There are many reasons for visiting a dentist.  You may be unhappy with your smile or in pain.  You may be aware of an existing problem, or you may simply wish to make sure that everything is ok.  Regardless of the reason, the ultimate goal is the same:  to have healthier teeth.  Most patients hope to achieve this while avoiding extensive dental work.  We help you identify and address potential problems before they become more severe, more painful, and more expensive.

We treat patients at the level appropriate for them.  The first step is to identify the level of care you prefer.  Patients often begin at a lower level and progress to higher standards of health over time.

Level 1:  Urgent Care
People with urgent or emergent problems need immediate help.  These kinds of problems often involve pain, bleeding, or swelling.  When possible, we attempt to see these patients on the day they call.

Level 2:  Remedial Care
Remedial care is treatment when something breaks or becomes uncomfortable.  Generally people at this level prefer short-term, cursory examinations which screen for obvious or more advanced problems.  Treatment is limited (often out of financial necessity) to correcting immediate problems with as little effort and expense as possible, even though that treatment may not represent a long-term solution.  Patients at this level may not be ready for a comprehensive exam or long-term treatment plan.  We respect this choice, but we do not believe that this is the best choice for long-term dental health.

Level 3:  Self Care
Treatment at this level maintains excellent comfort, function, and appearance.  Through a comprehensive examination (a complete evaluation of the teeth, gums, supporting structure, and relationship of the upper teeth to the lower teeth), we create a long-term plan to help patients achieve their personal goals.  At this level of care, patients improve their dental health and arrest active disease, but may not be ready to commence treatment.  We help you maintain this level through frequent preventative maintenance visits.

Level 4:  Complete Dental Care
Complete dentistry involves comprehensive examinations and long-term treatment planning designed to achieve a dental future of choice, not chance.  Patients are similar to those described in level 3, but they are ready to commence treatment and want to understand and control the causative agents of dental disease.  People at this level are monitored and maintained through frequent preventative maintenance visits before, during, and after care.

Level 5:  Wellness Resource and Care
People here are in excellent dental health.  They schedule a dental appointment one to four times a year with complete monitoring examinations.  Patients in this level practice highly effective home care and maintain healthy lifestyles.  To obtain a truly healthy smile, this level of care is the most effective.