Dental Care for the Whole Family

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Maintain Your Family’s Dental Health

We offer comprehensive general and preventative dental care for the whole family. Our focus is on making your gums and teeth as healthy as possible, while keeping your smile attractive and bright.

 

Relaxing Sedation Dental

Are you nervous about going to the dentist? You don’t need to be nervous about coming to our practice. We offer dental sedation to relax our patients.

Nitrous Oxide

Also known as laughing gas, Nitrous Oxide is beneficial in calming a patient’s anxiety before a procedure. It is used primarily for its anesthetic and analgesic properties. It is a safe and effective gas that is inhaled by the patient. It is the most commonly used sedation technique in dentistry. Learn more about Nitrous Oxide sedation.

We invite you to come in to learn more about sedation dentistry. Please contact us to schedule your sedation dental care appointment.

 

Preventative Dental Care

Dental problems can develop at any time. Proper dental care is essential to maintain your teeth. You should brush your teeth and floss daily, eat a well balanced diet, and visit your dentist for a checkup twice a year. Like the saying goes, prevention is better than a cure. Regular dental check-ups are necessary to prevent any cavities and other problems from developing.

Our dental services include hygienic cleanings and exams. We offer you the best preventive care and expert advice to keep your teeth healthy and keep you smiling. We serve both children and adults, regardless of age. Our team and dentist have the highest levels of training and we will put you at ease the minute you walk through our doors.

We invite you to come in for a dental check-up. Please contact us to schedule your preventive dental care appointment.

 

Dentistry for Children and Teens

Our dental services are designed for the entire family, and we are proud to treat kids as well! We make all children feel comfortable in our office and make sure that they have fun at the same time!
We offer a wide array of dental services specifically for children, including space maintainers, retainers, pit and fissure sealants, sports athletic guards, chrome crowns, fillings and bonding restorations.

 

Gum Disease Therapy

Gum Disease is also known as Periodontal Disease or Gingivitis. Gum disease is caused by bacteria that thrive around the teeth, which enter the gums, resulting in infected and swollen gums, which are painful and often bleed. Various symptoms of Gum disease may include bleeding, tenderness, receding gums, loose teeth, persistent bad taste and breath and formation of pockets between teeth and gum. Learn more about Gum Disease.

Dental Gum Treatment

We offer various gum disease treatment services. Keeping your gums healthy is an integral part of dental hygiene. By having regular dental appointments we can help detect any gum disease and prevent any further damage to your gums. If you have gum disease, the treatment options depend on the severity of the disease. We offer affordable gum treatment services and serve everyone, regardless of age.

We can perform non-surgical treatments for Gum Disease, which include Scaling and Root Planing (careful cleaning of the root surfaces to remove plaque and tarter from deep periodontal pockets and to smooth the root to remove bacteria), followed by therapy such as local delivery antimicrobials and host modulation, as needed on a case-by-case basis.

If you think you may have a form of gum disease, do not delay your dental check-up. A simple dental screening will help us diagnose and start you with the required treatment immediately. Once we determine the severity of the disease, we can eliminate the infection through non-surgical methods or restorative gum surgery.

 

The Mouth-Body Connection

Research studies have shown that there is a strong connection between gum disease and heart disease, diabetes, pregnancy complications, respiratory disease, and other chronic conditions.

A periodontal infection below the gum line, which is brought about by the presence of disease-causing bacteria in the oral cavity, can move throughout the body and negatively affect your health in other ways. To resolve this condition, it will be important for the patient to observe proper oral hygiene measures; this will halt the progression of the disease, reduce the risk of gum disease and reduce the development of other related systemic conditions.

For more information on gum disease treatment, please contact us and schedule your appointment.

 

Oral Cancer Screening

Oral cancer screening includes a careful examination of the entire oral cavity for any kind of abnormal cell growth. This is done by a professional dentist who will check the lips, gum tissue, inside lining of the check, tongue, the palate, throat and the tonsils for any abnormality. Sometimes, a visual examination alone is not enough to identify the symptoms of oral cancer. Therefore, we may suggest a few tests to be sure that there is no danger of oral cancer. The common tests for oral cancer screening are blue dye test and dental examination with light.

Oral screening process: why it is important

Cancer of the mouth is a disease that can be treated successfully if detected early. Regular dental checkups are therefore very essential. Oral screening for cancer is reasonably priced and is a painless and simple examination

In case of a wound or a cyst of any kind in the mouth, a simple biopsy can detect the presence of abnormal cells in the wound. In 90% of cases, if followed by proper treatment, oral cancer is generally curable.

Don’t delay! You should get Oral Cancer screenings periodically and early detection is he key. Call us today to schedule your exam.

 

Dental Fillings

Dental fillings are used to treat teeth that are damaged due to tooth decay. You could have tooth decay if you are experiencing symptoms such as extreme sensitivity to cold and hot food and drinks, constant toothache, jaw pain and/or bad breath. Dental fillings help eliminate sensitivity and pain in the tooth and prevent any further damage from taking place. A simple check-up can determine whether your teeth need repair and if you need dental fillings. If necessary, an x-ray is taken to find out the extent of the damage.

Tooth Colored Fillings

We are pleased to provide our patients with tooth colored fillings made from either porcelain or composite resins. They are the same color as your teeth! This makes them look much more natural in your mouth and also means that your mouth will remain “mercury-free”.

For more information regarding dental fillings or to schedule an appointment please contact us today.

 

Custom-Fit Sports Mouth Guards

Hundreds of thousands of Americans a year sustain dental injuries during competitive play, and a large number of those injured are children.

Research has shown that wearing custom-fit sports mouth guards can reduce the risk of severe injuries. The American Dental Association (ADA) estimates that the use of mouthguards prevents approximately 200,000 injuries per year in high school and college football alone.

Anyone who plays sports or engages in athletic activity, whether competitive or not, can protect themselves by wearing an athletic mouthguard. We offer custom, form-fitting mouth guards to patients of all ages.

Damaging jaw and tooth impact can be caused by everything from a direct contact to an awkward or misplaced step while running. Custom-made Intact mouthguards provide stability to your jaw and cushion the blows that can cause severe dental injuries, like broken teeth, fractures in the jaw, gum lacerations and injuries to your lips or tongue caused by your own teeth.

Growing evidence suggests that quality, properly fitting mouthguards also reduce the forces that can cause concussions and neck injuries.

The Advantage of using a Dentist to create your Mouth Guard

We can ensure that your mouthguard is tightly fit to your teeth to provide maximum protection. Utilizing our digital x-ray technology, we will make sure that the guard is fitted to protect your teeth, gums, lips, tongue and cheeks. We provide guards in different colors and designs.

If you would like to learn more about our custom-fit athletic mouth guards, call us today to set an appointment.

 

Dental Root Canal Treatments

What is a Root Canal?

Root canals are the cavities that exist inside the walls of a tooth. When there is tooth decay, the pulp may be in danger of permanent damage. In these situations, a root canal treatment may be required to save the tooth before it decays further and is irreparably damaged. During a root canal procedure, the pulp is cleaned and the pulp cavity is filled in order to prevent an infection from developing in the tooth. This procedure will should quickly relieve your toothaches and stop any infection from progressing.

These are some common symptoms that indicate you might need a root canal treatment:

  • Tender gums which might also be swollen
  • Extreme sensitivity to cold and hot temperatures
  • Discoloration of the tooth
  • Severe toothache

If you have any questions regarding root canal treatments, call us today.

 

TMJ/ Bruxism Therapy & Splints (stop grinding teeth at night!)

TMJ disorders (also called TMD disorders) cause tenderness and pain in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) — the joint on each side of your head in front of your ears, where your lower jawbone meets your skull. This joint allows you to talk, chew and yawn.

TMJ disorders are caused by many different types of problems: arthritis, jaw injury, or muscle fatigue from clenching or grinding your teeth during sleep or while awake. Teeth grinding is also referred to as Bruxism in the dental field.

What are the symptoms of TMJ Disorder?

  • Pain or tenderness in the face, jaw joint area, neck and shoulders, and in or around the ear when you chew, speak, or open your mouth wide
  • Limited ability to open the mouth very wide
  • Jaws that get “stuck” or “locked” in the open or closed mouth position
  • Clicking, popping, or grating sounds in the jaw joint when opening or closing the mouth
  • Difficulty chewing or a sudden uncomfortable bite
  • Swelling on the side of the face
  • Toothaches

There are several options for treating TMJ/TMD disorder, with surgery being the last resort option. We offer custom-fit night guards – or splints – that can help you stop grinding your teeth at night. We will create a night guard oral appliance specifically for you, so that it will fit comfortably and not prevent you from sleeping. By managing your Bruxism, we can lessen the symptoms of TMJ.

If you would like to learn more about our custom-fit night guards, call us today to set an appointment.

 

Dental Snoring Prevention

Stop Snoring Now!

Millions of people and their loved ones around them suffer from the adverse effects of snoring. If you snore, you are not getting the rest you should from your sleep. You may also be at risk for sleep apnea and other serious health disorders.

There are many different ways to stop snoring, many of which include painful, expensive surgeries, or other methods that are not safe.

Fortunately we can now treat your snoring with a dental Snore Guard appliance. These simple, low cost, pain free, proven treatments are effective the first night they’re used.

What are Snore Guard Appliances?

These small oral appliances are used only during sleep. They prevent the jaw and tongue from dropping back into the throat and closing off the air passage. Keeping the air-way open greatly reduces snoring.

Each appliance is designed to be custom-fitted to the individual. Fitting is quick and painless and only takes a few minutes.

If you would like to learn more about our snoring prevention treatment, call us today to set an appointment.

 

Wisdom Teeth Extraction

In our late teens or early twenties, our third molars, commonly known as our wisdom teeth, begin to come in. In many cases, the jaw is simply not large enough to accommodate the extra teeth, and they become impacted, meaning they remain under the gum.

Once impacted, wisdom teeth can cause complications including infection, crowding, damage to other teeth, cysts that permanently damage the jaw and other complications. There are cases as well where the wisdom teeth penetrate through the gums, possibly at an awkward angle, also necessitating wisdom tooth extraction. While it is difficult to predict whether your impacted teeth will cause such damage, it is highly likely complications will arise.

The extraction of wisdom teeth is a common procedure performed under local anesthesia. Barring any complications, the tooth can be easily removed in one piece. After surgery, patients can expect varying levels of swelling and discomfort. However, we do everything possible to minimize pain and recovery time

Dr. Downey has the team and training to enable him to remove wisdom teeth safely and effectively. Call us today for more information.