Diagnostic

• Dental Examination
  Through our tour-of-your-mouth approach that encourages collaboration between the dentist and the patient, appropriate customized treatment plans are developed with each patient who elects to go through our comprehensive examination process. Our job is to educate our patients so that they can make their own decisions about care. We are willing to assist our patients with their insurance issues, but we do not allow insurance companies to dictate care for our patients.
• X-rays
  A thorough diagnosis of TMD involves an in-depth review of the patient’s medical and dental history, including looking for risk factors for sleep disorders and psychological risks, as well as a thorough physical exam of the head and screening of cranial nerves. Imaging like panoramic x-rays, conebeam CT, and MRI are usually considered and used as appropriately indicated. As there are over forty recognized diagnoses that fall under “TMD,” a thorough approach is required in order to find the source(s) of the problem before an appropriate treatment plan can be developed.
• Oral Cancer Screening
  We perform oral cancer screening exams as part of our everyday practice. The exam takes only a few minutes to perform and is often done routinely at dental check-ups.

Preventive

• Teeth Cleaning
• Dental Sealants

Restorative

• Fillings
• Resin Composite
  Veneers are ceramic, or sometimes composite resin, facings used to repair esthetics. It is usually necessary to remove a controlled amount of tooth structure to allow ceramic artist to create optimal esthetics of the porcelain that will be used to build the veneers. Typically, the greater the change in appearance desired, the more tooth structure must be prepared. Veneers can either be done with conventional techniques using impressions and provisional restorations, or they can be done with one-day dentistry techniques.
• Veneers
  The following is an example veneer case treated by Dr. Huff demonstrating what can be done with esthetic porcelain veneers, demonstrating the process used to achieve optimal results.
• Crowns
  Bridges require removal of sufficient tooth structure on the teeth on both sides of the space caused by the missing tooth or teeth to create restorations that are strong enough to support more than one tooth but able to meet the esthetic demands of the patient. Typically, this is not much different than would be prepared for crowns. An artificial tooth between the abutments is called a pontic.
• Bridges
  Dental treatment plans are like that too. Saving a badly damaged tooth with a root canal and a crown may preserve it for a long time, but there is a greater financial investment up front than what may appear at the onset to be less expensive options, like a large filling or extraction. In the long run, however, “less expensive” alternative treatments may end up costing a great deal more than ideal treatment at the onset. For instance, replacing a missing tooth to stop problems with the bite and TMJ may require a fixed bridge, an implant, or a removable partial denture.
• Dental Bonding
  Adhesive dentistry by presenting a scientific paper about using acid to etch enamel so that resin could attach to it. Since then, dental bonding agents have been continually improved to the point where it is now possible to reasonably bond to even dentin, which is the fluid-laden inner layer of a tooth.
• Restorative Dentistry
  Bonding adhesives are now used virtually in every aspect of restorative dentistry. These are just some of the uses for adhesive dentistry today...

Endodontics

• Root Canal Treatment
  A tooth can become abscessed as a result of deep decay or trauma to the tooth. Sometimes, endodontic therapy is done electively as part of a long-term treatment plan to assist in improving the predictability of outcome for some dental procedures. The only alternative to Root Canal Therapy is an Extraction.

Periodontics

• Periodontal Surgery
• Deep Cleaning
  This is sometimes called “deep cleaning.” Precision mechanical hand instruments and often ultrasonic instruments are used to remove heavy tartar accretions and to plane the roots smooth to remove diseased build-up on the roots of the teeth. This procedure may require the teeth to be numb for comfort.

Prosthodontics

• Dentures
  Complete dentures are prosthetic replacement for all of the teeth in one or both dental arches.  They are necessary when teeth have needed to be removed because of rampant extensive tooth decay, severe gum disease, severe dental trauma, or treatment for cancer.
• Overdentures

Implants

• Dental Implants
  As dental implant is a titanium device that attaches to the bone through a process call osseointegration and is used to replace one or more teeth. The implant itself is a post that is surgically placed in the jaw. A prosthesis (artificial tooth or teeth) is then attached to the post with a screw. In some cases, Dr. Huff may refer to specialists like oral surgeons or periodontists the surgical phase of placing the implants, depending on the situation and for specific diagnostic imaging like cone beam CT scans that may be needed to determine proper placement.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Oral Surgery
• Tooth Extractions
  The reason for a tooth’s demise may be uncontrolled decay, failed previous therapy that cannot be salvaged, severe periodontal (gum) disease, or to provide for a better dental prosthesis (“prosthetic expediency”). When extractions are performed without surgical sectioning of the tooth, bone removal, and the need for tissue incision, they are called “simple extractions.” However, many of these extractions can be difficult with unanticipated complications. The clinician may make a plan change in the middle of the procedure and decide that the tooth must be removed surgically. Typical simple extractions do not require sutures and dressings, but it is also not uncommon for them to be used as a measure to prevent complications during healing.
• Bone Grafting
  This can sometimes be done with a laser, or it may be done by making an incision in the gums to lift them up so that the root surfaces can be seen directly and bone grafting procedures or bone reshaping may be done at this time to improve the ability of the patient to clean the teeth and to promote healing.

Orthodontics

• Orthodontics
• Invisalign Orthodontics
• Braces
  1 This patient was not happy with her smile in photographs and with the “white spots” on her teeth. She had been previously treated with braces and was not interested in going through orthodontic treatment again.

General

• Teeth Whitening
  Cosmetic, or aesthetic, dentistry usually involves several different types of dental therapy including but not limited to crowns, whitening, gum therapy to treat recession, bite splint therapy, and bonding. Veneers can be used alone or in combination with other procedures to artificially create beautiful smiles.
• Cosmetic Dentistry
• General Dentistry
  Master from the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Continuing on his journey for excellence and proven dedication to the service of his profession and to the community, Dr. Huff was one of the youngest dentists in the world to be awarded the highest honor bestowed by the Academy of General Dentistry: the Lifetime Learning and Service Recognition award. Mastership in the AGD reflects a dentist’s ongoing commitment to providing quality care through continuing education.