Patient Comfort

You are not alone if you feel anxious about a visit to the dentist. We understand and share your concerns and strive to make every dental visit comfortable. If there is anything else we can do, let us know. In addition to topical and local anesthetic, oral sedation is available for those patients who may need a little more. If a dental emergency presents itself, Dr. Grimes will see his patients the same day.

Hygiene

When bacteria attack teeth, eating away enamel, tooth decay forms. Commonly called cavities, this tooth decay can mar a person's smile. Often a tooth will not start bothering you until there is significant loss of tooth structure. With the help of routine x-rays, problems can be detected earlier, before you experience a toothache. In the past, dentists used amalgam, a dark metal material, to repair cavities. Modern dental materials have brought us an all-white, strong, and easy-to-apply alternative, composite resin. Dr. Grimes places only composite resin restorations so that your smile can maintain its all-white beauty and metal-free brilliance.

To place composite resin restorations, we prepare a tooth by removing all traces of tooth decay. Dr. Grimes will color-match the proper amount of composite resin to match your existing tooth. After applying the material to the cavity, we use a curing light to harden the new restorations. Dr. Grimes will shape and polish the restorations toensure a comfortable bite and proper aesthetics.

Oral Surgery

The goal of modern dentistry is to prevent tooth loss. When a tooth cannot be saved, extraction (removal) of the tooth may be the only course of treatment. A periapical x-ray allows us to see a complete picture of the alignment of your jaw, the positioning of your teeth and if there is sufficient space for your third molars (wisdom teeth) to fully erupt. In addition, it is an excellent diagnostic tool for evaluating the supporting bone for possible cysts or tumors. Most surgeries, including impacted wisdom teeth, are performed at our facility, however the doctor may choose to refer to a maxillofacial surgeon for more complicated cases.

Cosmetic dentistry encompasses reshaping of your teeth, veneers or bonding, natural-looking tooth-colored restorations. Porcelain veneers (natural-looking thin laminates) can be bonded to the front surfaces of teeth to repairunattractive teeth, fillings and crowns (whether chipped, broken or stained). Spaces and gaps between teeth can also be closed with porcelain veneers, in just two visits, without the use of braces or orthodontics. Porcelainveneers are strong and are among the most natural looking dental treatments available. Composite veneers (resin bonding) work the same way and are made with tooth-colored filling material and can be done in a single visit.

Teeth Whitening (Bleaching)

Coffee, cigarettes, tea, aging, and even certain medications can greatly discolor your teeth to such an extent that you may not want to smile without covering your mouth! Sound familiar? Dr. Grimes will recommend the best treatment for your goals and lifestyle. A popular route towards gaininga beautiful smile is at-home teeth whitening! We can discuss the teeth whitening method that might work best for you.

Crowns, Inlays & Onlays

Cracked, broken, decayed, or worn teeth can be "capped" with dental crowns, restoring your natural, healthy-looking smile. Designed to fit snugly and function as normal teeth, crowns protect your teeth from further damage while preserving the correct alignment of your jaw's natural bite. Depending on your specific circumstances and preferences, crowns can be made from any of several durable materials, including gold, porcelain, and ceramic. And according to the degree of restoration required, crowns can typically be designed and fitted in two steps: preparation and application.

First, Dr. Grimes will carefully numb your mouth and prepare the problem teeth by gently removing the outer enamel portion. Visualize this as taking the icing (enamel) off the cake. With care and expert judgment that comes from years of experience, we'll eliminate decay and create the proper shape and size to accommodate your crowns. Next, we'll make a precise mold or impression of your teeth and send it to a special professional dental laboratory. There, the crowns (replacing the icing) will be carefully fabricated for a custom fit. Typically, the production process requires one to two weeks, during which we'll protect your teeth and gums by fitting you with temporary acrylic resin crowns.

Once your crowns are ready, Dr. Grimes will remove the temporary crowns, then carefully fit and adjust the permanent ones into place. We'll spend time with you, carefully evaluating the crowns for appearance, color match, bite discrepancies, and accuracy of fit before finally cementing them to each of the prepared teeth. Once the crowns are applied, you'll want to conscientiously brush and floss them to protect the base from bacterial growth that leads to gum disease. And finally, you'll need to maintain good professional care of your crowns through regular dental checkups.

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Dental implants are essentially a substitute for a natural root and commonly using a titanium screw or cylinder placed into a socket carefully drilled at the precise location of the intended tooth.

Advantages of dental implants:

• Dental implants provide the longest lasting solution to missing teeth
• Give you natural looking teeth and confidence to eat and smile
• Dental Implants are more comfortable than conventional bridges and partial dentures. No wobbling teeth, no slipping or movement, as sometimes occurs with full or partial dentures.  Implants eliminate involvement of adjacent teeth for support.
• Protects your other, natural teeth. No need for drilling of surrounding teeth
• Help you keep your face looking healthy. When teeth are missing the surrounding bone begins to shrink. Dental implants drastically slow this process down
  

A remarkable procedure, implants can replace any or all of your teeth. The implant becomes integrated with the bone and acts like an artificial root which preserves and stimulates adjacent bone growth and density and ultimately supports a new tooth. The advantages of implants for patients with dentures are: denture stability, increased patient comfort, and confidence. Dr. Grimes has years of formal training in implant surgery and restoration.

Bridges

A non-removable bridge can restore your teeth to normal function by replacing missing teeth. It will improve the entire health of your mouth by keeping the surrounding teeth in position and can also help maintain the structure of your face and jaw.

Bridges are usually made of porcelain bonded to precious metal. Sometimes, there are other non-precious metals used in the base in order to strengthen the bridge. There are also new bridges made entirely of a special type of strong porcelain.

Root Canal Therapy

Your teeth contain several layers: the outer protective enamel, a secondary layer of sensitive dentin, and an inner pulp that contains components commonly referred to as the “nerve” of the tooth. Each pulp chamber branches off, forming canals that lead toward the tooth root tip. A deep cavity, traumatic injury, or tooth fracture can make the canal susceptible to bacterial infection, which can kill the pulp, stimulate increased blood flow, and create pressure within the tooth. This can cause severe tooth pain and may initiate bone degeneration. Root Canal therapy is the only way to save the tooth or relieve severe pain, short of removing it. Root canal treatment consists of removing the nerve that lies within the root of the tooth. With modern techniques, this is generally a very comfortable procedure. Our practice performs root canals, when necessary. Very complicated cases will be referred to an endodontist (root canal specialist) as needed.

Easy Does It
Will root canal therapy hurt? Not with today's advanced analgesics and technology. Oftentimes, root canal therapy can be completed in a single appointment. We simply clean out the diseased canal, then fill it with a biologically-inert substance, seal it from further infection, and you're on your way. While some patients experience post-procedural soreness or slight tissue inflammation, these are generally controllable with over-the-counter analgesics. A crown will be recommended after root canal therapy has been completed, as a dead tooth is more apt to fracture. Follow-up care involves thorough home hygiene and regular dental visits for cleanings and check ups.

Statistics show 80% of all adults over 35 years of age have some form of gum disease. Left untreated, this condition can lead to serious overall health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, low birth weight, and stroke. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for adults in the United States. In addition, we cannot restore damaged teeth when gums are diseased. Think of your gums as the foundation to a building; you can't build a house on a foundation that's rotten or damaged!

Initial symptoms of gum disease are mild, including painless redness, swelling, or bleeding of the gums. Some patients experience tenderness, as well. Left untreated, gum disease rapidly progresses, and it will not resolve on its own. We offer in-office diagnostic and treatment services for gum disease. Our non-surgical therapy includes:

• Scaling to remove hardened plaque from below the gum line
• Root planing to smooth rough teeth roots
• Antibiotic therapy to eradicate bacterial infection

If your gum disease has progressed to the point where you require surgery, we can provide you with a referral to a periodontal specialist.

Full and Partial Dentures

Many people believe that once they have dentures, they no longer need regular dental care. Denture wearers require regular exams to ensure their health, comfort, and appearance. Gum tissues are in a constant state of change. Periodic relining of the dentures may be necessary to ensure a tight and comfortable fit. Dr. Grimes have extensive experience fabricating complete and partial dentures of all types. For patients concerned about making the transition to dentures, immediate dentures can be made and delivered at the same appointment that the remaining teeth are extracted. This prevents having to "go without teeth". For most patients, dentures can be secured with implants for a much tighter fit.

For patients, adults and children, who have crowded or crooked teeth, spaces between their teeth or misaligned teeth and jaws, orthodontic therapy can help reduce the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and trauma due to protruding teeth. The American Association of Orthodontics recommends that children have an evaluation by 7 years of age. More than 25% of all orthodontic patients are adults. Dr. Grimes provides orthodontic screenings for all ages as part of the oral exam. However, orthodontic treatment is performed by specialists with whom Dr. Grimes has close working relationships.

We provide state-of-the-art custom made athletic mouthguards for all patients requiring protection during athletic competition in "at risk" sports. Store bought over the counter mouthguards do not fit as well nor do they provide the anticipated and necessary protection to help prevent dental/facial injuries. The only mouthguard that should be worn is that made from a model of the mouth. Patients have individual requirements for fit, comfort, level of competition, and compliance. The professionally designed custom made mouthguard satisfies these requirements.

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