Our Services

Cerec technology is a computer aided design(CAD) technology that allows patients to have their crown or caps shaped and fabricated within the same 90 minute visit. No more waiting weeks for lab work. No more second appointments and additional shots!. Easy on your schedule and incredibly convenient and fast!

Cerec restorations are natural looking, because they are made of tooth-colored ceramic material. The ceramic material is compatible with tissue in your mouth and is anti-abrasive and plaque-resistant. It allows us to be extremely precise and save more of the healthy part of your tooth.

Sure, there are other options out there for straightening your teeth, but none offers the level of comfort, convenience and confidence that you'll find with Invisalign®. And no matter what stage you're at in life, you'll appreciate how our cutting-edge approach to treatment has minimal interference in how you live, but has a significant positive impact on how you look and feel about yourself.

Our comprehensive examinations are performed by the dental hygienist and the doctor. We will initially take a full series of digital x-rays for consultation throughout the exam. Our hygienist will complete a thorough periodontal examination to evaluate the health of the gums and other soft tissues of the mouth. Following this, the patient will have an oral cancer screening using our state-of-the-art Velscope Tissue Illuminating system. The hygienist will then gently clean and polish each individual tooth. Finally, the doctor will perform an examination and detail any further necessary treatment.

Periodontal disease is a very serious and progressive condition that can deteriorate the bone around the teeth. Each new patient is screened for the presence of periodontal disease by our dental hygienist. Upon the diagnosis of periodontal disease, the patient will undergo scaling and root planning. This procedure removes the harmful tartar deposits beneath the gum tissue and helps restore the healthy attachments between the gums and teeth.

Composite is a tooth-colored material composed of glass particulates suspended in a resin matrix. They have been used in dentistry for decades. They are constantly improved and enhanced and are used widely in the restoration of teeth. The single great advantage of composites is that they are placed and hardened in the dental chair. Their use includes the restoration of dental cavities, the replacement of dental amalgam (metal alloys), and the restoration of teeth when they have been worn or chipped away. In addition, composites often are used for aesthetic reasons to enhance the contour, shape, coloring or relative position of the front teeth.

Crowns or “caps” are full restorations designed to fit over the existing tooth. Crowns can be made of metal, ceramic or a combination of both. The relative position of the crown and the aesthetic desire of the patient determines the type of material used. We often use full ceramic crowns or crowns with a metal base, fused to an outer layer of porcelain, giving the crown superior strength while looking like a natural tooth. The process of making a crown involves reducing the tooth structure to a desired shape. We then take an impression of this tooth for fabrication of the crown in a professional laboratory. Each patient will receive a temporary crown while their permanent restoration is being made. Crowns are diagnosed and treatment planned for many reasons, including:

• Restoration of broken teeth
• Restoration of heavily filled teeth
• Restoration of discolored teeth
• Protection of teeth that have had root canals
• Closure of excessive spaces between teeth

Bridges are full-tooth restorations designed to replace missing teeth. The process of making a bridge is identical to that of a single-tooth crown. A bridge is indicated when a patient presents with a missing tooth and there are two restorable teeth adjacent to this site.

Commonly referred to as “root canals”, endodontic therapy is indicated when teeth are abscessed, badly decayed or non-vital. This procedure involves accessing the middle “pulp chamber” of the tooth and sequentially shaping, sterilizing and sealing the canals. With the introduction of new anesthetics and pain-free techniques, we can routinely perform root canals with no discomfort to the patient.

Removable Prosthetics includes full and partial dentures. These are indicated in patients who are missing some or all of their teeth. The purpose of dentures and partials is to offer aesthetics and to replace some chewing function. The fabrication process requires several steps involving impressions, bite records, preliminary try-ins and final adjustments. With new implant systems, some dentures can be retained and stabilized.

Implants are threaded, root-formed devices surgically placed in the alveolar crest of the jaws. To date, implants are the best method of restoring teeth. They can be indicated where a tooth is missing or where a natural tooth is non-restorable and must be removed. Implants also are used to retain and stabilize new or pre-existing dentures.

The surgical placement of implants is a relatively simple procedure. The surgical site is numbed and then a small surgical hole in the bone is created where an implant will be placed. The implant is carefully threaded into the bone, where it will be left to heal for an appropriate length of time. Once the implant has healed, a porcelain crown will be permanently cemented onto a component that sits above the gum tissue. Patients experience very little to no discomfort following the placement of implants.

Lumineers are a specialized type of veneer. They are indicated in any case where optimum aesthetics are desired. Lumineers can be used for the closure of spaces between teeth, the straightening of a smile line, reconstruction of asymmetrical or malformed teeth and tooth whitening. Traditional veneers can be used for the same purposes but require significant removal of original tooth structure. Lumineer cases require little to no removal of sensitive tooth structure. These ultra-thin restorations are an easy way to give you the perfect smile.

Cosmetic dentistry is the focus on optimum aesthetics. It involves any procedure used to enhance the shade, form or symmetry of the teeth. Procedures used in cosmetics include fillings with tooth-colored composite material, Lumineers (veneers), porcelain crowns or bridges, tooth whitening and minor shape alterations.

At Hermann Family Dental, oral surgery procedures include minor soft tissue procedures, bone contouring, basic and surgical tooth extractions, and third-molar (wisdom teeth) removal.

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the point of articulation between the skull and the lower jaw (mandible). This joint plays a very important role in proper chewing function and speech. Often we see this joint become slightly displaced or inflamed due to parafunctional habits including clenching and grinding. These stresses on the joint can create immense discomfort and prohibit normal chewing and speech functions. Once properly diagnosed, these conditions can be treated with small therapeutic devices worn temporarily or while sleeping.

Tooth whitening can be achieved in the office or with a take-home kit. It involves the application of tooth bleach to the enamel. These materials work by direct contact over a certain period of time or by light activation. A free consultation will help determine which method is best for each patient.

Velscope is a state of the art system that aids in the early detection of oral cancer. This technology utilizes light activation to see tissues that exhibit abnormal growth patterns.