Diagnostic

• Dental Examination
  We want every patient to enjoy the benefits of a healthy and beautiful smile. At the office of Southwest Dental Group, you can rest assured that your oral exam is performed with the utmost care and that every member of our team is sensitive to your needs. Based on your oral exam findings and what we see on your diagnostic films, we'll outline what further treatment, if any, may be needed and discuss all your options in care.
• X-rays
  Although we perform a thorough visual inspection of every aspect of your smile, the only way to see the deeper structures of the teeth, as well as the surrounding tissues and bone, is with dental x-rays or radiographs. Diagnostic x-rays not only reveal the presence of dental disease, but they also provide valuable information on the development, health, and integrity of teeth and orofacial structures.
• Oral Cancer Screening
  At the office of Southwest Dental Group, we emphasize taking a proactive approach as the best way to maintain a healthy, beautiful smile. By coming to our office as recommended for checkup visits and routine care, we can help you and every member of your family prevent the onset and progression of many oral health problems. As skilled and experienced providers of care, we offer a comprehensive range of preventive services, including examinations, professional teeth cleanings, and oral cancer screenings, along with patient education on hygiene, diet, and healthy practices.

Preventive

• Teeth Cleaning
  While maintaining a healthy smile depends upon keeping your teeth and gums clean at home, even those with the most diligent brushing and flossing routines can find it challenging to reach every nook and cranny between the teeth and gums. For this reason, we emphasize the importance of routine dental cleanings.
• Fluoride Treatment
  We also help children establish a strong foundation for a lifetime of optimal oral health. In addition to providing the instruction and age-appropriate information required to maintain healthy smiles, we offer periodic topical fluoride treatments and dental sealants for added protection against childhood tooth decay.
• Dental Sealants
• Space Maintainers
  Braces are generally worn for one to three years with an average treatment time of two years. If a child requires a space maintainer, habit control therapy, or exhibits significant jaw disharmony, treatment may begin earlier.

Restorative

• Fillings
  According to archaeological findings, for as long as dental problems have existed, there have been efforts to provide emergency and restorative care. In fact, attempts to place dental fillings have been found in the skeletal remains of people who lived around the year 8000 BC. However, it wasn't until thousands and thousands of years later, in the 19th century, that a variety of metal fillings, including dental amalgam, appeared on the scene. Although gold achieved status as a popular restorative material, it was soon apparent that amalgam fillings, consisting of a mixture of mercury and an alloy composed of silver, tin, and copper, offered a less expensive, durable, and simpler alternative.
• Resin Composite
  Today, it’s possible to restore a tooth with decay with cosmetically pleasing and metal-free filling materials composed of composite resin and filler particles that form a hard matrix when set. Strong and durable, these fillings bond to the remaining tooth structure as they rebuild it following the removal of any decayed or damaged portions. Best of all, with tooth-colored fillings, there’s no unsightly metal showing. Your smile looks naturally pleasing whether you’re opening your mouth or simply flashing a broad smile.
• Veneers
  At the office of Southwest Dental Group, we recognize that every smile is different and tailor treatment to address individual needs and expectations of care. Whether your smile is best served by the fabrication of dental veneers or another cosmetic dental procedure we provide, you can count on our office for the latest, most effective, pleasing, and healthy solutions for your smile.
• Crowns
  Thanks to advances in dental ceramics, dental crowns today don’t have to be fabricated from metal or have a metal substrate. We can now fabricate all-ceramic crowns that offer the benefits of being metal-free, durable, long-lasting, and as beautiful as a natural tooth.
• Bridges
  Far from a new idea, the history of replacing teeth with a fixed dental bridge goes back thousands of years. Ancient civilizations made impressive use of available materials, including animal and human teeth, bones, gold, and ivory, to fill gaps in a person's smile.
• Dental Bonding
  To repair minor defects, chips, or fractures, mask discolorations, and close small gaps between teeth; a dental bonding procedure is considered one of the most effective, economical, and quickest methods of care. A bonding procedure is typically performed with composite resins, which come in a wide array of tooth-colored shades to enhance the look of your smile blend seamlessly with the rest of your teeth. Bonded to the underlying tooth structure, composite resins are made of biologically safe and metal-free materials that offer excellent aesthetics, strength, and durability.
• Restorative Dentistry

Endodontics

• Root Canal Treatment
  If you are told that a tooth requires a root canal procedure, there’s no need for alarm. Today, a root canal procedure is as routine and comfortable as receiving a dental filling. As a matter of fact, a root canal procedure is typically the best way to relieve toothache pain, save a damaged tooth, and preserve your natural smile.
• Apicoectomy
  With a success rate that exceeds 95%, root canal therapy remains the most effective procedure to save a tooth in which the inner vital tissues have been damaged. However, as with all healthcare procedures, there are a small percentage of cases where the teeth become symptomatic a second time. The good news is that many of these teeth can still be saved with root canal retreatment or a minor surgical procedure known as an apicoectomy.

Periodontics

• Periodontal Surgery
  When gum disease has advanced beyond the initial stage, periodontal surgery is often recommended to effectively remove bacteria and tartar from around the teeth, reduce gingival pocket depth, restore lost tissue as possible, and halt disease progression. It’s essential to keep in mind that gum disease is a progressive condition. If appropriate measures are not taken, gum disease continues to compromise the support of the teeth and have consequences to one’s overall dental health and well-being.
• Deep Cleaning

Prosthodontics

• Dentures
  At the office of Southwest Dental Group, we fabricate dentures from the highest grade of dental materials for a precise and comfortable fit. Our dentures are meticulously designed to rebuild beautiful smiles and support natural facial contours while enabling patients to speak, smile, and chew with renewed confidence and ease.
• Overdentures
  An overdenture is a type of complete denture that receives added stability and support from special attachments that are secured to the remaining underlying teeth or specialized dental implants.

Implants

• Dental Implants
  With a special interest in dental implants, he has completed a post-grad Preceptorship in dental implantology. Dr. Runyan has also completed prestigious courses at the Scottsdale Center for Dentistry from the Spear education continuum, is actively a member of the Spear Study Club and has advanced training in Cerec Technology. He is also certified in enteral sedation. Dr. Runyan is a member of several accredited organizations such as the American Dental Association, Texas Dental Association, the 17th District Dental Society and is a board member of Abilene’s Presbyterian Medical Care Mission.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

• Oral Surgery
• Flap Surgery
  In many cases, a periodontal procedure, which is known as flap surgery, is frequently recommended. During this procedure, the gums in the affected area are reflected away from the teeth and supporting bone. Now, the pocket and roots of the teeth can be thoroughly cleaned and supporting tissues recontoured as needed. When this step gets completed, the tissue flag gets sutured back into place.
• Gum Surgery
  Periodontal treatment in this phase is designed to halt the progression of the disease and to restore tooth support as possible. Treatment may involve medications to control the bacteria and reduce the size of the pockets between the teeth and gums, gum surgery, as well as bone and tissue grafts.
• Tooth Extractions
  Beginning as a simple pinpoint defect on the outermost enamel layer of your tooth, untreated dental decay will continue to compromise healthy tooth structure as it works its way to the inner layers of the tooth. Without proper care, a cavity can lead to significant damage to tooth structure, irreversible damage to the nerve of the tooth, a dental infection, and serious consequences to your oral health and overall well-being. When the tooth has sustained far too much structural damage and cannot be restored, a dental extraction may be required.
• Bone Grafting
  Thanks to advances in care, periodontal treatment today not only helps to halt the progression of gum disease but also delivers effective solutions, including bone grafting and regenerative procedures to repair tissue damage, restore bone volume, improve cosmetics, or provide adequate support for the placement of dental implants.

Orthodontics

• Orthodontics
  Dr. Chance Finley is native to the West Texas area having been born in Abilene and later graduating from Midland Lee High School. He attended McMurry University where he was also a member of the golf team. Dr. Finley then continued his education at The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio where he received his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2006. He was also awarded the clinical excellence award. Dr. Finley is an active member of both the Texas and American Dental Associations. He has also served as a board member and president of the Seventeenth District Dental Society. He has completed many hours in continuing education focused on complex and aesthetic dentistry and orthodontics.
• Invisalign Orthodontics
  A straight and well-aligned smile is not only attractive to look at and a source of self-confidence, but it’s also easier to keep clean and maintain. Now that orthodontic care has entered the “Age of Aligners,” more and more people are choosing Invisalign® treatment to get the smiles they’ve always wanted.
• Braces
  One way to significantly reduce the risk of damage to your teeth, cheeks, lips, tongue, face, or jaw as the result of a sports-related injury is to wear a mouthguard. A mouthguard is a removable appliance made of a sturdy plastic that sits comfortably over your teeth. Typically, mouthguards are designed to cover just the top teeth but may also be fabricated to include the lower teeth as well depending on your particular situation. Individuals who wear braces or have some types of dental work may require a specific type of mouthguard that provides more coverage.

General

• Teeth Whitening
  One of the significant advances in modern dentistry has been the development of dental laser technology. Today, dental lasers are being increasingly used to treat tooth decay, periodontal disease, perform biopsies or the removal of oral lesions, to cure restorative (filling) materials, as well as to activate in-office teeth whitening systems.
• Cosmetic Dentistry
  If your teeth are stained, discolored, chipped, worn down, misshapen, a little gapped, or misaligned, you’re not alone. According to statistics, more than one-third of adults in the United States are dissatisfied with the appearance of their smiles. The good news is these days, you don’t have to be a movie star to have a vibrant and beautiful smile. Thanks to advances in cosmetic dentistry, less-than-perfect teeth can be completely transformed to produce a naturally beautiful looking smile.