Bio-Compatable Dentistry

Comprehensive Examinations And Dental Health Consultations

Our patient interactions always start with an thorough dental examination and a current health history review. After meeting and greeting our patients, we want to listen carefully to their particular issue(s) as well as review their health and dental concerns in general. We pride ourselves in doing a tooth by tooth inspection via microscopes, often taking digital pictures as indicated and then share this information with our patients. We are able to diagnose different problems or issues side by side with our patients and hopefully arrive at effective solutions and choices. Digital X-rays are an important aid to diagnosis, but our microscopes have allowed for fewer overall x-rays because they can often document dental disease more accurately with zero radiation and much lower costs.

We are able to co-diagnose, side by side with our patients, and prioritize dental treatment in a direct, easy to understand manner. Costs and optional treatments are considered and then future appointments can be made. Rarely do we begin dental treatment on the initial appointment and meeting. True dental emergencies are the exception.

Dental Hygiene Services and Education

We endeavor to do more than just clean your teeth. Education and helping patients understand their periodontal connection to their overall health and well being is a integral part of our services. We can incorporate diode lasers in our cleaning protocols to lower bacterial inflammation as never before.

Our experienced hygiene team will gently evaluate our patient's periodontal needs while performing a through cleaning (debridement) of the teeth and gums, as well as polishing. We will evaluate the periodontal tissues for the presence or absence of periodontal disease and recommend treatment as needed.

Digital Laser Assisted Periodontal Therapy and Wave Optimized Periodontal Therapy (LAPT) (WOPT)

Digital Laser assisted periodontal therapy is a wonderful new adjunct to conventional periodontal disease treatment. Using light energy at specific wavelengths and power settings, periodontal pockets with diseased tissue and bleeding can be identified, treated and painlessly decontaminated, which allows healing to begin.

For more serious periodontal disease with bone loss; as necessary, bone grafting can also be accomplished during these treatments, regenerating health and function as never before. This is all accomplished through a phenomenal process called Laser Bio-regeneration. We are now able to decontaminate and guide tissue back into a healthy state using digital water laser and digital diode laser technologies. The benefits to the patient are less post operative pain, predictable bio-regeneration and quicker healing.

The advances in digital laser periodontal therapy make scalpels and relatively invasive procedures less necessary.

Click here to learn more about laser periodontal therapy.

Bio-compatable Esthetic Fillings and Restorations.

As you know, mercury containing fillings look unnatural, that's because they are. We use materials to replace these with known and documented bio-compatability. Not all "white fillings" are created equal. We use Esthetics, Majesty, Bell Glass and others that do not contain bis/phenol or other heavy metals. This is common sense over dogma.

We use the most advanced techniques for aesthetic adhesive dentistry. We feel it is important to decontaminate the tooth surfaces. The lasers do this, we believe, better than a drill. We feel this clean laser textured surface is ideal to bond to. These tooth colored restorations can add strength and years of predictable service and truly restore a person's oral form and function.

We have been mercury free for over fifteen years. All old mercury, silver alloy fillings are removed under a rubber dam and high speed suction. We feel a rubber dam is essential for the safety of our precious patients and the predictability of our work.

CAD-CAM dentistry has arrived at Pearl Street Dental. Same day all ceramic restorations are now available. This is awesome! This means no second visit, no second numbing and a much more efficient use of the patient's time.

Click here to learn more about CAD-CAM dentistry at the Sirona Dental Systems® web site.

Cosmetic Dentistry

Dr. Higgins is an alumni of the LVI Institute in Las Vegas (Las Vegas Institute of Esthetic Dentistry). This institute is one of the foremost teaching institutes for esthetic dentistry in the world. Dr. Higgins and his committed staff have the training, experience and confidence to produce beautiful smiles and a life changing enhancement. Each esthetic case is customized to the patients desires and expectations. Each case is modeled in wax before any permanent shaping of the teeth occur. We want our patients to visually understand the planned treatments and outcomes before we even start.

Cosmetic dentistry is often a want not a need. We are extremely capable of delivering cosmetic cases, but we do very little selling of this procedure. We let our patients bring these desires to us. We love doing these cases because after very careful treatment planning and modeling, the actual execution of these cases is done under our microscopes. The precision and clarity we have, plus experience and technical skill make these large cases a lot of fun. Our margins are clean and our impressions perfect.

We also now do our cosmetic dentistry on a sliding scale to accommodate our patients. It seems only fair. In this economy we can make it easier for our patients to have a lifelong beautiful smile. After two consultations we can co-diagnose our patients wants and needs. Again, knowing where you are going before you begin is critical. In office financing is available.

CAD-CAM dentistry has arrived at Pearl Street Dental. Same day all ceramic restorations are now available. This is awesome! This means no second visit, no second numbing and a much more efficient use of the patient's time.

Click here to learn more about CAD-CAM dentistry at the Sirona Dental Systems® web site.

Crowns and Bridges

There are numerous choices now for crowns and bridges. Certainly not all crowns or protocols fit all patients and their needs. Bridges are often challenged by implant technology. We are more pro implant when appropriate simply because they are a one tooth solution to a one tooth problem. Many things need to be considered, which is why a through exam and data collecting is so important. We then share this information with our patient and co-diagnose the problem and solution side by side.

CAD-CAM dentistry has arrived at Pearl Street Dental. Same day all ceramic restorations are now available. This is awesome! This means no second visit, no second numbing and a much more efficient use of the patient's time.

Click here to learn more about CAD-CAM dentistry at the Sirona Dental Systems® web site.

Implants - Consultations and Restorative Services

The twenty first century is here and implants are a superb option for single or multiple tooth replacement. Heroic dentistry that includes root canals, posts, huge under the gum buildups with crown lengthening, and finally a crown, are questionable. If this expensive and time consuming endeavor fails at any level, no one is happy. Sometimes the extraction of this tooth is the better choice. Every situation is different and every situation needs to be carefully evaluated.

Bridges involve cutting down two natural teeth next to the space to support a bridge. This was the standard of care in the past, but that is changing because of implants. Implants are often times the preferred solution. We work with excellent oral surgeons and periodontists. These specialists place the implants and Pearl Street Dental restores the space, building on top of the integrated implant. The implant is an artificial root made of titanium which with time fuses with the bone (usually two to four months).

We are well trained to utilize several different brands of implants. Implants can take some of the guesswork out of extensive dental treatments. They are a proven stand alone system for replacing missing teeth or teeth that are not salvageable. Many times implants are an excellent first choice.

ClearCorrect® Orthodontics

The nearly invisible way to straighten teeth into the smile you have always wanted. The aligners are a superb clear alternative to traditional bands and brackets (braces). ClearCorrect® aligners use remarkable CAD/CAM technology to gently move your teeth, little by little, toward a beautifully aligned smile. Because they are removable, cleaning the teeth and maintaining great gum tissue health is much easier and predictable. Being able to take the clear aligners out for meals, social events and brushing minimizes some of the hassles of straightening your teeth.

This new technology works very well with compliant patients. Most treatments take about 12 to 14 months. Great orthodontics should be affordable. This new technology can provide great results at great prices.

Click here to learn more about ClearCorrect® Orthodontics.

Root Canal Therapy Augmented With Lares Laser

Ah yes, the root canal. A necessary evil you might say. Our goal at Pearl Street Dental is to avoid eliciting or causing root canals. We try to do this by using minimally invasive microscopic techniques as well as finishing most internal surfaces of our preparations with the laser.it’s a cleaner decontaminated surface that a drill can’t accomplish on the same level as a laser.

Root canals are the result of what we refer to as cumulative trauma, which leads to infection inside the tooth itself, that will then likely move to the bone around the tooth/root given some time. The trauma is usually caused by bacteria, mechanical trauma or excessive wear. Root canal therapy should be considered when saving the tooth is of paramount importance and when the outcome is reasonably predictable.

Paramount importance would be when the tooth is part of a bridge, or in the center of a lovely smile; or when an old or recently placed crown has become relentlessly uncomfortable. The patient and the doctor will determine the course of treatment together after exploring all the options. There are several clinically successful ways of completing a root canal.

When a root canal is our best choice, we believe the key is using the best science available and doing a root canal correctly the first time. We augment all root canal therapy with our Lares laser. Using a special PIPS (photon induced photo acoustic streaming) technique, we clean the canals using a photo-acoustic shock wave, all while being guided by our exquisite surgical microscopes. This photo acoustic shock wave helps clean an infected canal.

Pain control is imperative. We have awesome techniques for getting the “hot” tooth quiet and the patient can comfortably lay back and watch a movie.

Digital X-rays, Panorex® X-Rays and Intra-oral Digital Imaging

Digital and Panorex® X-rays are the newest and safest way to image our patient's teeth. They use much less radiation than conventional x-rays and these digital images are instantly available to view side by side with our patient. There are no chemicals or development time. Digital x-rays are an enormous advance in safety and communication.

Combining the microscope and digital intra-oral photography, we can communicate like never before. A picture says a thousand words. We can document and store digital photographs in our patient's chart, which help tell the story of each individual procedure.

Partial Dentures

These are useful alternatives to fixed prosthetics and implants. These proven solutions to missing teeth offer flexibility and long term satisfaction. We use bio-compatable materials and each case is carefully planned using study models and co-diagnosing with our patients.

The prognosis and careful maintenance of the remaining supporting teeth is of paramount importance. Often more frequent dental hygiene and maintenance appointments are required.

Extractions

As good as restorative dentistry has become, sometimes it’s just not good enough and the tooth needs to be removed. When modern therapy fails or is inappropriate, gentle, laser assisted extraction is the best choice.

I am always amazed at how comfortable our patients feel after we have extracted a chronic problem tooth and bio-stimulated the area and detoxified the site with our lasers. Lasers are used to “release” the tooth as well as detoxified. Using the microscopes as our eyes, we can more accurately release the fibers and bone holding the tooth. Healing is often faster as well as less painful hours later.

Depending on what the patient needs and wants, extraction sites can be grafted with artificial bone that acts as a scaffolding. Bone preservation is needed if an implant is going to be used or the extraction is in an esthetic zone.

Dental Emergencies

Pearl Street Dental welcomes the challenges that emergencies can present. We know how uncomfortable and scary a dental emergency can be. Our goal is to diagnose, treat the problem and stop the pain and begin the healing process.

We always do our very best to get you in as quickly as possible.

Pearl Street Dental emergency phone is 303.877.7316

Oral Cancer Screenings

Oral cancer screening is a service that can make an enormous difference in a person's life. Early detection of oral cancer is imperative. This life saving service is greatly improved by the incredible technological advances we have been able to incorporate in our office.

Using the Veloscope®, which utilizes a frequency of light differentially absorbed by cancer of the mouth, this non invasive service is saving lives. Because oral cancer is more prevalent in our society that previously thought, we highly recommend that all of our patients elect to receive this service.

Click here to learn more about the Veloscope®.

Laser Bleaching

We are using a new laser driven bleaching system that gives us excellent whitening results in just over an hour. Laser bleaching is followed up by gentle at home bleaching using trays. We offer several levels of bleaching, laser bleaching, with trays or at home trays.

New Patients Are Always Welcome!

New patients are the life blood of a thriving practice. This is the way Pearl Street Dental expands it's network of friends and patients. We are a customer driven, referral based business and we really enjoy what we do. Come in or call us today and set up your first appointment.