OUR Dental ServIces
Trailside Dental offers a wide range of dental services for patients of all ages.
Cleanings & Exams
During your first visit, you can expect a comprehensive set of radiographs as well as a complete exam from both Dr. McDonald and one of our highly trained hygienists. This will help us determine your individualized treatment plan which includes the level of cleaning necessary to achieve optimum health.
This plan will also help us determine how to proceed with future visits. Assuming full health, we recommend a cleaning and exam every six months with new radiographs taken yearly.
Protective Sealants
A dental sealant is a tooth-colored material that is carefully painted and bonded onto the chewing surface of your tooth. This treatment “seals” the pits and grooves of your teeth, keeping bacteria from getting caught in the crevices and damaging your enamel. Dental sealants are made from an ultra-thin, non-toxic resin and are great for patients of all ages, but we often recommend this as a great option for younger kids who are getting their first adult molars. This keeps the teeth protected while they are still learning good cleaning and maintenance habits.
Porcelain Crowns & Veneers
A dental crown–often referred to as a “cap”–covers the entire visible portion of the tooth, protecting its remaining structure and bringing back its original shape, size, and color. A crown may be necessary if tooth decay is large enough that the filling material wouldn’t be strong enough to handle the force that chewing and talking put on the teeth. A crown may also be recommended after a root canal to ensure the longevity of the tooth. A crown is typically made of a very strong porcelain material which should be able to handle the day-to-day stress put on our teeth.
A new dental crown will require two visits to our office. The first appointment consists of preparing and shaping the tooth so that a crown will fit on it and taking an impression of the newly shaped tooth. This impression will be sent to our lab so the crown fabrication can begin. In the meantime, you will leave our office with a temporary crown. In roughly 2 weeks, we will have the second appointment in which the temporary crown is traded out in favor of the permanent crown.
Veneers are very similar to crowns but are typically done for aesthetic reasons rather than restorative.
Extractions
At Trailside Dental, we will take every measure to try and save unhealthy teeth. Unfortunately, there are certain situations in which a tooth can no longer be saved and instead needs to be extracted. Most extractions can be performed in the office, however, a referral to a specialist for sedation and extraction may be necessary in some cases. This is very common for impacted wisdom teeth, for example. After a quick consult, Dr. McDonald will be able to determine whether or not sedation will be necessary.
Composite Fillings & Dental Bonding
Cavities are surface-level tooth infections that break down the enamel and, eventually, turn into small openings or holes. A filling is the first line of defense against smaller cavities and is an excellent way to help avoid larger, more invasive procedures. In the past, metal fillings were the most common type of restoration. Although these fillings are very durable, they’re also quite noticeable and can be hard on the surrounding tooth structure. Today, white fillings are the preferred choice for a natural-looking and long-term fix.
It is important to note that, due to the limited strength of the filling material, only smaller cavities may be treated this way. More advanced treatment may be recommended if the cavity has spread deeper into the tooth.
If you have heard the term “bonding,” this is using that very same tooth-colored material to aesthetically close gaps rather than to restore teeth to full health.
Bridges
When the problem of missing teeth arises, there are a few options to consider. Implants are a great surgical option, and partial dentures are a great removable option, but not everyone falls into one of those two camps
Bridges are a great, non-surgical, no removable option to replace missing teeth.Bridges consist of a crown on the tooth in front of the gap, a crown on the tooth behind the gap, and a “floating” tooth that is attached to the other two crowns and fills in the space left behind by the missing tooth. This gives both the appearance of the function of having a full compliment of teeth.
If the neighboring teeth are deemed not healthy or stable enough, we may recommend placing implants on either side of the gap to serve as the attachment point for your bridge.
FUll & partial dentures
Full Dentures
Full dentures are used when no healthy teeth remain in either your upper or lower jaw. In some cases, we may remove a damaged or decayed tooth to make room for a full denture. Dentures will provide support to the lips and face so you can eat, drink, and smile with confidence.
Partial Dentures
Partial dentures are a great option when you still have some healthy natural teeth in either your upper or lower jaw. A partial denture uses healthy teeth as attachment points for support and stability. When possible, this is the preferred option over full dentures as the support teeth add extra stability giving you more ability to chew and function normally.
Root canals
As tooth decay advances, it will eventually reach the nerves in the root of your tooth called the pulp. When this happens, you’ll start to feel some sensitivity in the tooth, if not an outright toothache. Left untreated, this can turn into an abscess or damage the tooth to the point of extraction.
A root canal removes the cavity and infected pulp (and the pain!). A tooth can happily survive without the pulp, making a root canal a great way to keep your tooth and restore function to your smile.
Root canals may also be necessary to treat a cracked tooth or issues from a previous filling or crown.
Once a root canal is completed, a crown will often be needed on the tooth as well to ensure long term strength.
Gum disease therapy
This is more commonly referred to as Scaling and Root Planing. This is typically recommended when the beginning stages of periodontal (gum) disease are diagnosed. This is a non-surgical procedure that treats, and often times reverses, the early and moderate stages of periodontal disease.
A “normal cleaning” only removes plaque and calculus that is visible or slightly (~1-2 mm) below the gumline. Periodontal disease occurs when bacteria is present below this level meaning we have to take extra steps to ensure your gums are truly cleaned and on a path to healing.
These extra steps usually involve anesthetic so the patient is more comfortable, and usually takes 2 appointments to complete rather than just 1.
Sleep Apnea Treatment
Until recently, the only treatment for Sleep Apnea was a clunky, cumbersome CPAP, or surgery. Recent advancements in oral appliances have now changed that. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine now considers dental appliances a first line treatment for Snoring and mild to moderate Sleep Apnea, they are also ideal for patients with severe sleep apnea who cannot tolerate CPAP or as an alternative when traveling where there is no access to power. Dental Sleep Appliances have been scientifically proven to be very effective; “over 95% of patients are satisfied with the level of improvement with their snoring when assessed and treated correctly.”
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine’s journal, Sleep, stated that, “Oral appliances are indicated for use in patients with obstructive sleep apnea who prefer oral appliances to CPAP, or who do not respond to CPAP, are not appropriate candidates for CPAP, or who fail treatment attempts with CPAP or treatment with behavioral measures such as weight loss or sleep-position change.”
Oral sleep appliances typically consist of a plastic “tray” (think a thinner version of a sports mouth guard) on both the upper and lower jaws. These trays and then attached in a manner which forces the lower jaw forward, opening your airway. While they take time to get used to, they are generally received much more easily than CPAPs.
emergency treatment
We know life comes at you fast and an emergency rarely happens at a convenient time. Our local office provides timely emergency appointments to help when you need us most. Just call our office and let us know your situation, and we’ll get you in as fast as we can. While not all situations have a quick, immediate fix, we will do our best to get you out of pain and comfortable again as quickly as possible.
Teeth whitening
Tooth whitening is a popular procedure to make teeth whiter and brighter, and therefore more attractive. Bleaching can be used to whiten stained and discolored teeth, or simply to enhance a dull smile. Either way, tooth whitening is a safe and relatively painless procedure ideal for most patients.
The whitening process first involves taking impressions so we can make trays that are custom fit to your teeth. Once the trays are completed, you will be able to take these home to use at your leisure.
Whitening takes as little as 30 minutes a day for around 2 weeks to achieve desired results, and the trays can be used indefinitely to whiten later on.
nitrous oxide
(laughing gas)
Often called laughing gas, nitrous oxide is a common form of sedation dentistry that produces a euphoric effect.
It is different from sedation in that the patient is fully conscious and aware throughout the procedure but still has the effect of decreased anxiety.
While this doesn’t take the place of local anesthesia, it is a great way to get necessary work done with a fraction of the worry.