Dental Exams and Cleanings
Restorations or Fillings
Family Dentistry
Cosmetic Dental Procedures
Whitening or Bleaching
Root Canal Therapy
X-Rays
Bridges
Crowns
Implant Services
Prosthetic Dental Services
Extractions
Occlusal or TMJ Splints
Advanced Services

Dental Exams and Cleanings

A full dental examination including charting of the teeth and fillings, periodontal or gum conditions and a comprehensive Oral Cancer Screening is performed at all re-care visits. A dental prophylaxis or cleaning is normally scheduled for every six months, but may be more often based on a person’s oral condition. For patients requiring periodontal services, we offer Scaling and Root Planing with our highly trained Dental Hygienists as well as non-surgical treatment with Arestin or a Diode Laser.

Restorations or Fillings

At MDG we offer non-metal restorations or fillings. These are most often called “composites” and are comprised of a mix of resin and ceramic directly applied to the tooth after preparation and decay removal. We may also use a glass Ionomer material that offers a higher fluoride release from the filling for those patients that would benefit from this.

This type of filling allows a more conservative preparation of the tooth and match the color of the surrounding tooth structure.

Most insurances are now offering coverage for this type of restorations but you should always contact your insurance carrier for actual coverages for any procedure.

Family Dentistry

At Morrison Dental Group we believe that children do better where the whole family is treated. Just like in the home, kids learn from their parents and older siblings - the same is true in the dental office. We have a long history of serving families, often three or four generations. You may hear us say, “We now have kids we saw years ago bringing their kids to us to be seen.” It’s a good feeling.

Cosmetic Dental Procedures

Today there are a wide variety of cosmetic dental alternatives. As a leader in the dental community we offer a full range of cosmetic services:

• Veneers, Ceramic Crowns and Bridges - These restorations are metal free and custom matched to the patient’s tooth color. These allow for the correction of shape, color or tooth position discrepancies.
• Direct Composite Restorations – Also called tooth colored fillings. We can often restore a tooth to function using these materials in one visit.
• CEREC AC One Day Veneers and Crowns - Utilizing this exciting CAD/CAM 3D design technology we can design and fabricate your cosmetic solution in as little as one hour! Ask us about this today.

Whitening or Bleaching

Whitening or bleaching of teeth may be accomplished in many ways. Most over-the-counter products are of a weaker formulation and not as effective as the materials used in a dental office. Here at MDG we have available:

• Crest Professional White Strips - this is a lower cost way to start your bleaching. Using pre-packaged strips with bleaching gel on them, the patient applies these twice daily for 30 minutes at home.
• Professional Custom Bleaching Trays - impressions are taken for moulds of your teeth. Custom trays are then fabricated so that a measured amount of bleaching gel is applied to your teeth. We use a variety of strengths of bleach, customized for the individual.
• In-Office Bleaching - Bleaching gel is applied to the teeth in the office and activated by light or laser.
• Endodontic Tooth Bleaching - occasionally teeth that have had root canals can darken and discolor. The tooth is bleached internally before restoring to lighten the tooth from the inside.

Root Canal Therapy

Sometimes referred to as Endodontics this is the treatment of an inflamed or infected pulp (nerve and blood supply) of a tooth. By gently and thoroughly cleaning the canal of the root of a tooth, we can often preserve enough tooth structure to restore and save the tooth for many years to come.

Root Canal Therapy has made many advances in the last few years making this treatment more predictable, quicker and comfortable than at any other time. This procedure is now often accomplished in only one visit.

X-Rays

We adhere to the American Dental Association guidelines on the frequency of x-rays or radiographs. X-rays are utilized in the diagnosis of dental disease and other pathology. As always, it is better to diagnose and treat early. We do limit the amount of exposure with the use of high-speed film and machines.

A common way of measuring radiographic exposure is to equate it to “background days of radiation.” In other words, the amount of radiation one receives walking around in an average day. Most dental x-rays are a fraction of one background day of radiation. Panorex x-rays deliver only about one background day of radiation and the Galileos CBCT (3D dental scan) averages 2-3 background days of radiation.

Bridges

Bridges are used when there are teeth missing but there are solid adjacent teeth available to support a fixed, cemented bridge replacing the missing tooth or teeth. Bridges are most often made of:

• Metal or Gold
• Porcelain fused to metal
• Tooth colored Zirconia

These are sometimes used when it is not possible to place an implant(s) in the missing tooth or teeth’s spot.

Crowns

Crowns or “Caps” as they are sometimes called are utilized when there is inadequate tooth structure left to put only a filling in a tooth. There are many types and/or materials that crowns are made of:

• Gold alloy
• Porcelain fused to metal
• All Porcelain
• Tooth colored metal/ceramic materials

Traditionally crowns and bridges were done in two steps. After preparation, an impression of the teeth was taken and sent to a Dental Laboratory for the fabrication of the crown. A temporary crown was placed, and weeks later the completed crown was delivered.

At Morrison Dental Group we offer the CEREC AC system of crown fabrication that allows us to make your crown in our office the same day! Saving you time and visits while giving us complete control over the fabrication process. Ask us about this amazing technology. 

Implant Services

We provide our patients with the highest quality implant planning services starting with 3-Dimensional Dental Imaging using GALILEOS CBCT. This advanced machine allows us to view the jaw in 3D to evaluate if there is adequate bone structure available before implant placement surgery by our highly trained specialist partners.

After implant placement and healing, we offer crowns and bridges supported by the implants - often completed in one day with CEREC AC technology.

For those patients that have Denture or Partials that are experiencing a lack of retention or fit, we implant “mini-implants” in our office to allow stabilization and retention of dentures. These are substantially lower in cost and smaller with shorter healing and sometimes, immediate use with a patients prosthesis.

Prosthetic Dental Services

Morrison Dental Group’s doctors have extensive training and experience in providing the latest in prosthetic dental services.  These include Complete Dentures for those that have lost, or are going to lose, all their teeth.

Partial Dentures may be an option for those that still have some stable teeth or have lost a limited number of teeth. Today there are a variety of materials for Partial Dentures including:

• Metal framework Partials
• Acrylic base Partials
• Flexible acrylic base Partials
• Snap-On-Smile

Extractions

Unfortunately, sometimes we must remove a person’s tooth due to spacing issues, caries, or periodontal or other disease. When done gently, as at the Morrison Dental Group, the surrounding bone and tissue is preserved to allow prompt, comfortable healing and future restoration of the jaw.

Postoperative  Instructions

• Keep your mouth closed firmly on gauze for 5-10 minutes.
• Do not change gauze unless instructed by the Dentist.
• Do not spit, rinse, or smoke for 24 hours.
• Do not drink through a straw for 24 hours.
• When you brush and floss the area be gentle!
• For 25 hours try to chew food away from the extraction site.
• Slight swelling may occur in the area, especially if it was a difficult extraction.
• If sutures (stitches) are placed, return in one week to have them removed.
• Take all prescribed medications as directed.
• If prescription medication has NOT been given, take your usual over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever as directed on the label.
• Return in 1-2 weeks for evaluation of the extraction site if directed to do so.
• Notify the office if there is extended bleeding from the extraction site, anything other than slight swelling, or discomfort continues for more than 24 hours that is not relieved by OTC pain relievers.

Occlusal or TMJ Splints

Occlusal orthotic appliances are used to treat the symptoms of Tempero-Mandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction. This is characterized by pain in the TMJ area with or without noise and/or locking of the joint. A typical appliance would provide a buffer between the upper and lower jaws to limit the force of the bite, especially during sleep.