Patient Services

Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry

Our cosmetic dental services can dramatically and safely change the way the world looks at you. Our staff is available to provide and discuss any information concerning cosmetic dentistry and what we can do for you. Our cosmetic dental services include:

Tooth-Colored Fillings - Tooth-colored fillings can preserve the natural look of your smile. They match the tooth perfectly, and are minimally invasive; meaning less tooth structure is removed.
Porcelain Veneers- For crooked, discolored, or unevenly worn teeth, the addition of porcelain veneers may be sufficient to give your teeth a bright, uniform look in just a couple of weeks without going through orthodontic treatment.
Porcelain Inlays and Onlays - A Porcelain inlay or onlay is a custom-made piece of porcelain that fits in (inlay) or fits on (onlay) your tooth. Inlays and Onlays replace missing tooth structure when a tooth will not hold a filling and a crown is not necessary.
Porcelain Crowns - A crown is a covering to replace the top part of your tooth above the gum line. Crowns are necessary most times when teeth have had root canal therapy. Crowns are also needed when teeth are broken down due to decay, fracture or they just need to look better.
Tooth Whitening - We offer the most advanced technology available called Zoom! The process takes about an hour and the results are dramatic--up to eight shades whiter. If you’re looking for immediate results then Zoom! is perfect. You can go on with your day right away with a whiter, brighter smile! We also offer bleaching trays allowing you to whiten or maintain your smile at home.

Implant Dentistry

An Implant is a titanium screw placed in the jaw. Few advances in Dentistry have been as great as Dental Implants. Briefly stated, Dental Implants replace single missing teeth or anchor multiple teeth together like a bridge or a denture. Dentures are necessary whenever all the teeth are missing in either upper or lower jaw. Dental implants are the next best alternative to your natural teeth. Dental implants are permanent, strong, natural feeling and are beautiful. Patients with dental implants are able to eat, smile and laugh without the embarrassment their dentures might slip or click. Whether you are a candidate for implants is evaluated on an individual basis. If you are missing teeth, we can explain all tooth replacement options with you.

Preventive Care

At the office of Dr. Jon Gotterer, our dental hygienists are qualified, experienced professionals who will take their time listening to your concerns as well as educating you on the importance of preventive care. Prevention begins with the control of plaque and calculus (mineralized plaque), which are the main causes of tooth decay and periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is known as the silent killer of teeth, because most patients feel no symptoms until it's too late. As part of our thorough dental examination we first review your medical history and review any conditions that may affect your oral health. We perform a soft tissue and oral cancer exam, perform a periodontal screening to detect periodontal disease, and examine the teeth for decay. We also take any necessary x-rays. For children’s preventive care we may recommend fluoride to help make the teeth more resistant to decay. We also use dental sealants, which act as a barrier, protecting the teeth against decay-causing bacteria. Dr. Gotterer uses the following tools to help perform your examination:

DIAGNOdent Laser - Our office employs the DIAGNOdent Laser to help detect cavities at the earliest stage. The sooner Dr. Gotterer detects a cavity, the faster he can treat it before it destroys more of your tooth structure. Through his expertise, Dr. Gotterer strives to provide minimally invasive dentistry, and the DIAGNOdent laser aids him with preventive cavity care.
Intra-Oral Photography - Education is one of the most effective tools we have against tooth decay. At our dental practice, Dr. Gotterer often uses the intra-oral camera to help educate patients. The camera takes a digital picture of your mouth, and then transmits the images to a TV monitor. You will be amazed to see your mouth magnified up to 25-times on a television screen. The intra-oral camera will help you understand what a tiny crack or cavity in a tooth can look like and how Dr. Gotterer can restore it.

Periodontal Treatment

Your gums are the foundation of your teeth, so it’s important you spend ample time brushing after every meal, along with flossing. No matter what dental services you receive, it will mean little if you neglect your periodontal health.

Our office offers several periodontal therapy services so you can keep your gums healthy. These services include:

Charting and Diagnosis
Scaling & Root Planing - a common procedure used to treat periodontal disease. This procedure is also know as a “deep cleaning” This is a conservative treatment.
Non-surgical therapy - Arestin is an antibiotic administered locally, directly into the infected pockets between your teeth. Dr. Gotterer may apply Arestin after scaling and root planing.
Periodontal surgery - If the pockets do not heal after scaling and root planing, periodontal surgery may be needed to reduce the pocket depth and make teeth easier to keep clean.

Oral Surgery

In order to remove badly damaged teeth, extractions are sometimes necessary and we can accomplish some of them in our office. However, if the situation is more complex, we can provide you with a referral to an oral surgeon for that part of your treatment. Surgically placed in our office, missing teeth can often be replaced with dental implants. As with extractions, more complicated implant placements are best handled by one of the excellent specialists we work with.

Extraction of Teeth
Implant Placement
Referral to an Oral Surgeon

Sterilization

Our Sterilization Center and state-of-the-art procedures meet the Center for Disease Control guidelines.

We heat and sterilize all hand pieces and instruments.
We use gloves, masks, gowns, eye protection and barrier covers.
We use only ADA-approved disinfectants.
We use only distilled water during treatment.

Patient Comfort & Technology

When you become a patient at the Center for Preventive and Cosmetic Dentistry, you’re sure to learn all about the latest technology ‘tools’ we’re using to make our work more efficient and effective… and to make you more comfortable as well. You are sure to have a relaxing visit as we carefully put to work our non-invasive tools of today.

Currently, our technological investments include:

Air Abrasion: drill-free dentistry
Intra-Oral Camera: so you can see what we see
Magnification Loops: what we see is what we treat
Patient Comfort Measures: DVD players/headphones, blankets
State-of-the-Art Sterilization Center
All of our lab work is done under microscopes to insure excellent attention to detail
Digital X-Rays: 50-90% less radiation than old-fashioned x-rays