General dentistry is an inclusive term that refers to a dental office that provides routine dental care. Our office prides itself on offering compassionate care within the scope of our abilities. Both Dr. Young and Dr. Marlin complete rigorous continuing education yearly to remain at the forefront of their profession and to offer the latest forms of dental care to their patients. Despite this however, there are situations where patients are best suited to be seen by a dental specialist to treat their specific condition. Our office will help facilitate any necessary referrals so you can be guaranteed that you will receive the highest standard of care achievable. As a general dentist, we view our role as critical to helping each individual receive terrific comprehensive care, even if this means referring a patient away from our office to a more qualified specialist.

Cosmetic dentistry involves the improvement of a person's natural appearance. For a variety of reasons people can suffer from developmental abnormalities that can cause their teeth to be unsightly. Examples of common developmental abnormalities include tooth crowding or spacing, weakened enamel, jaw discrepancies (poorly aligned jaws) and darkened tooth shade.

Periodontal disease ("gum disease”) is an infection of the gums with an accompanying loss of supporting jaw bone. A study titled Prevalence of Periodontitis in Adults in the United States: 2009 and 2010 estimates that 47.2 percent, or 64.7 million American adults, have mild, moderate or severe periodontitis, the more advanced form of periodontal disease. The good news is that periodontal disease can be diagnosed, treated, and for the most part controlled. In certain situations it can even be reversed and new bone and gum tissue can be developed. Periodontal treatment, which encompasses a wide spectrum of procedures, can make your mouth healthier and help preserve your teeth. Periodontal disease is a “silent” disease in that if often has only mild symptoms that people can tolerate until it has progressed to a point where the teeth can no longer be saved. Fortunately, with regular dental exams and dental cleanings periodontal disease can be diagnosed and treated to prevent premature tooth loss. Another significant component of periodontal disease is the role that it plays in a persons overall health. Research has shown that there is a correlation between uncontrolled periodontal disease and higher risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Similarly, people with uncontrolled diabetes have a greater incidence of developing periodontal disease. This illustrates the importance of good oral health and how integral it is to whole body health.

Often times we are asked “can’t you just place a filling in the tooth? Why does it need a crown?” These are great questions and now days the great diversity of filling materials that are available have made these decisions more complex. Typically, the decision to place a crown or a filling depends largely on the amount of remaining natural tooth structure and the location of the tooth in the mouth. No artificial filling or crown material is as good as healthy natural tooth structure, however when necessary, fillings and crowns can serve remarkably well as replacement for diseased or compromised tooth structure.

A dental implant is a device that can be used to replace a single missing tooth or multiple missing teeth.An implant is typically made of a bio-compatible material such as titanium or zirconium, which the jaw bone will accept and integrate or grow around. Implants have changed the way that we treat missing teeth and patients are finding every day the unique advantages of using implants to support single crowns, bridges and dentures.

According to one recent study, 19% of adults in the United States suffered from complete edentulism (total tooth loss) in 2011-2012. While this percentage has dropped dramatically over the past 50 years it is still a dramatic issue facing the dental profession. The fact that nearly 1 in 5 adults is missing all of their natural teeth is a stark reminder of how important early intervention and routine dental care is.

One of the most exciting parts of dentistry today is our ability to perform early detection of dental disease and initiate preventative therapy that can limit or prevent the scope of disease before it starts. Thanks to routine procedures such as yearly exams and dental cleanings we are now able to provide more proactive dental care versus the reactive treatment models that prevailed for much of the last century.

Root canals have carried a certain negative stigma for a long period of time. Unfortunately this procedure is actually used to preserve and save millions of teeth every single year but often doesn't receive credit for doing so. During a root canal the "pulp" (nerves and blood vessels") is carefully removed from the pulp canal of a tooth. A root canaled tooth can continue to survive without an internal blood supply because it can be nourished by the tissues that surround it. Most posterior teeth that have root canal treatment will ultimately have crowns placed over them to help protect the tooth as it is weakener structurally following the root canal. Typical reasons for having a root canal include: tooth pain, a cracked or fractured tooth, an abscess/infection, or trauma.