At Song Family Dental, we remain committed to providing every patient with the quality dental care they need to enjoy a healthy and attractive smile for a lifetime. As an experienced family dentist in Hillsboro, Dr. Song offers a comprehensive range of advanced dental care services designed to meet the needs of the entire family. Our list of services include:
Preventative Dental Care
The health of your smile matters more than just to your teeth and gums. In recent years, a growing amount of research has found compelling links between our oral and overall health. Studies have found that individuals who suffer from dental decay and disease have a significantly higher risk of developing a range of chronic illnesses that include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and cancer. While researchers continue to search for what creates this mouth/body connection, one thing has become perfectly clear -Protecting the health of our teeth and gums can have a significant impact on not only our smiles but on our overall health as well.
Fortunately, you can significantly lower your risk of tooth decay and gum disease by following these three simple steps:
- Brush twice a day. Brushing helps to remove harmful substances from the surface of our teeth and along the gum line. Plaque - a harmful oral bacteria - sticks to the surface of our teeth and uses the sugars we consume to produce acids that slowly causes enamel erosion, leading to the development of cavities and gum disease. To lower your risk of tooth decay, the American Dental Association recommends brushing for at least two minutes, twice a day. Brushing offers the most successful strategy for protecting your long-term oral health.
- Floss daily. Flossing works to remove food particles that linger in the mouth after eating and plaque from areas of our mouth a toothbrush cannot reach - in-between our teeth and below the gum line. While much has been made in recent years about the effectiveness of flossing, the ADA and Dr. Song still recommend that patients floss at least once a day. If you're still unconvinced about the valuable role flossing can play in protecting your oral health, consider this - The most common place for cavities to develop is actually between our teeth.
- Schedule regular cleanings and exams. Regular exams provide Dr. Song with the opportunity to spot the signs of dental decay and disease early on when still easily treatable. Frequent cleanings allow our team of gentle dental hygienists to remove plaque deposits from the surface of your teeth and along the gum line. Dr. Song recommends that most patients schedule at least one exam and cleaning every six months. However, depending on the current state of your oral health, more frequent visits may be required.
That's it! By following these three steps, you can help to significantly lower your risk for disease while improving the long-term health of your teeth and gums. Now that's something to smile about!
Dental Sealants
Our teeth feature a number of crevices and grooves that can be hard to clean, especially for younger patients who don't yet possess the attention to detail or skill needed to properly brush. When plaque is allowed to accumulate as the result of poor brushing, cavities can begin to impact the health of vulnerable teeth like the back molars. To help protect a child's long-term oral health, Dr. Song offers dental sealants.
Sealants effectively "seal" way these hard to reach areas of the mouth by applying an incredibly thin, but durable, resin directly to the surface of a patient's teeth. Once applied and hardened, dental sealants protect teeth from cavities by preventing harmful oral bacteria from touching the tooth enamel that lies beneath. Dental sealants are safe, effective, and can be applied during just one 10-minute session. To see if dental sealants are right for your child, contact our office today to schedule a consultation.
Custom-Made Mouth Guards
Whether a teen that participants in youth sports or an adult who plays pickup games at the local park, it's vital you protect your oral health by wearing a mouth guard during any sporting event. Accidental oral trauma can cause lasting damage to the long-term health of a smile should a tooth become chipped, cracked, broken, or dislodged. With a custom-made mouth guard from Dr. Song, you can feel confident that your smile will stay looking its best.
Unlike over-the-counter mouth guards you can buy at most sporting goods stores, custom-made mouth guards offer improved stability, comfort, and protection. Additionally, studies have shown that the improved stability offered by wearing a mouth guard helps to protect the lower jaw and base of the skull from impact, thereby lowering the risk for concussions. Contact our office today to get fitted for your own custom mouth guard so you can stay at the top of your game.
Cosmetic Dental Care
Teeth Whitening
Teeth whitening offers a safe and affordable option for patients looking to restore some of the luster their smiles may have lost from years of eating and drinking enamel stains items like red wine, tea, coffee, tomatoes, and berries. Just one look at the remarkable difference whitening treatments can make to the color and complexion of your smile and it's easy to see why teeth whitening has quickly become the most popular cosmetic dental procedure performed in the U.S.
At Song Family Dental, we provide our patients with an easy to use take-home whitening kit. Each kit will include trays that fit over the surface of your teeth, and a prescription strength whitening agent. From the comfort of your home and on your own schedule, you can decide to whiten either the top, bottom, or both rows of teeth. Once your teeth reach the desired color, simply discontinue treatments until a touch up is needed.
Why wait any longer to get the brighter, healthier looking smile you've been wanting? Contact our office today to schedule your teeth whitening appointment and start smiling with confidence.
Composite Fillings
While our teeth rank as some of the strongest and most resilient parts of the body, years of stress and strain can cause even the healthiest of smile to wear down. If you need a filling to repair the damage caused by tooth decay, Dr. Song is here to help repair your smile with the use of composite dental fillings.
Unlike traditional amalgam, or metal, fillings that stand out against the natural complexion of your smile, composite fillings are made from a tooth-colored polymer that blends seamlessly into the surrounding tooth enamel. Even better, composite fillings contain no trace metals, so your smile stays natural and healthy for years to come.
Dental Bonding
Dental bonding offers a great treatment option for patients looking to repair decayed, chipped, fractured, discolored, or uneven teeth. Bonding ranks as one of the easiest and most affordable cosmetic dental procedures designed to restore the confidence to your smile. The highly durable composite resin used by Dr. Song during bonding treatments can be easily shaped, molded, and polished to match the surrounding teeth, providing a seamless improve to the state of your smile. Dental bonding can also be used to close the gaps between teeth, make teeth appear longer, and to change the shape or color of a patient's teeth.
Bonding is a quick procedure that can be completed during just one 30-minute session at our Hillsboro family dental office. After preparing the tooth, Dr. Song will apply the tooth-colored resin to the surface of your teeth. Dr. Song with then shape and mold the resin until the desired form has been reached. The resin is then cured into place using an ultraviolet light. Finally, Dr. Song will polish the resin until match the color of the surrounding tooth enamel. Enjoy your new, healthier looking smile!
Restorative Dental Care
Dental Crowns
Dental crowns are fixed restorations Dr. Song can place onto existing teeth or to cover an implant. In most cases, Dr. Song will recommend a crown to cover a damaged tooth or to cap a dental implant. Dr. Song may also recommend the use of a dental crown for patients who:
- Need to replace a dental filling when not enough natural tooth structure remains to anchor a filling
- Protect a tooth weakened by decay from breaking
- Repair a fractured tooth
- Attach a dental bridge
- Cover a dental implant
- Cover a tooth that has undergone root canal therapy
Gaps left in a smile by missing teeth can cause long-term problems if not properly treated. Teeth can begin to shift into the hole left by a missing tooth, and jaw and TMJ problems can develop as patients alter their bite to accommodate a missing tooth. With dental crowns, Dr. Song can restore the form and function back to your smile.
Dental Bridge
A dental bridge, also commonly referred to as fixed removable dentures, is a type of restoration Dr. Song can use to replace one or more missing teeth. Dental bridges can be supported using either:
- An implant
- A patients remaining natural teeth
- A combination of an implant and remaining natural teeth
Having a bridge placed will generally require at least two visits to our Hillsboro family dental office. However, if your smile is suffering due to one or more missing teeth, you can't afford to simply ignore the problem. If you need to restore your smile back to health, contact our office today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Song.