Our Services

Bonding
We use tooth colored resin material to rebuild, or cover tooth defects. This can be either a necessary or an emergency procedure. Conditions that can be corrected by bonding include a chipped tooth, fixing an abfraction, or fixing an exposed root surface.

Bruxism Treatments
Bruxism (clenching or grinding your teeth) can cause many problems including headaches, migraines, worn teeth, and TMJ. We recommend the use of a night guard or NTI device to alleviate bruxing while sleeping.

CEREC
CEREC is an acronym for Chairside Economical Restoration of Esthetic Ceramics. Translated, it means that a dentist can economically restore damaged teeth in a single appointment using a high-quality ceramic material that matches the natural color of other teeth.

How does the instrument work?
CEREC uses CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) technology, incorporating a camera, computer and milling machine in one instrument. The dentist uses a special camera to take an accurate picture of the damaged tooth. This optical impression is transferred and displayed on a color computer screen, where the dentist uses CAD technology to design the restoration. Then CAM takes over and automatically creates the restoration while the patient waits. Finally, the dentist bonds the new restoration to the surface of the old tooth. The whole process takes about one hour.

What does this innovation mean for a patient?
A tooth-colored restoration means no more silver fillings discoloring smiles. The filling is natural-looking, compatible with tissue in the mouth, anti-abrasive and plaque-resistant. Dentists no longer need to create temporaries or take impressions and send them to a lab. Because of this, the traditional second visit has been eliminated. The CEREC has over a decade of clinical research and documentation to support the technology. The restorations have been proven precise, safe and effective.

How can I find out if this is an option for me?
Call our office today. We will be happy to answer your questions about this new technology.

Cosmetic Contouring
In order to fix a cosmetic defect, we sometimes reshape the tooth using a tooth colored resin material. Cosmetic contouring can be used to fix a diastema (a space between two teeth) or just to reshape your teeth to enhance your smile.

Cosmetic Fillings
We recommend using tooth colored resin materials to fill cavities. The doctor cleans the area in the tooth out removing all the decay so that the resin will last as long as possible. We also work with patients to replace old amalgam fillings to create a more natural looking smile.

Crowns, Bridges, and Implant Restorations
A crown is a type of dental restoration which completely encircles a tooth or dental implant and is typically bonded to the tooth using a dental cement. Bridges are natural-looking dental appliances that can replace a section of missing teeth.

Our office uses CEREC technology to offer you strong tooth colored crowns in a single visit. For bridges, our doctors work with lab technicians to create natural looking replacements for your missing teeth. For implant crowns, Dr. Jim and Dr. Bob work in conjunction with your oral surgeon and the lab technician to create a natural looking replacement tooth that will fit perfectly over your dental implant.

Dentures
Complete dentures replace all the teeth, while a partial denture fills in the spaces created by missing teeth and prevents other teeth from changing position.

At our office the denture process takes about one month and five appointments: the initial diagnosis is made; an impression and a wax bite are made to determine vertical dimensions and proper jaw position; a "try-in" is placed to assure proper color, shape and fit; and the patient's final denture is placed, following any minor adjustments.

For the first few weeks, a new denture may feel awkward or bulky. However, your mouth will eventually become accustomed to wearing it. Inserting and removing the denture will require some practice. Your denture should easily fit into place. Never force a partial denture into position by biting down. This could bend or break the clasps.

If you ever feel discomfort with your new denture, please contact our office as an adjustment may need to be made to ensure proper fit.

Diode Laser
We have a Piccaso Dental Laser in our office. We use it for periodontal and cosmetic procedures. Dr. Jim and our hygienists are certified to use our laser by the International Center for Laser Education.

Lumineers
Lumineers are veneers that are as thin as contact lenses. With Lumineers less of your natural tooth is removed so it is easily reversible and pain free compared to traditional veneers.

Invisalign
Invisalign is the invisible alternative to braces. Dr. Bob is a Premier Invisalign certified provider. If you are interested in finding out if you are a candidate for Invisalign, feel free to call our office to set up consultation with Dr. Bob. If you are interested in learning more about Invisalign please visit their webpage

Oral Sedation Dentistry
Dr. Jim provides oral sedation dentistry for those patients that have high anxiety or fear related to dental experiences. Not all patients can qualify for oral sedation dentistry, though. So an initial visit with Dr. Jim would be necessary. Dr. Jim and both of our assistants are certified through D.O.C.S. Education.

Scaling and Root Planing
When periodontitis (gum disease) gets to an advanced stage a normal prophylaxis is not enough to clean a patient's teeth. In this case more thorough periodontal therapy may be necessary. This therapy can include scaling and root planing. Our hygienists use an ultrasonic cleaning device and diode lasers to remove plaque and calcified bacterial deposits under the gum line. The goal of scaling and root planing is to restore and stabilize the teeth and gums and arrest the periodontal disease.

Sealants
Sealants are a great preventative measure used to protect your teeth before a cavity forms. Sealants are designed to prevent the intrusion of bacteria and other debris into the deep crevices on the top surface of teeth. We recommend sealants for young children, but adults with deep grooves and crevices and no decay are good candidates as well.

Simple Root Canal Therapy
When an infection in your tooth spreads to the root of the tooth you may experience pain and sensitivity. Once this happens the best treatment is to have root canal therapy to remove the infected tissue. Here at Stephens Dentistry we offer simple root canal therapy on teeth with just one root. For more complicated root canal therapy we refer our patients to an endodontist.

Simple Extractions
Our office will perform simple extractions when necessary. For more complicated extractions, including wisdom teeth extractions, we refer our patients to an oral surgeon.

Whitening
Our office offers two different kinds of whitening. We make custom trays to be used with Opalescence 15% Whitening Gel for at home whitening. We also use Opalescence Boost for in-office whitening which is done in several visits. If you are interested in learning more about whitening, feel free to contact our office.