The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a first dental visit by "the 1st tooth or the 1st year", with routine exam and cleaning every 6 months

Preventive dentistry is the practice of caring for your teeth to keep them healthy. This helps to avoid cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, and more.

Dr. Ming and her team provide a range of preventative services including:

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Regular visits to your pediatric dentist can help your child maintain a beautiful and healthy smile for their Lifetime! additional benefits include :

 * prevent tooth decay, ____

* reduce

avoid costly, invasive, lengthy dental procedures 

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Cleanings, Exams, and Oral Health Education

• Regular dental exams and cleanings help protect your oral health and overall well being.  A dental exam gives Dr. Ming a chance to provide you with tips for caring for your teeth and to detect any problems early-- when they are the most treatable.  Dr. Ming and her team will cater their instruction to your specific needs on proper brushing and flossing techniques, tips on foods to avoid and ideas for better snacking choices. This is also a good time for you to ask any questions you might have about your oral health.​

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Oral Cancer Screenings

• The goal of an oral cancer exam is to look for signs of precancerious or canc​erous lesions that may lead to mouth cancer.  It is a visual and physical exam of the head, neck, and mouth.  Factors that can increase the risk of oral cancer include: Tobacco use (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chewing tobacco),  Heavy alcohol use, Previous history of oral cancer , History of significant sun exposure, which increases the risk of lip cancer

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Sealants/Fluoride  

• ​Both act as a preventative step against tooth decay. Fluoride protects smooth tooth surfaces and makes tooth enamel and root surfaces more resistant to tooth decay.  Sealants cover over (seal) deep grooves and pits on the chewing surfaces of teeth 

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X-rays  (radiographs)

•  Xrays have a major role in helping a dentist diagnose potential oral care issues in a your mouth before they become a major problem. They are typically taken every 12-18months. Xrays allow dentists to find cavities, look at the tooth roots, check the health and height of the bony area around the tooth, determine if periodontal disease is an oral care issue, and see the position of developing teeth​ in children.

 

Preventive dentistry is the practice of caring for your teeth to keep them healthy. This helps to avoid cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, and more.

Dr. Ming and her team provide a range of preventative services including:

Nightguard 

• According to the American Dental Association, teeth grinding (bruxism) affects ~10-15% of adults.  Often, people grind in their sleep. ​If you frequently wake up with a sore jaw, a dull headache or tooth pain, or your partner notices a grinding sound at night, you may be suffering from bruxism.    We offer custom night guard fabrication, to prevent the surfaces of your teeth from grinding together, causing you to chip and crack your teeth and strain your jaw muscles.

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 Regular dental visits can help preserve your teeth and smile for a lifetime!

If you feel that your smile is beyond repair and salvaging, Dr. Ming can provide you with some restorative and cosmetic options that may be just what you need to regain that confident smile! 

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Tooth Colored Fillings

Fillings are the most common restorative dental procedure and nowadays fillings can be natural looking. Fillings patch and cover holes in the tooth caused by cavities, to prevent the tooth decay from penetrating deeper into the tooth. Fillings also make it more difficult.  Fillings do wear out over time, and it is common to have the fillings redone every couple years.

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Crowns & Bridges

A crown, sometimes called a "cap", covers a tooth that was severely damaged by decay or fracture to restore it to its normal shape and size.  A crown is recommended if you have a particularly weak tooth that needs protection or for cosmetic reasons.  Crowns can also be used to attach bridges and to cover a dental implant.

 

Veneers

A veneer is a thin layer of porcelain placed around a tooth to fix a gap, discoloration, or fracture and re-create the natural look of teeth. They require minimal preparation and are custom made to the contour of your teeth and are bonded to the tooth's original enamel.

   

Tooth Whitening

Over time, your teeth may become not-so-bright.  If you feel like your smile is lacking some sparkle or is more yellow than it used to be, you’re not alone.  Dr. Ming can discuss the tooth whitening options with you and recommend the best option for your special smile-- from toothpastes, over the counter options, in-office whitening, and custom take-home whitening trays.

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Invisalign

Invisalign aligners are the clear alternative to metal braces for adults and teens. These clear aligners are the virtually invisible way to improve your smile. Dr. Ming can evaluate your smile to see if you qualify for this convenient at-home treatment!

If your tooth has been broken or damaged by decay, Dr. Ming will try to fix it with a filling, crown or other dental treatment. But when the damage is too extensive for the tooth to be repaired, the tooth may need to be removed (extracted).  In most cases, extractions may be done using local anesthetic.  If however, your caserequires additional sedation, she will refer you to an oral surgeon who can safely and effectively perform the treatment.

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Some other common reasons for tooth removal:

• Extra teeth that block other teeth from coming in or baby teeth that don't fall out

• People receiving radiation to the head and neck or cancer therapy

• Wisdom teeth, also called third molars need to be removed if they are decayed, infected, or if there is not enough room in the mouth

Periodontal disease is a progressive infection of the supporting gum tissues and bone that hold your teeth in place. . The best way to slow it down is to  maintain excellent and correct daily brushing and flossing techniques.  If you have periodontal disease, Dr. Ming can assess your best treatment option which depends on the type of the gum disease you have and how severe it is.  

 

Gingivitis - mild periodontal disease

• This is a common and is inflammation of the gums  Signs of gingivitis include red,puffy and tender gums that bleed when the you brush and floss your  teeth. Gingivitis often resolves with good oral hygiene and routine cleanings at the dentist.

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Moderate to Severe Periodontal Disease

• The first step in treating more severe cases of Periodontal disease involves a special deep cleaning called “scaling and root planing.” In this treatment, the dentist removes plaque and tartar down to the bottom of each periodontal pocket. This treatment may be done over several visits, depending on your needs.

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Laser Bacteria Reduction

• During the normal cleaning process, most patients will have some areas that may bleed.  Due to the oral-systemic connection, bacteria present in your mouths will flow into the blood stream and may settle in weakened areas of our body such as damaged heart valves or artificial knee or hip, etc. Laser therapy is an adjuct treatment to scaling and root planing and can contribute to your overall health by helping to eliminate threatening microbes.

We treat patients of all ages and backgrounds.  Dr. Ming has a special place in her heart for her pediatric and special care patients!

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Pediatric Dentistry

• Dr. Ming is very patient and understands how to manage your child's emotional and oral health.  She speaks gently, explains concepts in kid-friendly words, engages and uses positive reinforcement to nurture a healthy and trusting relationship with your child. When treatment is necessary, our team makes sure your child’s experience is as pleasant as possible, helping them establish trust in the dentist for life. ​

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Special Needs Dentistry

• We value the unique qualities of each person and highly regard maximal health attainment for all of our patients, regardless of developmental disability or other special health care needs! Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often at risk for oral health challenges such as tooth decay and periodontal disease.  They commonly need extra help to achieve and maintain good oral health due to physical, emotional or behavioral factors.  Dr. Ming will work with her special needs patients to 

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