Pocket Dentistry

Mouth and Throat Cancer and Mouth Sores During each dental exam, your dentist will check your face, neck and mouth for lumps, red or white patches, and sore areas that…

Frenectomy and Tori Removal Frenectomy A frenum is a small band of tissue. Removal of the frenum, called a frenectomy, may be necessary if the frenum causes space between teeth….

Endodontic Surgery Apicoectomy Sometimes the infection does not go away even after root canal therapy. In these cases, an apicoectomy can be done to remove diseased tissue from the bony…

Gum Disease Treatment and Maintenance Deep Cleaning – Scaling and Root Planing Scaling removes plaque and tartar from below the gum line. Root planing smoothes the tooth root and helps…

Tooth Erosion Other Oral Conditions Tooth erosion happens when your enamel begins to wear away and exposes the soft, yellow layer of dentin beneath it. When the enamel on your…

Full Dentures Conventional Dentures Image ©Elesevier Inc. All rights reserved. If you are missing all of your teeth, your dentist may recommend dentures. Complete dentures are custom-made to fit your…

Root Canal (Endodontic) Therapy Healthy tooth and root Steps of Root Canal Therapy Tooth decay can cause an abscess (infection). The decay is removed and an opening is made through…

Plaque and its Effects Plaque and Tartar Plaque is a soft, sticky film with bacteria that constantly forms on teeth. It can cause tooth decay and gum disease. Plaque that…

Surgical Correction In some cases, surgery is needed to improve the function and appearance of a patient’s bite. This may be the case if skeletal problems with the upper or…

Cavities When decay gets through the enamel of your tooth, a cavity can form. Once a cavity forms, it can continue to spread deeper and deeper into the layers of…

Sugar and its Effects Prevention and Diagnosis Sugary food and drinks harm your teeth! • Plaque bacteria found on your tooth surfaces feed on the sugars in your food and…

Bone Grafting Building Up Bone to Support Implants If there is not enough bone to support the implant, bone can be added by a process called bone grafting. Bone substitutes…

Dental X-Rays (Radiographs) X-rays help your dentist see the jaw bone, the roots of the teeth, or teeth that have not yet erupted, as well as the contact areas between…

How To Floss 1. Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around a finger on…

Cracked Tooth If you think you may have a cracked tooth, look for these signs: • sharp pain that quickly disappears when biting down • pain that comes and goes…

Removable Partial Dentures Placement of a Removable Partial Denture Partial denture above gum Partial denture in place Partial denture in mouth (metal clasps on two teeth are visible)

Resin-Bonded Bridge Placement of a Resin-Bonded Bridge Smile is missing a tooth Resin-bonded bridge is being inserted Smile restored by resin-bonded bridge

Tobacco Using tobacco in any form is risky to your oral and overall health. Whether you smoke, chew, dip, or vape, there is no such thing as a safe form…

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) Two temporomandibular (tem-PORO-man-DIB-u-lar) joints work together in a delicate balance with muscles, ligaments, cartilage and your jaw bones. When problems prevent these parts from working together properly,…

Stages of Gum Disease Normal, Healthy Gums Your teeth are held in place by gums, bone and connective tissues. Your gums tightly hug your teeth and there is little or…