After a complete exam and treatment of urgent dental needs, cleanings at recommended intervals maintain your smile and a healthy mouth and help avoid future tooth problems. Dr Jones recommends cleanings and periodic exams twice each year under normal circumstances, with simple bite wing x-rays once a year.

Amalgam (silver- colored) fillings are sturdy, resilient and durable. Dentists have used amalgam fillings successfully for 150-odd years; despite continual research, no scientific evidence has ever shown that amalgam properly used for dental filling is harmful to your health. As a competent and conscientious dental practitioner, Dr Jones knows and informs patients that no dental treatment is entirely risk free. However, the risks of no treatment or of using untested or inappropriate materials are vastly greater.

Tooth-colored (composite) fillings are useful where appearance is a major factor; they can be color matched to existing tooth shade. Since the composite material bonds to the tooth, it can be used for minor cosmetic repairs. Composites may not be the best choice for some restorations since they don't stand up as well to heavy chewing forces.

Dental sealants are a thin, clear plastic coating bonded to the tooth chewing surfaces, then quickly cured. The sealant material fills small, difficult to clean nooks and crannies in the tooth enamel and helps prevent cavities in these sensitive areas. Sealants are recommended for children soon after permanent molars and premolars are in to help prevent decay during the cavity-prone years of ages 6 - 14. Sealants can also be beneficial in certain other circumstances.

In-office bleaching is done under careful supervision while you are in our office; it's the fastest way to get good results - a one hour appointment is often sufficient. Take home bleaching uses custom made trays to hold the bleaching gel closely around your teeth and help keep it off sensitive gum tissue. We'll send you home with instructions, your trays and a supply of bleaching gel to use daily at first. You'll also need to stop in weekly during the process for quick progress checks. An additional supply of gel can be purchased for touchups at appropriate intervals if necessary.

Bleaching or tooth whitening can be an effective way to improve your smile. The process uses chemical bleaching agents that should be professionally managed for best results and to avoid unintended consequences for your mouth.

Fillings, crowns, veneers or other dental restorations don't respond to bleaching the same way as natural teeth, so bleaching should be completed before major restorations (we match the shade to your teeth). Also, some tooth discoloration is internal and might not be changed by bleaching. Bleaching isn't permanent; the results may not last long when discoloration is caused by smoking, drinking coffee or tea, or poor dental hygiene.

Veneers are coverings placed on the outer surface of a healthy front tooth to create or restore an attractive look. Veneers can be used to improve the appearance of a single tooth or, in multiples, your entire smile.

Veneers are of two types: porcelain and composite. Porcelain veneers are thin, hard shells that fit over and are bonded to your teeth. They can cover misshapen teeth, unsightly gaps or deep discoloration. Porcelain is more resistant to staining than composite veneers but usually cannot be repaired; only replaced. Since they are made by a dental lab, porcelain veneers require two or more appointments to complete.

For composite veneers, Dr Jones carefully bonds color matched material to the tooth and cures it with a special light. She then sculpts and polishes the cured material so it appears to be a natural tooth. Since they require only a single office visit and no outside lab work, composite veneers are a smaller investment than porcelain. Composite material is not as stain or wear resistant as porcelain but more repairable, and can appear quite natural.

Little or no anesthesia may be needed for either process. Dr Jones may recommend a plastic dental nightguard to be worn while sleeping to help protect veneers from chipping and breaking. Just like natural teeth, over time, veneers can wear and need repair or replacement.

Crowns are tooth shaped "caps" that cover the entire tooth down to the gum line; a crown is cemented in place after the tooth is restored and shaped to make room for it. Crowns will cover and protect a cracked tooth, one that has fractured leaving little tooth left, a very large filling, or a tooth that has had root canal therapy. Crowns can restore a badly shaped tooth or serve as mounting points for bridges.

Crowns on highly visible teeth can be made of tooth colored porcelain or composite material, often with a metal reinforcing core. Gold is often the material of choice for molars that aren't readily visible; it's long wearing and tough, resisting heavy chewing pressure well.

Dental bridges literally "bridge" a gap created by one or more missing teeth. Bridges consist of a crowned healthy tooth on either side of the gap with one or more artificial teeth between, all connected together as a single unit. Dental bridges can also be implant supported or cantilevered from a single crown. Bridges are generally not removable.

Bridges restore your smile and ability to speak clearly and chew properly; they maintain the shape of your face and distribute chewing force correctly. Bridges also prevent the remaining teeth from drifting out of position.

Dr Jones performs routine root canal therapy in our office. Occasionally, if she determines it best, she refers to the two excellent endodontist in Missoula, specialists with advanced training, equipment and experience in root canals.

Root canal procedures have the undeserved reputation of being painful. With modern dental techniques, most people report that the procedure itself feels similar to having a filling placed.

Root canal therapy opens the root canal(s) inside an infected tooth via a small access hole in the thoroughly numbed tooth, cleans out the nerve and pulp tissue and replaces it with a semi flexible inert material. Medication or a reinforcing amalgam buildup may also be used. Finally, the opening is plugged with a filling.

Root canal therapy is usually the most economical option to save an infected tooth; extraction and fitting a fixed artificial tooth is more costly (see Implants, below). A back tooth gradually becomes weaker and more likely to fracture following a root canal, regardless of the amount of healthy tooth remaining. For this reason, Dr Jones recommends placing a crown on these teeth within a reasonable time afterward.

Dental implants can be thought of as replacement tooth roots - small titanium metal posts placed in the bone socket of a missing tooth. The bone heals and grows around the implanted post to anchor it securely. Implants are the closest thing currently available to "growing" new teeth.

Implants are used as bases for replacement teeth or bridges. Because the implant effectively becomes part of you, implants feel more natural than any other type or restoration. With good dental care and hygiene, implants can last a lifetime.

Dr Jones works closely with specialists who place the implants then, after healing, provides the restoration, seats and maintains it.

Our office provides, maintains and repairs full and partial dentures. We coordinate with oral surgeons on immediate dentures. We design and provide implant anchored dentures.

Dr Jones performs limited oral surgery, but usually refers patients to oral surgeons, providing pre surgery diagnoses and careful follow up.

To provide vital tooth protection while participating in sports, we make custom fitted mouthguards (in your favorite team color, no less!) Custom fitted mouthguards are available at our cost, which is often less than those purchased at sporting goods stores.

Dr Jones often recommends custom made bruxism appliances (nightguards), to be worn while sleeping. Nightguards help protect teeth from clenching and grinding damage and can alleviate tooth and jaw pain. For optimal results, we use nightguards fabricated in house or by a local dental lab; final fitting is done in our office.

Air abrasion uses a narrow, precise stream of fine abrasive to selectively clean or remove tooth material. Air abrasion eliminates the heat, vibration, and whine of a high-speed drill; air abrasion can often avoid a need for anesthetic (no needles!). Dr Jones may be able to prepare small cavities for filling using air abrasion. She will always recommend it where appropriate.

Assisted by an anesthesiologist, Dr Jones accepts patients who cannot or prefer not to receive dental treatment using only local anesthetics and nitrous oxide. She may be able to provide treatment in our office or, a hospital out-patient setting may be necessary.