During your dental cleaning appointment, we will provide you with diagnostic and preventative dental services as well as important information on how to care for your teeth and gums.
Regular dental visits are important because they can help spot dental health problems early on when treatment is likely to be simpler and more affordable. They also help prevent many problems from developing in the first place. Visiting your dentist regularly is also important because some diseases or medical conditions have symptoms that can appear in the mouth.
Dental Examinations
How often should you go to the dentist? There is no one-size-fits-all dental treatment. Some people need to visit the dentist once or twice a year; others may need more visits. You are a unique individual, with a unique smile and unique needs when it comes to keeping your smile healthy. To combat various dental issues, including gum diseases and cavities, we recommend that you schedule regular dental cleanings and dental examinations every 3,4 or 6 months as recommended by the Dentist or Dental Hygienist.
Dental X-rays
Dental X-rays are usually taken once a year or as recommended by the dentist. These will help us identify any dental issues that are not visible to the naked eye. Not all cavities and dental infections are visible without these essential diagnostic tools.
Deep Cleaning (Root Planing & Scaling)
Scaling and root planing is a deep cleaning below the gumline used to treat gum disease.
Why Do I Need It? Gum disease is caused by a sticky film of bacteria called plaque. Plaque is always forming on your teeth, but if they aren’t cleaned well, the bacteria in plaque can cause your gums to become inflamed. When this happens, your gums will pull away from your teeth and form spaces called pockets. Plaque then gets trapped in these pockets and cannot be removed with regular brushing. If untreated, gum disease could lead to bone and tooth loss. If gum disease is caught early and hasn’t damaged the structures below the gum line, a professional cleaning should do. If the pockets between your gums and teeth are too deep, however, scaling and root planing may be needed.
This deep cleaning has two parts. Scaling is when your dentist removes all the plaque and tartar (hardened plaque) above and below the gumline, making sure to clean all the way down to the bottom of the pocket. Your dentist will then begin root planing, smoothing out your teeth roots to help your gums reattach to your teeth. Scaling and root planing may take more than one visit to complete and may require a local anesthetic.
After Care Tips After a deep cleaning, you may have pain for a day or two and teeth sensitivity for up to a week. Your gums also may be swollen, feel tender and bleed. To prevent infection, control pain or help you heal, your dentist may prescribe a pill or mouth rinse. Your dentist may also insert medication directly into the pocket that was cleaned.
Your dentist will schedule another visit to see how your gums have healed and measure the depth of your pockets. If they have gotten deeper, more treatment may be needed.
Good dental care at home is essential to help keep gum disease from becoming more serious or recurring. Brush your teeth at least twice aday with a soft toothbrush, floss between your teeth daily, eat a balanced diet, avoid using tobacco and see your dentist regularly.
Bruxism (teeth grinding)
"Keep a stiff upper lip" or "get a grip!" That's often the advice we get—and give—on how to cope with stress. If you take it literally, the result could be grinding your teeth or clenching your jaws. It's called bruxism, and often it happens as you sleep. Teeth grinding can be caused not just by stress and anxiety but by sleep disorders, an abnormal bite or teeth that are missing or crooked. The symptoms of teeth grinding include:
dull headaches, jaw soreness, teeth that are painful or loose, fractured teeth
Your dentist can fit you with a mouth guard to protect your teeth during sleep. In some cases, your dentist or physician may recommend taking a muscle relaxant before bedtime. If stress is the cause you need to find a way to relax. Meditation, counseling and exercise can all help reduce stress and anxiety. Teeth grinding is also common in children. However, because their teeth and jaws change and grow so quickly it is not usually a damaging habit that requires treatment and most outgrow it by adolescence.
Restorative Services
Tooth Colored Restorations (Composite Resin)
Sometimes referred as composites or filled resins, a composite filling is a mixture of glass or quartz filler in a resin medium that produces a tooth-colored filling. Composite fillings are ideal for small- to mid-size restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure. They are not only highly durable but also resistant to fracture.
During the procedure, our dentist will remove only a small portion of your tooth, and this will result in a smaller filling unlike an amalgam filling. To allow our dentist to make a more conservative repair to your tooth, composites can either be “bonded” or adhesively where decay has been removed from the tooth structure.
The cost for composite filling is moderate and depends on the size of the filling and the technique used by our dentist. As the cavity should be kept clean and dry during the procedure, it usually takes longer for our dentist to place a composite filling. This type of filling is subject to stain and discoloration over time.
Amalgam Restorations
Dental amalgam is the most thoroughly researched and tested restorative material. Dentists have been using amalgam fillings for more than a century. An amalgam filling is not only durable and easy to use but also highly resistant to wear and inexpensive.
Dental amalgam is a stable alloy made by combining elemental mercury, silver, tin, copper and possibly other metallic elements. Dental amalgam is a safe and commonly used restorative material. Since the mercury in amalgam combines with other metals, it is safe and stable for use in filling according to major U.S. and international scientific and health bodies, including the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the World Health Organization.
Amalgam fillings can withstand very high chewing loads and are useful for restoring molars in the back of the mouth where the chewing load is more. Also, amalgam fillings are ideal for areas that are difficult to keep dry during the filling replacement. Like other filling materials, amalgams are biocompatible and are well-tolerated by patients with only rare occurrences of allergic response.
Disadvantages of Amalgam
Short-term sensitivity to hot or cold after the filling procedure
The silver-colored filling is not as natural looking as one that is tooth-colored
A larger portion of your tooth should be removed to accommodate an amalgam filling
Major Restorative Services
With the restorative services at Willow Run Dental P.C., it is now easier to maintain a brighter smile. We provide outstanding cosmetic services such as restorative dentistry, bridges, crowns, partial implants, and dental implants.
Crown
If you want a smile that’s your crowning glory, you may need a crown to cover a tooth to help restore it to its normal shape and size. A crown can make your tooth stronger and improve its appearance.
A crown can help strengthen a tooth with a large filling when there isn’t enough tooth remaining to hold the filling. Crowns can also be used to attach bridges, protect a weak tooth from breaking or restore one that’s already broken. A crown is a good way to cover teeth that are discolored or badly shaped. It’s also used to cover a dental implant.
Bridge
If you’re missing one or more teeth, you may notice a difference in chewing and speaking. Bridges can help restore your smile. Sometimes called a fixed partial denture, a bridge replaces missing teeth with artificial teeth and literally “bridges” the gap where one or more teeth used to be. Bridges can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials and are attached to surrounding teeth for support.
Removable Partial Denture
Removable partial dentures usually consist of replacement teeth attached to pink or gum-colored plastic bases. Depending on your needs, your dentist will design a partial denture for you. A partial denture may have a metal framework and clasps that connect to your teeth, or they can have other connectors that are more natural looking. In some cases, a removable partial denture is made to attach to your natural teeth with devices called precision attachments. Precision attachments are generally more esthetic than clasps. Crowns on your natural teeth are sometimes needed to improve the fit of a removable partial denture and they are usually required with attachments.
Dental Implant Placement and Restoration
Dental implants are permanent and they look and feel just like your natural teeth. Dental implants can also be used to attach full or partial dentures. However, dental implants are not an option for everyone. To receive dental implants, you need to be in good health, have healthy gums and adequate bone to support the implant. You must also commit to keeping good oral hygiene.
If you’re considering dental implants, call us today to schedule an appointment. Our dentist will determine if you would be a good candidate for dental implants.
Cosmetic
We make your smile brighter! At our local and family-owned business, we also offer exceptional traditional at-home teeth whitening. The results are great, and you’ll see whiter teeth in two to three weeks.
Traditional At-Home Teeth Whitening
We prefer Opalescence brand products. While it takes approximately 4 weeks of use, it has great results! Only your natural teeth will whiten, dental restorations will remain unchanged. We do not recommend bleaching for children. Please ask Dr. McMurtrey if you are interested in bleaching and he can talk to you about the individual results you should expect.
Willow Run Dental 720-872-2750 Lonnie L. McMurtrey, D.D.S. Family, Preventative, Restorative, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry
Get exceptional dental care from the experienced dentist at Willow Run Dental P.C. Our local and family-owned business has been providing quality dental services to the Denver area since 2002. Call us at 720-872-2750 to schedule an appointment.