General and family dentistry

A cleaning, a full examination, x-rays where they are needed, and an oral cancer screening.

The cleaning removes the plaque and tartar that brushing cannot reach. For most people this happens twice a year, and if your gums need closer attention we will tell you why rather than simply booking you more often.

If it has been a long time and there is more buildup than usual, that is normal and it is manageable. Sometimes it means a deeper cleaning across more than one visit, and if that is the case we will tell you before we start, not partway through.

We see children and adults, which means one practice, one location and appointments that can often be arranged close together rather than scattered across a week. For a family that is usually the difference between care that happens and care that keeps being postponed.

For a child's first visits, the goal is not a thorough clinical workup. The goal is that they leave without a reason to be afraid of the next one, because a child who is comfortable at the dentist becomes an adult who goes to the dentist. We move at whatever pace that takes.

Sealants protect the grooved chewing surfaces of back teeth where decay usually starts in children, and they take minutes to place. Fluoride treatment strengthens enamel and is useful well beyond childhood, particularly for anyone prone to decay or dealing with dry mouth.

Grinding is far more common than people realize, and most of the people doing it have no idea.

If we see the wear pattern, we will show it to you. A custom night guard is a small thing that prevents a genuinely expensive problem later, which is the sort of trade we will always recommend.

You will be given the cost of anything we recommend before it happens rather than at the front desk on the way out. If you have insurance we will help you understand what it covers, and if you do not, we will talk you through the options plainly.