Dental Services in Pittsburgh, PA

Penn Dental Solutions provides a full array of dental services for patients of all ages to help maintain your oral health and well-being. Special training and certifications enable our staff to provide additional revolutionary and innovative services. You can read more on this page about specific services.

Initial Oral Examination
Your initial oral examination is a thorough evaluation of the hard (teeth and bone) and soft (gums,tongue lips,palate,etc.) tissues that includes screenings for oral cancer, gum disease, and much more. A panoramic xray(shows all teeth, jawbone and sinuses) and bitewing (between the teeth) xrays may be taken to aid the clinical examination. An intraoral camera is used to photograph areas of concern and the images are magnified and viewed on a computer monitor with the patient at chairside. A treatment plan of mandatory and elective concerns is then discussed with the patient based on the findings from the complete oral examination.

EMERGENCY CARE - Emergency care is focused on identifying the signs, symptoms and source of discomfort and using appropriate palliative therapy to obtain relief as quickly as possible. The treatment may require clinical care and/or prescription or OTC medication. Recommendations for follow-up care as needed are discussed.

TOOTHACHE - And Other Oral Pain - Certain important points are helpful to know for preparing to treat a patient in pain. Whether screening the patient over the phone or in the operatory, the patient should be able to tell us if the ache is: (1) brief or lingering to hot or cold temperature (2) when biting down or when biting on a food piece (3) dull or sharp (4) localized or radiating. We would also want to note whether there is swelling present in the gum or jaw. With this preliminary information, a visual exam and a few simple clinical tests supplemented by X-ray(s) are usually adequate to diagnose the problem.

TEETH WHITENING -Whitening procedures have effectively restored the smile of people with stained, dull or discolored teeth. A teenagers's smile is much easier to whiten then that of an adult. Teeth become harder to bleach as the person gets older. This is primarily due to the fact that as we age, debris and stain particles pack more and more firmly into the tooth layers.

SEALANTS - Sealants are hard coatings that are placed on the biting surfaces of a child's permanent posterior (back) teeth. They are comfortably placed without the need for anesthesia (numbness). Sealants virtually cover the narrow grooves and pits in these teeth protecting the underlying enamel. Sealants also contain fluoride that is released over time into the enamel, further strengthening it from breakdown. The best time to apply sealants is when the crown of the permanent tooth has just erupted.

ROOT PLANING AND SCALING (DEEP CLEANING) - A "deep cleaning" is the procedure typically performed by a dental hygienist to remove hardened deposits of plaque below the gum line of the teeth. The teeth and gums in the area of treatment are anesthetized so the procedure can be completed comfortably and thoroughly. Removing the plaque deposits allows the swollen and bleeding gums in the area to heal. Medicated antibacterial rinses are usually used at home after treatment to aid the healing process.

CROWNS - Crowns are restorations made of metal, porcelain or both, placed over a compromised tooth for long term strength. A tooth may be compromised in strength if it has a large filling, with or without an underlying root canal, leaving the remaining thinner tooth structure prone to fracture. The crown is made to fully cover the tooth from all sides giving it support and preventing any fracture from developing. A crown is also used to restore a dental implant. Crowns can be made to look and feel very natural.