General Dentistry

There's nothing to fear with a dental exam. Your teeth will be visually examined for signs of plaque, tartar and tooth decay. Your gums will also be examined for puffiness or discoloration, which are signs of gum disease. A full set of dental X-rays may also be taken during your dental exam, to enable your dentist to see below the surfaces of your teeth. Dental exams typically end with a dental cleaning, to remove surface stains and buildup.

Dental X-rays have come a long way. Todays dental X-rays are safer, faster, more comfortable and more informative than the X-rays of years past. Digital X-rays, one of the latest and most advanced dental technologies, produce high-quality images of your teeth that can be viewed instantly by you and your dentist on a LCD monitor. Digital X-rays  provide exceptional diagnostic information to ensure that potential problems are caught in their earliest stages. In addition to x-rays, we are also able to utilize intraoral photography. With intraoral photography, problems such as cavities, fractures and discolorations in the teeth can be captured through clear and sharp photographic images that are taken with a digital camera.

A deep cleaning may be recommended if excessive plaque and tartar deposits have developed below the gum line. Deep cleanings, also known as scaling and root planing, involve a two-part process: first, the stubborn deposits are removed, and then the root surfaces are smoothened. A deep cleaning helps prevent periodontal disease and restores gum tissues to a healthy state.

Oral cancer affects nearly 35,000 Americans every year. The keys to surviving oral cancer are early detection and early treatment. This starts with a regular oral cancer screening – at least once every six months. An oral cancer screening takes just minutes, is pain-free, and is a included here as a part of your regular dental exam. If you are male, a regular oral cancer screening is especially critical: Oral cancer is more than twice as common in men as it is in women. Other people at high risk of oral cancer include people over the age of 60, tobacco smokers and heavy drinkers.

There are three types of dental bridges: 1) traditional dental bridges, 2) cantilever dental bridges, and 3) Maryland bridges. Traditional bridges have either dental crowns or dental implants on either side of the missing tooth, plus a replacement tooth, which is held in place by a post-like structure called a dental abutment. Cantilever dental bridges are used in cases where there are surrounding teeth only on one side of the missing tooth. Maryland bridges are made of a specialized resin that is cemented to a metal framework and cemented to the enamel of surrounding teeth.

Dental bridges typically take 2-3 weeks to complete and are less invasive than other options, such as dental implants. With good oral hygiene and regular dental visits, dental bridges can last up to 30 years.

In most cases, if dentures are the recommended option for you, we refer to and work with a local denturist located very close to our office.

Just as with your natural teeth, dentures require daily maintenance. With regular wear and tear, your dentures can last 5-7 years. During that time, you may need periodic denture relines to accommodate changes in the contours of your mouth. Regular denture relines involve resurfacing the base to ensure that your dentures fit and function perfectly. If you break your dentures, it's critical to bring them to your dentist or denturist for professional denture repair. Home denture repair kits can cause more damage and be even more costly to fix.

Red, swollen gums are a red flag for one thing: gum disease. If you have the symptoms, you're not alone. More than 80% of adults have some form of gum disease. Fortunately, there are many effective and pain-free gum disease treatments. For gingivitis, the mildest form of gum disease, treatment typically involves a thorough dental cleaning, followed by daily brushing and flossing. Advanced gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, requires scaling and root planing to remove stubborn deposits below the gum line.

Root Canal Therapy is the cleaning, shaping, and filling of the innermost portion of the tooth, the canals, and "pulp chamber" underneath the enamel and dentin.  It is usually the result of bacterial infection of the tissue from decay or fracture.  Teeth can be causing a great deal of pain from the infection, or no pain at all.  Occasionally a root canal is done purely for mechanical reasons to aid in the restoration of tooth structure by placement of a post within the roots.  After the root canal is completed, a crown is often placed to protect the tooth and prevent fracture.

Dr. Trent Veltkamp is very experienced with root canal therapy.  Filling over 1000 canals in the last four years alone, he uses a state of the art surgical microscope, rotary instrumentation, and a warm compaction technique which helps fill all portions of the canal system.  Even so, there are some cases which Dr. Veltkamp refers to an endodontic specialist.  Doctors who have undergone several years of specialized training, and do nothing but root canals all the time, are sometimes better equipped to handle especially difficult or surgical cases.