Dental emergencies are quite frightening and often painful.  Prompt treatment is almost always required to alleviate pain and to ensure the teeth have the best possible chance of survival. Sometimes teeth become fractured by trauma, grinding or biting on hard objects.  In other cases, fillings, crowns and other restorative devices can be damaged or fall out of the mouth completely.  If there is severe pain, it is essential to make an appointment with the dentist as quickly as possible.  The pain caused by dental emergencies almost always...

The word periodontal means “around the tooth”.  Periodontal disease attacks the gums and the bone that support the teeth.  Plaque is a sticky film of food debris, bacteria, and saliva.  If plaque is not removed, it turns into calculus (tartar).  When plaque and calculus are not removed, they begin to destroy the gums and bone.  Periodontal disease is characterized by red, swollen, and bleeding gums. Four out of five people have periodontal disease and don’t know it!  Most people are not aware of it because the disease is usually painless in...

The term “periodontics” refers to the dental specialty that pertains to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease that affects the gums and jawbone.  The gum tissues serve to surround and support the teeth and the underlying jawbone anchors teeth firmly in place.  Periodontists have completed several years of extra dental training and are concerned with maintaining the function, health and aesthetics of the jawbone and tissues. Reasons for periodontal treatment Periodontal disease is a progressive condition which...

In recent years, laser dentistry has superseded many traditional dentistry practices, making treatments more precise and less painful.  This newer style of dentistry utilizes intense beams of light projected by a dental laser.  Dental lasers can be used to perform a wide variety of treatments, including soft tissue shaping and removal. The FDA deemed laser dentistry to be safe for public usage in 1990.  Since then, many dentists have incorporated dental lasers into everyday procedures – reducing bleeding, anxiety and post-treatment recovery...