Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1.  My teeth are yellow and stained! What can I do?

·      There are many options for whitening your teeth. The most popular choice is our ­ One Hour Whitening.  Your appointment with us would last approximately 90 minutes, 60 minutes of which you have a whitening gel on your teeth and a bright blue light shining on that gel.

·      The second option is At Home Bleaching with Customized Trays. We take impressions of your mouth to fabricate plastic bleaching trays. You are given whitening gel to use at home for 3 consecutive days.

·      The third option is Professional Crest Whitestrips. This is similar to what you can buy in the stores, but a much stronger formulation and a longer supply of strips. This type of whitening requires a lot of work and consistency on your part, as you must use the strips twice a day for 30 minutes each time for 14 days. There are advantages and disadvantages of all 3 systems. Let us discuss these with you to help determine the right form of whitening for you.

·      As of just recently, we have started a "Deep Bleaching Treatment" Program. This can successfully whiten very deep discoloration including tetracycline staining, which was not capable of whitening with the older techniques. It involves a series of one-hour procedures and at home trays followed by a sealing process. We offer free whitening consultation on all of our whitening options.  Please call our office to schedule yours today.

 2.  Can I get rid of my ugly, black and silver mercury fillings?

·      Yes! Not only does replacing those old fillings look much better and more natural than your old amalgam fillings, it is also much healthier and stronger for your teeth. Old silver fillings breakdown over time. This allows decay to start around the edges and under your ­old fillings. Often this decay is not visible on x-rays and would otherwise go undetected for years, until pain ensues. Depending on the size of your old filling, we have three treatment options to replace those with. Each tooth is addressed individually and the best treatment for each tooth is determined.

·      For very large silver fillings occupying the majority of the chewing surface of your tooth, a full coverage crown may be recommended.

·      For smaller fillings, we may bond in a tooth colored filling into place.

·      For those middle of the road fillings, a ceramic inlay or onlay may be indicated, which is made using our CEREC CAD-CAM technology.

·      There are advantages and disadvantages of each procedure, which we can review with you.

3.  Do you take my insurance?

·      We bill most dental insurance companies as a courtesy to our patients.  This does not include DMO, HMO and Discount Plans.  Your insurance benefits are estimated at the time of service.  It is the patients responsibility to be aware of individual coverage levels within their plan. Please call your insurance company with questions regarding network benefits and coverage levels.

4.  How much will my treatment cost? Do you offer any payment plans or financing?

·      At the time that treatment is planned, we will provide you with an estimate of the treatment cost. Oftentimes, we will call your insurance carrier to verify benefits and make an estimate of what they will pay towards your treatment. This is only an estimate and any leftover balance will be the responsibility of the patient. Your portion of the treatment fee is due the day that treatment is started. We offer several payment options to help you take care of your portion.

·      We have 3 different financing companies available for our patients to choose from.  Capital One Financing, Care Credit Financing and Unicorn Financing.  These financing companies offer various payment options to include but not limited to long term low interest financing as well as no interest no finance charges for up to 24 months. (Some restrictions may apply.)

5.  My teeth are crooked or have spaces. Do I have to get braces to straighten them?

·      Not always. Braces are a great option but it does take time. A lot of adults do not like the idea of metal brackets and wires. We offer invisible braces (Invisalign) in our office for many cosmetic corrections. Other options include veneers (porcelain facings) or bonding that are able to close up spaces, improve the color, and change the shape and position of your teeth in a short period of time.

6. I had some crowns placed some time ago, and I noticed that now I have a dark line at the gum line. What can I do?

·      Most of your older crowns are made of a metal substructure covered by porcelain. As your teeth wear and gums recede, often the grayness of this metal begins to show. It leaves an unattractive, unnatural darkness. Because of the dark metal substructure, the resulting crown is often more opaque and does not have the natural translucency and coloring that your natural teeth have. Many of the crowns we do today are made completely of porcelain. These crowns are much more life-like, all without the dark margins.

7.  I often wake up with sore jaw muscles and sometimes even a headache. What is causing this?

See Question #8

8.  I grind my teeth at night. Is this bad? What can be done about it?

·      You are not alone if you clench or grind your teeth at night. An amazingly high percentage of Americans do! While you may not even know that you are doing this, you may notice sore, tired jaws and/or have headaches in the morning. The dentist may notice that your teeth are worn down, have fracture lines, or abfraction at your gum line may be present. We can fabricate an appliance for you called at NTI-tss, which stands for "Nociceptive Trigeminal Inhibition-Tension Suppression System." It takes about 10-15 minutes in our office to fabricate this appliance, which you can take home that day. The appliance has also been successfully used to treat migraines and is the only appliance approved by the FDA for the treatment of migraines!

9.  I am missing a tooth. What can be done to fill in that space?

There are three different options for replacing a missing tooth.

·      The first option is to place a bridge. A bridge is a fixed unit that involves placing a crown on the tooth in front of the space, a crown on the tooth behind the space and connected in between those two crowns is a fake tooth. This creates a 3-unit structure or "bridge" that is permanently cemented in.

·      The second option is having a dental implant placed. During one surgery, the implant post is actually placed into your jawbone. After a period of healing, the post is uncovered and a crown is made to fit on that post.

·      The last option is having a removable partial fabricated to fill in the missing tooth. There are benefits and disadvantages of each option, which we can discuss and decide which option may be best for your situation.

10.  What can I expect during my first visit?

·      On your first visit, we hope to educate you as to the health and condition of your teeth, gums, and mouth. We ask a lot of questions that help us understand what YOU want from us to improve your dental health. .and we hope you will ask us a lot of questions as well. We will recommend ideal dentistry, but will always give you other options.

11.  I have an infant at home. What age do you recommend their first visit to the dentist?

·      We recommend that you bring your child in for his or her first dental visit at age 3. It is always a good idea around age 2 for you to bring your child to our office to watch their parent or sibling receive a dental cleaning. It allows them to become familiar with the office and the doctor.

12.  I heard that you have a Laser. What types of procedures can you use it for?

We are equipped with the Biolase Dental Laser. We use the laser for many procedures, such as:

·      Small fillings on adults and children: no shots, no pain

·      Sealants on children: we use the laser to etch the surface of the tooth to make the seal stronger and longer lasting.

·      Frenectomies: You know that little string of skin between your lip and your front teeth? Or that line of skin under your tongue? For those who are tongue-tied or have a low frenum attachment, we can use the laser to safely remove the excess tissue. The laser also shortens the healing time and there is less swelling.

·      Treat canker sores

·      Desensitize areas of recession and abrasion.

13.  I am very nervous and scared to get my dental work done! Do you offer any services to help people like me?

 see Sedation Therapy (click here to learn more)

14. Where is Stonecreek Dental Care located?