Fox Dentistry provides exceptional comprehensive general dental care for your entire family. We utilize high quality dental equipment and technology such as digital radiography( x-rays) and intraoral cameras to provide the highest quality of care to our patients. In addition, we have always adhered to the highest level of sterilization practices, infection control and quality control to make your visit both safe and comfortable. Below you will find a list of some of the services our office provides for our patients. We are happy to answer any questions you might have regarding the various dental services available to you.
Comprehensive dental examination
Our office is committed to providing thorough professional dental examinations to evaluate existing problems and identify and treat issues as soon as possible so the problem does not become more advanced. Our examination involves a thorough medical history evaluations, oral cancer screening, soft tissue exam, blood pressure recording, periodontal evaluation, and an evaluation of the existing teeth and restorations using visual and radiographic examination of the teeth. We take the time to go over all our findings with you and answer any questions you may have. Often the dental exam is followed by a regular dental cleaning to remove the plaque, tartar and stains from your teeth.
Preventive Oral Hygiene program( Adult and Pediatric)
Regular preventive oral hygiene visits (dental cleanings) include a professional scaling of the teeth both above and below the gum line to remove the plaque and tartar deposits that build up on teeth over time. In addition, we provide personalized oral hygiene instructions to improve and reinforce you home care routine between visits. Preventive dental visits range between two and four times a year depending on the health of the gum tissue. For our patients that require additional treatment for periodontal disease, we provide specialized deep cleanings called scaling and root planing. This treatment removes the stubborn deposits on the teeth and smooths the root surfaces to restore gum tissue health. In order to control and prevent further periodontal disease, we provide periodontal maintenance cleanings to help our patients maintain healthy gum tissue. As a family oriented practice, we enjoy seeing our younger patients and providing them with a fun, relaxed experience so they can look forward to a lifetime of dental health. Our pediatric preventive care program includes pediatric dental cleaning visits, fluoride treatments and dental sealants as indicated on newly erupted teeth along with a visit to the treasure chest.
Digital Radiography (X-rays)/Intraoral Camera
Our office uses high quality digital x-rays which minimize your exposure to radiation. Digital x-rays are safer, faster and more comfortable for our patients. Digital x-rays reduce radiation exposure by up to 90%. These images are acquired via a digital sensor and transmitted to a computer to store the images. Digital x-rays are environmentally friendly as there is no need for films or chemicals. In addition, the images of your teeth are able to be viewed and interpreted almost immediately. We also have a high quality intraoral camera which can capture images of the teeth as well as assist in detecting fractures, cavities or soft tissue lesions. Our office also has a specialized digital camera to capture intraoral images which can be used to communicate with laboratories for proper shade selection or with specialists regarding a specific dental concern.
Dental fillings
Fillings are used to repair and restore an area of the tooth that has been damaged due to decay, fracture or wear. Teeth can be filled with amalgam (silver), composite (white), porcelain or gold materials. Composite restorations, commonly known as “white fillings” are tooth colored fillings that are bonded to the tooth. They can be used in both front and back teeth. These fillings are strong and natural looking alternatives to restore small to medium size cavities, and they require less removal of your tooth structure than silver fillings.
Crowns/Bridges
A crown restoration restores a tooth that has been extensively damaged due to decay, fractured fillings, grinding, wear, fractured/cracked teeth, or to reinforce root canal treated teeth. There are various materials that can be used including all ceramic, gold, porcelain fused to precious metals and zirconia (a tooth colored metal). A crown restoration completely covers the tooth and provide support, function and aesthetics similar to a natural tooth. Dental crowns are placed in a multi-step process requiring several visits with impressions and a temporary crown placed to protect your tooth on the first visit. The impression is sent to one of our highly skilled dental laboratory technicians to create a beautiful crown restoration. On your second visit, the final crown restoration is cemented.
Bridges are crown restorations used to replace a missing tooth. Teeth that are adjacent to an open space can drift, move and tilt into the space, so it is recommended that these missing teeth are replaced with either an implant, bridge or partial denture. A bridge is two crown restorations connected with one or more middle artificial teeth called pontics. The bridge is cemented in place to restore chewing function to the affected area. Bridges can be made of gold, porcelain fused to precious metal, zirconia or all ceramic.
Implant Dentistry
Dental implant restorations are a safe and reliable way to replace a missing tooth that may have been lost due to a traumatic injury, decay or gum disease. This procedure involves placing an implant post in the jaw bone which then integrates with the surrounding bone. It can then serve as a strong foundation for an implant crown restoration to replace your missing tooth. An implant is the most ideal restoration to replace a missing tooth as it looks and feels most like a natural tooth. Dental implants are a multi-step process with the dental implant being placed by a specialist, followed several months later by the placement of a dental implant crown at our office. Implant restorations are one of the most ideal, reliable choices for tooth replacement available today.
Pediatric dental visits
As a family oriented dental practice, we are deeply committed to providing your children with a comfortable and fun first dental experience. Our patient, caring providers strive to provide for your child’s oral health needs in a relaxed and comforting environment. We encourage parents to be our partners in this process and welcome you in the room as we provide care for your child. We provide oral health care for all ages from infants to teenagers.
Veneers
Our office provides two types of dental veneers that can help to improve your smile, porcelain veneers and composite veneers. Porcelain veneers are a effective way to mask discolorations, chips or gaps between the teeth. A thin porcelain facing is bonded to the front of your teeth to improve the shape, color and aesthetics of your natural teeth. Porcelain veneers are strong, wear resistant conservative restorations that can help achieve a natural looking smile. Another type of veneer is the composite veneer which is created using tooth colored bonded filling material. They are a less costly alternative and can be easily repaired, but they are not as strong or resistant to wear as the porcelain veneers. Maintaining healthy gum tissue is essential to achieving optimal results with veneer restorations, and regular brushing and flossing are important to help prevent developing cavities around your veneers. Dental veneers are an excellent way to achieve a natural looking smile while at the same time conserving your natural tooth structure.
Teeth Whitening
We offer several simple tooth whitening procedures to help brighten your smile and lighten acquired stains from food and drinks, tobacco, medications or natural aging. We offer two solutions for tooth whitening: in office or professional take home whitening. The in office whitening can be completed the same day and can often achieve several shades of whitening. You also have the option of having custom trays fabricated so you can maintain at home the lightening achieved through in office whitening. The professional take home method is a more gradual process of a controlled whitening that offers flexibility and customization. This process occurs over several weeks and is monitored weekly by our staff to assist you with customizing your whitening experience. Custom made trays are individually fitted to your teeth, and you are able to whiten your teeth in the convenience of your own home in just thirty minutes a day. Ask us how you can lighten and brighten your smile today.
Removable Partial Dentures and Complete Dentures
Tooth loss can occur in the mouth due to disease, injury or genetic disorders. Both removable partial dentures and complete dentures can be custom made to replace some or all of your missing teeth. A removable partial denture anchors to existing natural teeth via clasps and replace areas of missing teeth. If it is necessary to replace all of the teeth, an immediate denture can be made and placed at the time of extraction. It may need relines or adjustments as the tissue heals. A complete denture is made after adequate healing of the surgical extraction sites and replaces all the natural teeth. Sometimes it is necessary to anchor the denture in the mouth with implants to increase both the stability and retention of the denture. The process of getting dentures is a multi-visit process where we work closely with the laboratory to create a natural looking, comfortable appliance that not only replaces your missing teeth and restores support for your soft tissue but also creates a natural looking smile. In addition, we also provide maintenance procedures for repairing, relining or cleaning your removable dentures.
Nightguards and Snoring Appliances
Do you wake up with sore and tired jaws? If so, you may be experiencing a common dental condition called bruxism or night time clenching and grinding of your teeth. While this can occur both day and night it is more common at night and can result in jaw pain, muscle soreness, headaches and sore or painful teeth. Grinding may be exacerbated by stress, misaligned teeth, bite issues or sleep disorders. A nightguard helps to relieve pain and stress on the teeth and jaws by minimizing bruxism and keeping the teeth slightly apart to prevent further wear on the teeth and allow the muscles and joints to relax. Wearing a custom fabricated dental nightguard may decrease the bruxism habit, prevent damage to the teeth, muscles and jaw, and improve the overall quality of your sleep. Do you snore? It is more common that you might realize and negatively affects the quality of sleep for many people. When you sleep, the jaw and tongue relax and can fall back in the throat restricting air flow and causing a noisy vibration called snoring. Sometimes this can indicate a more serious condition called sleep apnea. It is important to determine whether you suffer from simple snoring or sleep apnea before deciding on the best course of treatment for you. For simple snoring, we can fabricate custom oral appliance that can help reposition your jaw, decrease unhealthy snoring and improve the quality of your sleep for you and your partner.
Same Day Appliance/Denture Repairs
We can often provide minor repairs to partials, complete dentures and retainers the same day. Some repairs may require additional time.