Tag Archives: patient care

Do You Have Dental Phobia? | Indianapolis Dentist

February 28, 2021Dental Health, general dentistry, General Health, Oral Care, Oral Health, Sedation Dentistryanesthetic, dental appointments, dental care, dental checkups, dental drills, dental examinations, dental fears, Dental Health, dental hygiene, dental information, dental instruments, dental phobia, dental phobias, dentist in indianapolis, dentist in indianapolis in, Dr. George Kirtley, Dr. George Kirtley Indianapolis Indiana, Dr. Kirtley, family dentistry, fear of anesthesia, General Dentistry, Great Lakes Family Dental, Indianapolis Dentist, Indianapolis IN, Indianapolis Sedation Dentistry, Oral care, oral health, oral hygiene, patient care, sedation, Sedation Dentist, sedation dentistry, The British Dental Health Foundationadmin

Are you one in the millions of Americans considered to have a dental phobia? Maybe you had a bad experience as a child, maybe you just can’t handle people and instruments that close to your face. Whatever it is, you’re definitely not alone.

Dental anxiety and phobia are extremely common. In a survey by the British Dental Health Foundation, 36% of those who didn’t see a dentist regularly said that fear was the main reason. Dental phobia keeps many people from seeing their dentists for regular check-ups, which could result in poor oral health. Women are more likely to suffer from this phobia than men.

The most common fear of visiting the dentist is having a tooth drilled and the local anesthetic injection. People are not born with a fear of the dentist, you develop it and can overcome it. Today dentistry is much different than it used to be. It can be a pain free, anxiety free experience. Relaxation and sedation techniques have been proven in helping overcome dental phobias. Some of the signs of dental phobia include:

Tension or having trouble sleeping the night before a dental exam
Increasingly nervous while you’re in the waiting room
The sight of dental instruments or personnel increases your anxiety
The thought of a dental visit makes you feel physically ill
Panic or trouble breathing when objects are placed in your mouth during a dental appointment

Our patients have commented that if they had known how comfortable treatment was under sedation they never would have had any worries about dental treatment. This is such a relaxing procedure that it’s often referred to as sleep dentistry.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile. Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

Missing Teeth? Make a Dental Appointment Today | Indianapolis Dentist

January 31, 2021Bridges, Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Health, dental implants, Dental Implants, general dentistry, General Health, Oral Care, Oral Health, Restorative Dentistry, Smile Makeovercosmetic dentist indianapolis, dental bridges, dental care, Dental Health, dental hygiene, dental implants, dental information, dental procedures, dentist in indianapolis, dentist in indianapolis in, dentures, Dr. George Kirtley, Dr. Kirtley, family dentistry, General Dentistry, Great Lakes Family Dental, Indianapolis Cosmetic Dentist, Indianapolis Dentist, Indianapolis IN, Indianpolis Cosmetic Dentist, Oral care, oral health, oral hygiene, patient care, Smile makeoveradmin

There are many adults that have had a couple of decayed or missing teeth replaced. While replacing your missing teeth for aesthetic reasons is understandable, it’s important to have any missing teeth replaced for your oral health. Your teeth are meant to work together to help you chew, smile and speak. When you have missing teeth, these can be difficult to do. The loss of your back teeth may cause your mouth to shift and your face to appear older or sunken in. Fortunately, with the help of modern dentistry, missing teeth can be replaced. The following are some of the tooth replacement options that should be available to you by your dental care professional:

Dental implants. Many people opt for dental implants to replace a single tooth, several teeth, or to support a full set of dentures. The process of getting dental implants placed typically involves three phases that take place over several weeks, which is the main disadvantage.

Bridges. If your teeth can be fixed with a dental bridge, which is basically a dental appliance that is used to fill in the missing space. Unlike dental implants that are surgically placed and securely integrated into your jawbone, bridges rely on the neighboring teeth for support.

Dentures. Dentures are removable dental appliances that can replace a single tooth or a full set. Dentures usually have replacement teeth attached to a plastic base that matches the color of your gums and, depending on your case, are either partial dentures or full dentures.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to maintain a healthy smile. Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.

Just the Facts: Porcelain Veneers Edition | Indianapolis Dentist

April 30, 2019Cosmetic Dentistry, Dental Implants, general dentistry, Oral Health, porcelain veneers, porcelain veneers, Restorative Dentistry, Teeth, Teeth Whitening, VeneersCEREC, cosmetic dentist indianapolis, Cosmetic Dentistry, cosmetic dentists, dentist in indianapolis in, Dr. George Kirtley, family dentistry, General Dentistry, Great Lakes Family Dental, Indianapolis Dentist, Indianapolis IN, patient care, porcelain veneers, porcelain veneers indianapolis in, restorative dentistry, teeth whitening, tooth enamel, tooth whitening, Veneersadmin

Dental work has been known to be rather dicey in the past, but today’s technology has given the option to have it done without anyone noticing with natural-looking materials. Porcelain veneers are considered among the most beautiful and natural-looking means of improving one’s smile. Many people know how aesthetically beneficial these veneers are, but there’s more than meets the eye. Below are a few must know facts about porcelain veneers:

Most cosmetic dentists recommend only 8 to 10 veneers on top since the upper teeth are the ones that show the most when a person smiles, but the decision will be based on a number of factors, including the patient’s smile goals, a patient’s smile, how they speak and their budget.

Cosmetic dentists will have to remove around 0.5 mm of the tooth’s original enamel, making them an irreversible form of treatment.

The typical fabrication time for porcelain laminate veneers is one week, though this may be cut down considerably with CEREC.

While porcelain is a very strong and durable material, but you’ll be making a few necessary changes to one’s lifestyle and diet to prevent damaging the veneer. The use of mouth guards when playing contact sports is also highly recommended.

Porcelain veneers can last for as long as twenty years, but gum line shrinkage may require for the veneer to be removed or replaced.

Porcelain veneers can withstand stains, but the surrounding teeth cannot, so periodic teeth whitening treatments and good oral hygiene at home make sure that the veneers stay natural-looking.

Visit Dr. Kirtley today and schedule an appointment to find out what kind of treatment your teeth needs to be healthier and to look better. Call 317-841-1111 or www.smilesbygeorge.com.

Dr. George Kirtley proudly serves Indianapolis and all surrounding areas.