Our dental team is well versed in all areas of dentistry. We offer you restorative, implant, orthodontic and cosmetic dental care; State-of-the-art dental techniques that involve the replacements or restoration of natural teeth for your general health and quality of life.
If you need or want to look better and feel better, we will share our knowledge about the advances in implant and cosmetic dentistry to help you select the form of treatment that will restore your oral health, and discuss the responsibilities you have for the daily care of your teeth.
Patient Safety
To provide the safest possible environment, members of our staff wear masks, gloves and glasses. All instruments are cleaned, disinfected and routinely sterilized as recommended by the American Dental Association and the Centers for Disease Control. Whenever possible, disposable single use items are used to ensure your safety. Hand pieces (drills) are sterilized with a state-of-the-art sterilization unit specifically designed for this purpose. All working surfaces in the treatment rooms are cleaned and disinfected after each patient. All our dental units have their own distilled water supply.
Patient Comfort
You are not alone if you feel anxious about a visit to the dentist. We understand and share your concerns and strive to make every dental visit comfortable. If there is anything else we can do, let us know. In addition to topical and local anesthetic, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is also available.
If an emergency arises our 24-hour voice mail with forward paging service will alert one of the doctors.
Hygiene
An integral part of maintaining your teeth for life is the removal of plaque from your teeth on a regular basis. The frequency of your visits is based upon your individual needs and oral health. During your visit we will update your medical history, perform an oral cancer screening exam, check your teeth for cavities, review oral hygiene instructions, and monitor your periodontal (gum) condition. Fluoride treatments are provided for children under the age of thirteen and for adults when appropriate. Sub gingival (under the gum) irrigation with medicaments and various antibiotic therapy is also available for our periodontal patients.
Sealants
Sealants are a simple and highly effective procedure in preventing decay on the biting surfaces of your chewing teeth. after the tooth is cleaned by a simple air abrasion a tooth-colored acrylic "coating" is painted onto the surface of the tooth and cured with light. This effectively "seals" the deep grooves where decay is most likely to start. This procedure is highly recommended for children.
Air Abrasion
Where minor cavities have already occurred, decay can be removed painlessly without an anesthetic by a modern air abrasion system. this removes only the minimal tooth structure necessary and a tooth colored filling material is placed, leaving an undetectable restoration.
Orthodontics
For patients, adults and children, who have crowded or crooked teeth, spaces between their teeth or misaligned teeth and jaws, orthodontic therapy can help reduce the risk of tooth decay, gum disease, and trauma due to protruding teeth. The American Association of Orthodontists recommends that children have an evaluation by 7 years of age. More than 25% of all orthodontic patients are adults. While we do provide direct orthodontic care for many cases, we also have a network of trained specialists to whom we refer our complex orthodontic patients.
Implants
A remarkable procedure, implants can replace any or all of your teeth. The implants become integrated with the bone and acts like an artificial tooth root which will ultimately support a single crown or denture. While implants themselves are inserted by an oral surgeon, our role is planning the placement of implants and restoring the integrated implants after surgery.
Cosmetic Dentistry
Cosmetic dentistry encompasses reshaping your teeth, veneers or bonding, natural-looking tooth-colored fillings, all porcelain crowns and bleaching. Many times our imaging computer or a "mock up" appointment can show what cosmetic changes can do for you before committing to a treatment.
Tooth Decay and Repair
Utilizing an intra-oral camera gives both you and us the opportunity to see potential problems occurring in your mouth, such as decay or fractured teeth. Often a tooth will not start bothering you until there is significant loss of tooth structure. With the help of the intraoral camera, problems can be detected earlier, before you experience a toothache.
Periodontal Disease
While seldom painful and frequently free of any obvious signs or symptoms, periodontal disease can progress, undetected, to the point where supporting bone is destroyed. With 80 to 90% of all teenagers having some form of gingivitis (inflamed gums) and 75% of adult tooth loss for people over the age of 35 due to periodontal disease, early treatment and prevention is essential. While periodontal disease is caused by bacterial plaque, a number of other factors including poorly fitting bridges, badly aligned teeth and defective fillings contribute to the development of this condition. Recent studies have related periodontal disease to heart disease and diabetes. Our dentist and dental hygienists will provide many periodontal services. In some cases, it is necessary for our patients to be treated by one of the many fine local periodontists in our area.
For further information on dental services please see the American Dental Association web site at:
as well as the California Dental Association web site at:
Dennis R Scharer, DMD
810 Jamacha Road Suite 104
El Cajon, CA 92019
(619) 579-0233 Fax: (619) 579-0691