When I opened my Laurel, Maryland, office in 2001, I hoped to give patients the quality and caring dental support they need. I continually meet this goal, and it gives me great personal satisfaction. Let me tell you a little about my practice.

From age six years old to the most elder of patients, we do all we can to make the patient comfortable.

For example, we do not overbook in my office. So, no one is hurried along and pushed out the door.

We have a relaxed décor overlooking the lake, along with soothing music, and calming words.

Technical advancements are continually occurring in dentistry. As a dentist, I am always pleased to see these changes. I know that they will give my patients better care. However, one thing I make certain, is not losing sight of the individual person who walks in our door.

Comfortable dental care in Laurel Maryland

Sometimes dentists, or any other professionals, get so caught up in the technical end of their practice that they forget about the personal care needed. That doesn’t happen with my small team in my Laurel, Maryland, dental office. We know that many people feel stressed about going to the dentist. With all their other stresses in life, they do not need this as well.

Education is also very important to us. A colleague recently asked me why I have three televisions in my office. I explained that educational tapes are very helpful to give patients an overview of a subject, quell their concerns and assist in their decision making. I have a variety of DVDs from which to choose. Then I can go over the more specific information and answer questions.

I went into dentistry because I knew it would give me an opportunity to help people. I’m so glad I made this decision—even a decade later.

I’ve feel it is of paramount importance to educate my patients, so they can make sound dental decisions. It is just as important for me to keep up-to-date with the latest changes in the industry.

Help with TMJ near University of Maryland in Laurel

One of the areas about which I am most interested is Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Syndrome. The TMJ connects the lower jaw to the skull. When the jaw becomes locked in a position or is difficult to open, a person will have difficulty chewing, as well as possible neck pain, back pain and headaches. They feel popping sounds when chewing and yawning.

TMJ can be very painful. It is usually treated by wearing a mouth appliance when sleeping. It keeps people from grinding their teeth and reduces inflammation that causes jaw problems.

There is a lot of work being done with TMJ research and technology, and I’m glad that I am getting special certification in this area. As our society becomes increasingly stressed, TMJ will unfortunately grow. Plus, our bodies work in a holistic fashion; when the jaw joint is not working properly, it has an impact on many other parts of the body as well.

Laurel Dental Implants

I also continue to learn more about dental implants because that is a fast moving area of dentistry that has great promise for patients.

Presently, I do a considerable number of these. Many of them are for older individuals who would like to keep most of their original teeth and not wear dentures. As the population ages over the next decade, many more babyboomers will want to do whatever they can to keep their teeth; the more information I know about implants, the better I can service these patients.

Helping children with dental care in Laurel Maryland

We are always pleased to offer children, teen, young adult, middle-aged and elderly patients a wide range of dental services through our Laurel, Maryland, office. Donna has been the dental hygienist for three years and especially educates younger children on preventive care.

Speaking of younger children,  we do sealants in order to reduce the amount of decay in youths’ teeth.  As they get older some of these children, like many of our adult patients, will want our newest service. This is called Invisalign orthodontics, a treatment system that works to straighten teeth through clear plastic molds. These invisible braces eliminate the traditional metallic approach. They are ideal for people of all ages.

Cosmetic dentistry is about health and self confidence

Helping individuals keep their teeth rather than having dentures or implants is important to me. I put numerous crowns on teeth that are cracked, decayed or have large fillings. But I try to emphasize helping my patients to maintain healthy teeth gums in order to reduce the amount of root canal work and similar treatments that they neeed.

People want their teeth to look their best. That’s why we do an increasing amount of cosmetic dentistry in my Laurel office. This can include filling the gap between two teeth, straightening a crooked tooth, putting in implants and greatly improving smiles with veneers. Yellowed teeth from smoking or teeth that have been marred from other problems can look new again and it does not take a long time, either.

Dental veneers are custom-designed shells of tooth-like ceramic materials that are applied over the teeth. Patients can do just a couple of teeth or their whole mouth. Naturally, we carefully compare the color of the patient’s teeth with the veneer materials so that they match up.