Nitrous - provided at no charge to you
Patient Comfort Measures - sit back and relax with CD
players/headphones, blankets, and candles. Also, stop by our coffee bar!
