Why Visit an Alexandria Family Dentist

As a local Alexandria dentist, we treat patients of all ages, and our goal is to help our patients maintain healthy teeth for a lifetime. When you visit our family dentist office, we will discuss your health history, what you do and do not like about your smile, conduct a physical examination, and take x-rays. All this helps us to get to know you so we can create a customized treatment plan for your dental care.

Benefits to Visiting a Local Dentist

In our family dentist office, we build relationships. We do not treat patients like a number in a long line of appointments. Instead, we value the relationships we build with our patients and believe these relationships allow us to identify potential health problems before they arise, leading to fast treatment times and successful preventative care. These benefits are also clear:

Continuity of care. When you bring the entire family to our dentist office, we can provide a continuity of care you would not receive by visiting multiple practices. Continuity is essential when it comes to properly diagnosing conditions and preventing new ones from developing. We do not need to ask for records because we already have them. We do not need to ask what happened to your tooth three years ago because we would have been the one who fixed it. When you expand this throughout the entire family, the level of care you receive will go up significantly, as will the convenience.

Easy appointments. As a family dentist, we understand how busy our patients are. Parents running from work to soccer practice and driving kids to SAT prep may find that there is very little time left over for taking care of things like dental care. This is why we make it a priority to make dental appointments fast and easy. In our dentist office, we can set an appointment for all of your children, or just you, around the same time. This way, you only need to make one trip to our office and receiving dental care will become significantly more convenient.

Preventative care saves time. When you visit our dentist office for preventative care, you are saving yourself time and a headache in the future. By cleaning your and your children's teeth twice a year, we can prevent many of the common oral health problems from ever developing. Cavities and gum disease, for example, will be less likely to occur. As a result, you will not need to worry about receiving intensive treatments in the future. This is beneficial because these routine visits take less time to complete, are more affordable, and more comfortable than it would be to remove an infection or complete a restoration. We can provide you with all these services in our family dentist office, but our goal is to keep you healthy so you do not need them.

Call us to schedule an appointment with our dentist office so you can learn how important preventative care can be.

Dentist  >  Old Town dentist

Does Invisalign® Work? Answers From a Cosmetic Dentist

As a cosmetic dentist, we want to help answer a few questions about Invisalign®. The most important thing any patient wants to know before they get involved with any treatment is the effectiveness of the treatment. In other words, does Invisalign® actually work? With so much hype and advertising, it is often easy to lose focus, but the real point of any treatment is to achieve the desired results. In the case of visiting a cosmetic dentist for an Invisalign® treatment, the point is to get straighter teeth. So let's look at whether or not Invisalign® actually works, why or why not, and what can affect the reliability of a treatment like this.

When a cosmetic dentist uses Invisalign®, does it actually work?

The simple answer to this question is yes. Invisalign® is a revolutionary new product designed with the sole purpose of moving your teeth out of their misaligned position and into one far more attractive and functional. While there are additional benefits with Invisalign®, like being able to remove them for oral hygiene and not having to see the orthodontist every four weeks like you would need to do with braces, Invisalign® has never forgotten its key purpose of straightening teeth.

How does Invisalign® work?

Invisalign® is actually designed to do very much the same kind of work braces do. It is an age-old and proven way of straightening teeth; the only difference is the method. With braces, you will have wires and metal brackets attached to your teeth. Every four weeks, your orthodontist will need to adjust your braces, tightening them to gradually move the teeth. With Invisalign®, your cosmetic dentist works out an entire plan with you. Every two weeks, the laboratory sends you a custom set of clear aligners that fit over your teeth. The aligners are .25mm (up to .35mm) misaligned from the current position of your teeth. As you wear the aligners for 22 hours per day, they force the teeth to move, eventually making it so your teeth are in perfect alignment with the aligners. At that point, a new set arrives.

Is there anything that would prevent Invisalign® from working?

Like with any product or treatment, it is important to note that failure is a potential if you do certain things. First and foremost, it is critical that you wear the aligners for 22 hours a day or more. This allows the aligners to work on your teeth the entire time. Taking off the aligners constantly or leaving them off could result in the teeth not moving the correct amount, which will offset the entire treatment. Before you ever get to the aligners, however, there is an important need to have a realistic expectation of time. With your cosmetic dentist, you will draw out an exact timeline for treatment and need to be patient. Straightening teeth, even with the most revolutionary product, takes time, but is worth every second.

Invisalign Dentist  >  Best Dentist

We Are the Best Dentist for Keeping Your Family in Lifelong Oral Health

As the best dentist in town for treating families, we are focused on keeping our patients in excellent oral health regardless of how old they are.  It is essential that you and your children have your teeth cleaned once or twice a year so that we can remove plaque and bacteria that can lead to cavities and gum disease.  Regardless of how old you are, this step is consistent and important. However, we know that the stage of life you are in does influence the oral health risks that you have and some of the conditions that you are susceptible to.

For example –

Adults are more prone to enamel erosion.  There is a limited amount of enamel on your teeth and age, eating foods that are highly acidic, a lack of oral health care and brushing too aggressively, can increase the risk of erosion.  As enamel wears away, the dentin is exposed, and teeth become sensitive.  In order to protect the teeth, we can perform a bonding procedure or place dental crowns around them. This addresses the sensitivity problem and makes it possible to eat without feeling discomfort.

As people age, they also are more likely to suffer from gum disease.  As plaque builds up underneath the gum tissue, the gums can become irritated, start to swell, bleed, and eventually recede.  The pockets created by the receding gum tissue can pose a risk since bacteria can gather here and begin to attack the exposed tooth structure and roots.  This is what often leads to loose teeth and eventual tooth loss.  As the best dentist in town, we can watch for signs of gum disease and treat it before it reaches this point.

While children are not at as high of a risk for gum disease, they can suffer from it.  Typically, however, children are more likely to suffer from cavities.  They are so prevalent in children that cavities are the number one infectious disease in children, according to the CDC.  This is perhaps due to a diet that tends to be high in sugar and starch in combination with the fact that most children do not enjoy brushing or flossing their teeth.  We recommend that you bring your child to our dental office twice a year for a thorough teeth cleaning so that we can remove plaque and prevent cavities.  During this appointment, we can also give them a fluoride treatment and use sealant if necessary for preventing food particles and plaque from becoming stuck on the chewing surfaces of their teeth.  Understanding the risks that come with childhood allows us to help your child to remain in excellent oral health now and as they age.

As the best dentist in town, we also understand that tooth loss is something that can impact our patients, regardless of how old they are.  While young, teeth are typically lost due to an accident.  As you age, this is often due to gum disease.  Understanding the differences between the health struggles that various age groups face, allows us to make treatment recommendations that can prevent issues from arising. For more information, call and schedule an appointment with our caring family dentist office.

We Are Here if You Need an Emergency Dentist This Summer

An emergency dentist and the summer - what could those two things possibly have in common? Much more than you might think. Summer is a time of fun, family, and frolicking in the great weather. All over the country people are planning their vacations, packing, and finding their way to their favorite holiday spots. 88% of the country will go on vacation this summer. For those that are still home, there is a ton of activities happening that do not happen during the other seasons. Pool parties, barbecues, and outdoor sporting activities for the whole family.

Why would anyone need an emergency dentist in this scenario? Accidents mostly.  Summer is a time when we see a large uptick in the number of people who come in to see us. In fact, 1 in every 6 people enjoying the perfect vacation weather will have an accident that requires them to see an emergency dentist.

If you think about all of the potentials for damaging your teeth that are exacerbated during summer, it makes sense. Pools have slippery edges that people walk around on while tracking water to other locations. This increases the risk for slip and fall accidents. All the barbecuing can lead to biting down on a bone too hard, or even misadventures with a volleyball can lead you to an emergency dentist visit. The good news is that we are here, and your accident does not have to spell the end of a good season.

For us, as an emergency dentist, the first rule, and pretty much the only rule we have for you is to be able to contact us immediately in the event of an emergency. If you do not know who your emergency dentist is you will spend precious minutes looking for a solution. Even if you have a dentist, and this provider does not work nights and weekends, you will need a different doctor. When dealing with a dental emergency, the key word is 'emergency'. If you knock out a tooth, for example, you have a limited time in which to bring the tooth into our office so that we can reattach it. To help keep the tooth alive you can do one of two things. First, you can place the tooth back in the socket and hold it there with some pressure. This is the best option, and if you can do this within the first 5 minutes of the tooth coming out, you have a good chances of saving the tooth. If you are too uncomfortable to replace the tooth in the socket, you can place it into a container with cold milk. Since milk has the same osmotic pressure as what the tooth is used to, it helps to preserve the tooth for longer.

Ultimately you need to remember that immediate medical attention is the best way to save your tooth. In many cases, we can reattach the tooth, make sure that you do not get an infection and give you the proper care you need so that you can go back to your summer fun.

Straighten Your Teeth with a Visit to our Invisalign® Dentist Office

Visiting our Invisalign® dentist office will help to answer the questions you have about this state of the art treatment. If you are considering Invisalign®, you may have several questions about the product and what it can do for you. Our frequently asked questions and answers will help you determine if Invisalign® is the best treatment for you. As an Invisalign® dentist, we can walk you through the treatment steps and everything else you need to know about Invisalign®.
Who is the best candidate for Invisalign®?

If you are an adult seeking a more attractive and convenient way to treat your dental flaws without the discomfort and aesthetic distraction of braces, Invisalign® may be right for you. A disciplined adult is the best candidate for Invisalign® because you must be diligent to wear your aligners. As an Invisalign® dentist, we will take a mold of your teeth and build an alignment plan for you to follow. Every two weeks you will switch your aligners out to keep the process going. Aligners are conveniently removable for special occasions, meals, and brushing your teeth, but you should try to wear them for at least 20-22 hours a day. Adults tend to be more responsible with the discipline of keeping their aligner in for the allotted time. For older teens looking for a better alternative to braces, we can also offer Invisalign®Teen.
Will Invisalign® affect my speech?
When you put in your first aligner, you may notice a small lisp. As your mouth grows accustomed to your aligner, the lisp will dissipate. It normally won't take more than a day or two and as an Invisalign® dentist, we find that most of our patients don't have any issues.

What does aligner care involve?
In order to keep your aligner clear and invisible, you should clean it daily. Use a toothbrush and warm water to rinse out the aligner and gently scrub the food particles out. Never use an abrasive substance or toothpaste to clean your aligner— this could cause scratches or pits that could harbor bacteria.
Do I leave my aligner in while I eat?
As an Invisalign® dentist, we encourage you to remove your aligner for every meal and snack. Removing your aligner will prevent bacteria from getting wedged in your aligner and promoting tooth decay. It will also keep your aligner from getting warped or broken.
Is Invisalign® really invisible?
Invisalign® is virtually invisible. As an Invisalign® dentist, we will provide you with a clear, smooth plastic aligner that will barely be visible when placed over your teeth. Most people will never notice you are going through the treatment.
How long does the treatment last?
Treatment times vary depending on the person. Most commonly, as an adult, your treatment won't last more than 12 months. Of course, this treatment length does depend heavily on how misaligned your teeth were to begin with.
Will I need to wear a retainer when I'm done?
Whether or not you will need a retainer will depend on how out of line your teeth were originally. As an Invisalign® dentist, we encourage you to wear a retainer following your treatment just to help preserve the longevity of your results.

Cosmetic Dentist  >  Teeth Whitening

Why You Should Visit Our Family Dentist Office

As a local family dentist, we are committed to the overall health and wellbeing of our patients. To us, keeping teeth healthy is incredibly important, and our reward is seeing our patients with a healthy smile that they love.  As a dentist, we naturally understand how important teeth are to the enjoyment of life.  You use your teeth all throughout the day.  They are an important aspect of your glowing smile, they are the tool that allows you to speak clearly and greet your friends or neighbors, they give you the ability to taste the delicious new entrée at your favorite restaurant.  Your teeth are critical to your enjoyment of life and as long as they are healthy, they function seamlessly and without the need for you to give them much thought.
If they suddenly become infected or damaged, your teeth will stop functioning as they should and be prompt in their demand for attention.  This is why preventative dental care is so important.  We make it possible for you to live life without dental emergencies by cleaning your teeth on a regular basis and treating any signs of infection or decay when they first develop.  This way you can focus on enjoying life and all that it has to offer without a toothache.
What to Expect From Our Family Dentist Office
When you visit our family dentist office, you can expect to receive the highest level of patient care.  Our goal is to keep your teeth healthy and intact.  We do this by cleaning them and treating health issues immediately.  Simultaneously, we are also focused on the overall appearance of your smile.  We know that a gorgeous smile is a confidence booster that can influence how people perceive you.  As a skilled cosmetic dentist, we offer various solutions that can be used to keep your teeth healthy while also transforming their appearance so that you can love your smile again.
A perfect example of this is a dental crown.  The crown has developed a reputation for saving teeth that have become infected.  Most people associate a crown with the silver amalgam that has been popular for decades.  Now, however, we can place crowns that blend in with the surrounding teeth because they are made of a tooth-colored material.  This enables crowns to accomplish far more than they used to.  For example, it can be placed around a tooth that is suffering from sensitivity and at the same time, it can cover dark stains or change the overall shape and size of the tooth.  There are multiple ways that we can use solutions like this to correct anything you dislike about the way that your teeth appear.
Selecting a New Family Dentist
If you do not currently have a family dentist, we welcome you to call our office and schedule a consultation and examination.  We are conveniently located, and our patients are delighted with the care that they receive.  Give us a call, read our patient reviews, and come in for a healthy and beautiful smile.

Implant Dentist  >  Teeth Whitening

Why You Should Call an Emergency Dentist Instead of Visiting the ER

If an emergency dentist is not one of the first people on your contact sheet, you are not alone. Simultaneously if you have had a toothache that will not go away and have had to rush in and see a dentist, either for you or for a loved one, you know that some of the worst pain a person can experience can stem from the teeth. We know, that as an emergency dentist, we know that it is a good idea for you to add our phone number to your contact list so that if an emergency situation happens, you have someone that you can call. The sad fact is that many people do not plan for emergency situations, even less so when it comes to teeth. Since teeth are so good at performing their work, without causing major angst, people tend to ignore them. Over 40% of American’s will not even visit the dentist regularly to keep their teeth in good health. What this does is it leaves you in a spot where you may not know where to turn if you do find yourself in incredible tooth pain. Taking the precaution of having the contact number for our office is a small but important step in reducing your potential for discomfort.

Skip the ER -

You won’t find an emergency dentist in the emergency room of your local hospital. Emergency dentists are trained as dentist, and we have simply decided that the needs of our patients extend beyond regular business hours. Unfortunately, there are a growing number of people who do not have an emergency dentist, since their regular dentist does not provide these services, are finding their way to the emergency room to get treatment for their oral and dental issues. A recent study of the data from 24 states, and encompassing 3 years, found that there has been a steady increase in the number of people visiting the emergency room for dental needs. The total increase over these three years was found to be 16%. There is nothing wrong with seeking aid from an emergency room physician if you are in dire condition and have no other options. However, we are trained and equipped to deal with dental issues, whereas the skilled physicians at the emergency room are not. As such, the physicians in the emergency room can treat the symptoms you are experiencing but cannot address the root cause, which means that you will need to see a dentist after your ER visit anyway.

The most common, and often the most complex, reasons why people seek out the care of an emergency dentist is a toothache. Among the most debilitating of pains, a toothache is one of the fastest reasons to send you scurrying off for medical attention. It can also be a symptom of a much larger and deeper problem. Toothaches can occur because of infections, gum diseases, or damage to the teeth.  As an emergency dentist, we can treat you immediately and ensure that you do not continue to experience discomfort.  With that in mind, you should visit us immediately instead of heading to the ER.