General Dentistry

We all know that good oral hygiene keeps your teeth looking clean and shiny, but did you know that it's also essential to your overall health? It's true, poor oral hygiene can lead to a variety of dental and medical problems such as gum disease, infection, heart disease, stroke, and even diabetes.

That's why dentists recommend that teeth be cleaned professionally twice a year. Teeth cleaning is the removal of dental plaque and tartar in order to prevent cavities, gingivitis, and gum disease. The average dental cleaning is a routine procedure that is rarely painful and takes 30 to 45 minutes.

At Shoop Family Dentistry, we specialize in and frequently perform a variety of dental cleaning procedures, from scaling to whitening, so you can rest assured that yours will be performed by a skilled and experienced medical professional.

For over 150 years, cavities were filled with a mixture of metals, including silver and mercury. It was perfectly normal to see dark grey areas in someone's mouth when they laughed.

But today, you can get your cavities, as well as any other smaller hollow areas in your teeth, filled with composite fillings. Composite fillings are made from resins that are matched to your tooth's color - so they become invisible when applied.

Composite fillings also provide an excellent seal on the affected area, so that tooth decay can be prevented. The factors that go into our decision to use composite fillings include:

• The size of the area that needs to be filled
• The location of the affected area in the mouth (i.e., a tooth that is heavily relied on for chewing)
• Allergies the patient might have
• The preference of the patient regarding the use of metals in the mouth
• Whether it is necessary cosmetically to have a tooth-colored filling

At Shoop Family Dentistry, we always make every attempt to treat your teeth and remedy any dental malady. Unfortunately, in some cases, damage to teeth is so advanced that it may be necessary to extract a tooth in order to maintain dental health.

If a tooth is broken, cracked or extensively decayed it may be necessary to remove it. Likewise, a tooth that is associated with advanced stages of periodontal disease should be removed, as well as teeth that are poorly positioned or non-functional.

Our commitment is to providing the highest quality of dental care for our patients, and we want to do the same for you. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please contact us today.