Q. I would like to veneer my front teeth to improve my smile. Do you have to grind my teeth down to accomplish this?
A. Veneers are thin porcelain facings that are bonded to the front of your teeth. They can be used to restore broken teeth, but the main function is cosmetics. There are some situations where veneers can be placed with no tooth preparation. However, if your teeth are discolored or rotated (crooked), some preparation is necessary to achieve a good cosmetic outcome. The objective is to be as conservative as possible and still create a beautiful cosmetic result.
Q. I want to get my teeth fixed, but I'm not sure I can afford it.
A. If you have insurance, we will maximize your coverage. We also provide interest free loans so that you can make payments over time. We will do anything we can to work with your financial budget.
Q. I've neglected my mouth for years and I am scared to death of the dentist. How can you help me?
A. We develop a repoire with our patients. Once you get to know us, your anxiety will diminish. We have medication, nitrous oxide, and administer painless injections. We are very sensitive to your feelings. We want you to be comfortable. If you need a lot of dental work, we can do one tooth at a time, or your whole mouth in as little as 1 to 2 visits. We tailor our treatment to your needs.
Q. I am afraid of getting too many X-rays, do you have to X-ray my teeth?
A. In order to do a thorough examination, some X-rays are necessary. However, we use digital X-rays which have a fraction of the radiation of the 'old' dental X-rays. Digital dental X-rays have no where near the amount of radiation you would get from hospital X-rays.
Q. Is the mercury in my silver fillings harmful?
A. This has been debated for years and to date no final conclusion has been reached. We therefore do not replace silver fillings because of the mercury unless the patient requests it. We replace fillings when they are broken down, have decay under them, or are cosmetically unacceptable to the patient. These fillings are tooth colored and mercury free.