Many thanks to each and everyone of you for being so professional AND personable! Susan K.
I never thought I would say this about going to the dentist. I actually look forward to going to my appointments. I always leave your office with my spirits lifted 10 fold. I like my appointments early in the morning. It’s just a great way to start my day! Thank you for all that you do each and every day. Jayne S.
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Snoring and Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Click here to read an actual patient testimonial.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is believed to afflict approximately 30 million Americans. Numerous health risks are associated with OSA, including obesity, hypertension, diabetes type II, cardiac arrest, stroke and fibromyalgia. While many people are aware that they snore, not all snorers have OSA. Although socially unacceptable for one’s bed partner, snoring alone is not a health issue. However, snoring is one of the predisposing factors of OSA. The health issues involving OSA are related to the level of oxygenation which is maintained throughout sleep. In other words, if your oxygen saturation drops, stresses are applied to various organ systems, and these in turn can lead to numerous systemic diseases.
According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM), a physician’s organization, the initial treatment modality for mild to moderate OSA can be an oral appliance. These appliances reposition the lower jaw in a forward direction, thus holding the base of the tongue away from the pharynx. This allows for continuous air flow during sleep, and snoring will also diminish or cease. While an oral appliance is comfortable and easily tolerated, the standard of care for all levels of OSA is a properly adjusted CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure). When a CPAP is worn, OSA is 100% eliminated. However, as compliance is often low with a CPAP, the AASM has recognized that an oral appliance is often more effective due to higher compliance rates.
“Although not as efficacious as CPAP, oral appliances are indicated for use in patients with mild to moderate OSA who prefer OA’s to CPAP, or who do not respond to CPAP, are not appropriate candidates for CPAP, or who fail treatment attempts with CPAP or treatment with behavioral measures such as weight loss or sleep position change.”
SLEEP, vol. 29, No. 2, 2006, page 242
Dr. Bill Gerlach is actively involved in sleep disordered breathing and dentistry’s role in it. As a member of The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, Dr. Gerlach performs screening for snoring and OSA using a Home Monitoring Device. While not as effective as a report from a sleep center, this device accurately depicts one’s snoring, oxygen levels and apnea incidences. If you are found to have severe OSA, you will be referred to a Board Certified physician for further treatment. As many people have mild or moderate OSA, or they are simply snorers, we have a solution for you. Furthermore, if you have tried CPAP and found it is not for you, give us a call. We can help!
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Cosmetic Dentistry
Collaboration is the cornerstone of our approach to cosmetic services. Together, we will design a treatment plan that is just right for you. As part of the process we will begin by asking you what you would like to change or improve. For more extensive procedures, we use digital photos and properly articulated diagnostic models to facilitate treatment planning. We often perform "a wax up" to help the patient and us visualize the end result. If needed, we can place composite on your teeth, based on the wax up, so you can "test drive" your new smile.
Whatever your cosmetic dentistry needs, large or small, you can be assured that you will play a key role in the design process—after all, it’s your smile!
We offer the following cosmetic dentistry services:
- Orthodontics—we can provide you with a referral to a board-certified specialist
- Tooth Colored Fillings
- Porcelain Veneers
- Teeth Whitening or Bleaching
--for in-office we offer Zoom II (as seen on Extreme Makeover)
--for take-home products we offer Day White and Opalescence trays
- Bonding
- All Porcelain Crowns, Onlays and Inlays
- Recontouring
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Preventive Dentistry
In many cases, the key to future dental problems is Early Prevention. The forces of tooth decay, periodontal disease, and problems resulting from clenching and grinding are ongoing. We take a systematic approach to your “preventive maintenance” by proactively looking for any problems and keeping careful records that are reviewed during each visit so we can assess any changes.
We offer the following preventive dentistry services:
We begin every exam by taking your blood pressure. Many people don’t have theirs checked often enough!
- Cleaning or Hygiene
- Dental Sealants
- Fluoride (for adults and children)
- Precision Detection of Decay Using Diagnodent
- Regular Checkups
- Patient Education
- Snoreguards
- Nightguards
- Sportsguards
- We also conduct a thorough analysis of your bite—we are looking for any possible signs of TMJ (Temporal Mandibular Joint) Disorder. When this joint is not functioning properly, you may experience problems such as frequent headaches and/or neck pain, chipped or worn teeth, or excessive sensitivity of the teeth to hot or cold beverages or foods.
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Restorative & General Dentistry
Healthy teeth are beautifully designed instruments that do their job extremely well. We take a conservative approach to “restoring” your teeth, preserving as much of the original tooth as possible. We strive to “do justice” to your original teeth by providing you with restorations that are beautiful, comfortable, and durable.
We were one of the first offices in Texas to use the Cadent Itero, a revolutionary concept in final impressions. The Itero is a laser digital scanner, which means no more gagging “goop”. The fit of crowns and bridges is 3X better and the appointments are slightly shorter.
We offer the following restorative services:
- Tooth Colored Fillings
- Porcelain Veneers
- Bonding
- All Porcelain Crowns, Onlays and Inlays
- Bridges
- Dentures & Partial Dentures
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Implant Dentistry
We are trained and experienced in the most up-to-date techniques in tooth replacement. We only use state-of-the-art dental implant systems. These materials and techniques provide you with replacements that are lifelike and beautifully integrated with your other teeth.
We take a conservative approach whenever possible—for example, if you are missing just one tooth, we can do a replacement without touching the adjacent teeth.
Our implant dentistry services include:
- Dental Implant-supported Dentures
- Dental Implant-supported Crowns
- Dental Implant-supported Bridges
http://www.naturally-attractive.us/
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Periodontal Therapy
Fast facts on periodontal (gum) disease:
- 75% of adult tooth loss is caused by periodontal disease
- This disease is caused by the colonization of bacteria which in turn
causes an active infection in your periodontal tissues and the supporting bone.
- The bacteria and chemical by-products the body uses to fight these bacteria can enter the blood stream and cause serious problems in distant parts of the body
- Scientists have found that some of these serious problems can include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, pre-mature births, and low birth weight
- Often there are no noticeable symptoms for a long time; a dentist or hygienist must do a thorough and complete examination to detect it, especially in its early stages
- Periodontal disease has been described as periodic and cyclical—meaning you may experience an episode and then the disease may remain dormant for a while before returning
While it is very important for you to thoroughly clean your teeth twice a day, it is also important to have a thorough cleaning and examination at least twice a year. We provide thorough examinations to monitor you for any potential signs of periodontal disease.
We offer the following service
- Charting and Diagnostic Services
- In-office Non-surgical Periodontal Therapy
- Referral to a trusted periodontist if necessary (located right here in the Lone Star Crossing building)
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Dental Technology
Dentistry is a technology-driven field but we’re not interested in new “gadgets” just for the sake of new gadgets. We carefully research and select only those products and devices we feel will benefit our patients.
Basically, we break down technology into three main areas:
Dental Materials — we use only the finest materials to enhance or restore your teeth. These materials not only “do justice” to what Mother Nature gave you but also allow us to conserve more of your original teeth whenever possible.
Biotechnology — this area of science, as it applies to dentistry, means we can actually graft bone in your mouth, allowing us to fully integrate your dental implants in ways that are more comfortable and more beautiful than ever before
Digital Technology — these words apply to many areas of our practice, from the efficiency of storing and sending your complete x-rays/records, to less radiation during x-rays (up to 90% less), to more precision in our ability to diagnose problems or propose solutions.
Here are some of the services/products we utilize:
- Laser Digital Scanning for Final Impressions
- Digital Imaging
- Digital Radiography
- Intra Oral Camera
- Chairside Computers
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New Patients
We take your oral health very seriously and are interested in building a good working relationship with you. We like to conduct a thorough New Patient visit so we can get to know you fully and help to define your oral health needs and objectives.
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