Serving our community with these dental services.
Examination & Diagnosis
Dexis® Digital Radiography
Implants
Cosmetic Bonding
Porcelain Veneers
Snoring and Sleep Apnea
Teeth Cleaning
Dental Fillings
Partial Dentures
Dentures
Teeth Whitening
Oral Surgery
Examination & Diagnosis
Every new patient starts with a thorough oral examination. The only exception would be an emergency situation. Included in the exam is a complete evaluation of all teeth, missing teeth, restorations, and soft tissues, which include the gums, tongue, palate, and other surrounding tissues.
A full series of x-rays is necessary to complete this exam. An oral cancer exam is also conducted and is rechecked at every subsequent cleaning appointment. The TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint) is also evaluated. After all information is gathered, a diagnosis will be presented with various options, both restoratively and financially, so the patient along with the dentist can decide the best course of treatment.
Dexis® Digital Radiography
Alfaro Dental uses the DEXIS® digital radiography system specifically designed for dentistry. This is the latest development in dental care. DEXIS is a fully integrated imaging system that replaces the old standard film and processing. Our staff is well trained in using the system. This provides you, our patients, with several distinct advantages:
Reduction in Radiation – Digital X-rays utilize a sensor rather than a piece of film and typically require less radiation to yield a diagnostic image.
A Comfortable Sensor – The DEXIS system uses a patented sensor with beveled, corners and rounded casing that make the process of taking X-rays easier, more efficient, and far more comfortable, even for gaggers and children.
Instant Developing – You will be amazed! As soon as the X-ray is taken, it appears immediately on the computer monitor. This results in less chair time and more rapid treatment. You will be in and out of the dental chair in less time than it took in the past, something I am sure you will appreciate!
Enhanced Diagnosis – Digital X-rays, like most other forms of electronic information, allow for enhancements by using sophisticated imaging tools during the examination and diagnosis process. Please ask us to show you some of the new and exciting tools the next time you have DEXIS dental X-rays taken.
Increased Communication and Understanding – Due to the enlarged and enhanced view of the X-ray images, you will, for the first time, actually be able to see the condition of your own mouth. You will be able to easily visualize and understand the diagnosis and proposed treatment plan so that you can better participate in your own dental health.
Dental Implants
Dentistry now has a 25 year plus history of placing dental implants that can then be restored in many ways. An implant is a post made of a titanium alloy that is placed in the bone where a tooth once existed. After a period of time passes (3 to 4 months), the bone grows to the implant and integrates to the implant and essentially, the implant and the bone fuse together. In many ways, an implant is more solid than a tooth. Once the implant has integrated, it can be used to restore many different situations involving missing teeth. Today, the most common use of implants is to replace a single missing tooth. In this case, an abutment is screwed to the implant. The implant acts as the root of the tooth and the abutment acts as the crown portion. A crown then covers the abutment just as if it were a tooth. Implants may be used to replace multiple teeth, or in some cases, all of the teeth with what would be called a screw retained denture. Another very good use for implants is to support and retain removable partial or dentures. This can make situations that may be either unstable or loose, suddenly very solid.
Cosmetic Bonding
Dentists have been cosmetically bonding resin material to teeth since the early 1970′s when the first composite resins became available. Since then, both composite resins and bonding materials that allow the resins to “stick” to a tooth, have improved dramatically. Today, dentists are able to add material to teeth in such a manner that the cosmetic bonding appears to be a natural part of the tooth. These materials can be used where teeth have decayed, fractured, worn, or simply developed to a less than ideal shape. Cosmetic bonding can be done to close spaces, reshape teeth, or replace older dark fillings.
Are there limitations for cosmetic bonding?
Bonding has some shortcomings which are generally related to the size or position of the restoration. Very large restorations, or teeth in areas where there is a large amount of wear, may be better suited for restorations produced in a laboratory such as a crown or veneer. However, each case and tooth must be evaluated individually in order to produce the most desired result.
How does cosmetic dental bonding work?
This is a procedure that utilizes a composite resin for cosmetic enhancement and restoration of decayed teeth. The composite consists of glass and porcelain particles fused into a liquid plastic and it is matched up accordingly to the color of the patients’ teeth. Because the bonded tooth blends well with the surrounding teeth, it will give a more natural look. After the composite is applied and adjusted to the tooth, it is hardened with the use of a high intensity light. It is then buffered and polished to smooth out any rough surfaces.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are the ultimate esthetic restoration. They have the ability to totally restore the appearance of a tooth and yet, only cover a portion of that tooth. A porcelain veneer is a thin piece of porcelain that is fabricated in a laboratory and then bonded to the front surface of the tooth.
In most cases, a minimal amount of tooth structure must be removed to make space to place the veneer. Occasionally, very minimal or no reduction is necessary because the tooth, or teeth, have worn or were undersized naturally. Veneers can be used to reshape an individual tooth or an entire arch of teeth. They can be used to close spaces, lengthen teeth, mask stains, or change colors. The very first veneers were fabricated to mask darkly stained teeth (generally from antibiotics taken when the teeth were still forming) and tended to be very opaque in appearance. With much better materials and bonding agents, today they can appear very natural.
Snoring, Sleep Apnea
Custom dental appliances for snoring and sleep apnea are covered by most medical insurance companies and Medicare.
Dental Cleaning
The routine dental cleaning is meant to make sure of two things: first, from purely a periodontal standpoint, you stay healthy. Second, we make sure that nothing unexpected is developing inside your mouth. Because every person’s mouth is unique and treated on an “individual” basis, some people may need dental cleanings on a regular basis every 3 months because their teeth need the extra attention. But the majority of people we see we recommend to come in and have their teeth cleaned every 6 months.
Why do I need my teeth cleaned every six months when my teeth look clean?
Great question! They may not feel dirty, but bacterial plaque is a by-product of your saliva, and wherever your saliva travels to in your mouth, plaque follows, and plaque is your biggest enemy. It’s the primary cause of periodontal breakdown. It’s the primary cause of tooth decay. The bottom line is that if you’re able to remove every bit of plaque, every 24 hours, then, you may not ever have any great deal of buildup of hard materials because when plaque stays in your teeth for more than 24 hours, it picks up calcium and phosphorus from your saliva and it gets hard. When plaque becomes hard in your mouth, it becomes dental tartar and the only way to get that off is to physically scrape it off.
What does routine dental exam do for me?
A routine dental exam will help you reach places that are not normally exposed like below the gum line. These soft tissues in your mouth are not visible and there may be inflammation in these tissues. So even though everything may look real clean to you in your mouth, if there happens to be bleeding in the gums, then there’s inflammation in the gums, which is exactly why you want to have a routine dental cleaning every 6 months. A thorough dental exam is accomplished during the cleaning, so that we are looking at all aspects of your gum tissue, your teeth, and the other soft tissues in your mouth to make sure nothing bad is happening like developing periodontal issues.
Dental Fillings
At some point or other in ours lives, most of us wind up with a cavity. In most cases, a cavity calls for your dentist to remove the decay and to fill in the tooth area that was removed. There have been a number of advances in the field over the past few years, so if you’re one of the lucky ones and haven’t had a cavity in a while, you should read up on what is available today so that you understand the choices available to you. Most of us have had amalgam fillings (silver) or gold filling restorations. Some amalgam fillings were what we have called mercury fillings, as some amalgam fillings contained mercury. Metal fillings were effective, but very conspicuous and tended to blacken in color over time. Composite resin dental fillings were created as an alternative to traditional metal dental fillings. Tooth fillings colored to look like a natural tooth are known as Composite Resin Dental Fillings, are made of a plastic dental resin. Composite Resin Dental Fillings are strong, durable, and make for a very natural looking smile. Many dental insurance plans cover their use.
Partial Dentures
Occasionally, numerous teeth may be lost in a patients mouth. This may happen for many reasons; decay, infection, trauma and periodontal breakdown. If tooth loss progresses to the point that there are not an adequate number of teeth remaining to support fixed bridgework, then removable bridgework (partial denture) may become necessary to replace missing teeth. Replacing many teeth with removable bridgework may also be quite a bit less expensive than fixed, permanent bridgework. As long as even one tooth remains in a dental arch, then the appliance is a partial denture. However, when there are no longer any teeth remaining in an arch, then the removable appliance has become a full denture. If there are no teeth remaining in either arch, this would then become a set of full dentures, upper (maxillary) and lower (mandibular). Older dentures need to be checked periodically to insure that they still fit and function well.
Dentures
Full dentures are commonly used when all of your teeth are missing or have been extracted. Full dentures can be either ‘conventional’ or ‘immediate’ dentures. The conventional type of full dentures are created after removal of the teeth and the gum tissue is allowed to heal. This process can be between four and six weeks. The creation of immediate dentures allows placement immediately after removal of the teeth and eliminates the waiting period for a patient. Adjustments can be made after the gum tissue has healed.
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening, or bleaching of the teeth, is a very conservative procedure that can produce great results for minimal cost and no invasive treatment. Teeth whitening is best done at home after custom fitted trays are made for the patient. This simple procedure requires having two impressions taken in the dental office. The patient will wear these trays with a bleach solution for approximately 7-14 days for 2-3 hours per day. The results are long lasting but may require 1 or 2 nights of touch-up every 6 months. The only possible side effect is a temporary sensitivity. Dental bleach materials today all contain products, such as fluoride, to reduce this sensitivity. Bleaching is best suited for teeth that have become darker with aging, but can be used successfully by patients of all ages.
Oral Surgery
There are many reasons that you may need oral surgery. Surgery may provide you with a wide variety of solutions such as dental implant placement, removal of wisdom teeth, bone grafting, and treating diagnosed oral pathology. Your care is our first and most important goal. If surgery is clearly indicated in your case, we’ll provide most comfortable and effective treatment options.
