Specialized Treatments

Provo Family Dentistry’s Dr. Flick and Dr. Wilson are pleased to announce the addition of Botox®, the cosmetic or therapeutic treatment of fine lines, wrinkles, gummy smiles, headaches, clenching and more to our list of comprehensive services. These treatments are a natural extension to the dental services we already provide. Dr. Flick exercises a detailed understanding of facial anatomy and offers years of experience administering treatments.

These facial enhancement treatments can be done for cosmetic improvements, but they can also be administered to treat and relieve migraine and tension headaches. Botox® can relieve painful conditions triggered by muscles in the jaw, aid in therapy of TMJ due to grinding or clenching, and ensure the success of various dental services currently offered. Receiving such therapy can help reduce the number of clenching events and their intensity, also reducing damage and discomfort to natural teeth and/or dental restorations, jaw joint, gums, and chewing muscles. Positive side effects of treatments can include a slimmer face or jawline, or to create a more attractive smile. To minimize a “gummy smile,” the upper lip can be treated to enhance your smile!

Botox® treatments work by blocking the release of acetylcholine, a chemical that causes muscle contractions and, consequently, pain. This minimizes or completely eliminates the muscle contraction altogether. Our treatments are given through injections. It is less invasive and more cost effective than surgery, and should be administered every three to four months for long-lasting effects.

For more information on a consultation for the treatment of fine lines and wrinkles, contact us at Provo Family Dentistry today.

Did you know that millions of people spend their sleeping hours tightly clenching their teeth and jaws? Known as bruxism, it can cause a host of unwelcome issues and changes in the mouth. Not only can it cause the teeth to fracture but it can also alter the natural bite, and this can create a long list of subsequent problems. Night guards can alleviate the risks caused by this pattern.

There are also millions of people who snore throughout the night, and whether it is due to sleep apnea or simple snoring, night guards can also alleviate this very problematic condition.

We are glad to discuss the different types of night guards available and determine whether they are the right solution for your needs. All options are comfortable and safe to wear throughout the night and will not interfere with normal breathing, and most will improve sleep even as they encourage better oral health.

Introducing the revolutionary “drill-less” dentist experience! Dr. Wilson and Dr. Flick use the cutting-edge technology of WaterLase to cut down or even eliminate drills, needles and pain from your dental visit. The WaterLase combines the technology of water, air and laser energy for safe, effective, and virtually painless dental experience on many procedures. The laser energizes the water molecules in the teeth to cut through the tooth, utilizing a continual stream of water to cool and hydrate the tooth as it works, so it doesn’t heat it. The Waterlase works with single-use, disposable tips without direct contact to the tooth, and is completely sanitary, safe and precise without any drilling.

Regular dental drills use grinding friction and remove more of the tooth than is necessary. The WaterLase is so precise that it targets only the damaged bit of the tooth, preserving the rest healthy and intact. Because it is so precise, patients use less, or no anesthetic. No longer will you have to leave the dentist with a numb, drooping face, or ache for hours from the drilling. You won’t even have to hear the dreaded squeal of the drill beside your ear, and best of all, no needles! All this, for no extra cost—So come visit Dr. Wilson and Dr. Flick, and see what everyone’s talking about!

You wake up drowsy and overtired. You wonder why sleep is not allowing you to feel fresh and restored each morning. It could be that sleep apnea & snoring are the culprits. At Provo Family Dentistry in Provo, Utah our team offers specialized treatment for patients who have been diagnosed with sleep apnea or who fear their snoring is going to lead to ongoing problems with their health and well-being.

You might have been surprised by that last sentence. Many of our patients are quite shocked to discover that both snoring and sleep apnea affect much more than the quality of their sleep. Let’s first consider what sleep apnea means and learn why it is a risk to your health.

Sleep apnea comes in many forms, but the most common is called OSA or Obstructive Sleep Apnea. The way it works is quite simple. When laying down to sleep each night, the soft tissue at the back of the mouth and throat collapse upon one another, blocking your airway. When it is partial, it causes the sound we know as snoring. When it is complete, it is what forces you awake with that gasping and snorting sound many people mistakenly describe as snoring.

This can happen dozens upon dozens of times each night, and the biggest problem is that it means you stop breathing that many times per night, as well. Not only does this mean excessive fatigue during the day, but it boosts your risk for health issues like heart attack, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and even issues like accidents or falls.

This tells us that snoring is often a symptom of sleep apnea. If you wake over tired and/or hear from a partner that your snoring is excessive, it is time to visit our dental office to discuss some solutions. Whether you have visited a sleep clinic or you are simply tired of hearing how much you snore – we have some options for treating sleep apnea & snoring.

If you have visited a sleep clinic or been formally diagnosed by your physician with sleep apnea, it is likely that you have had a CPAP machine recommended to you. This is a complex machine that requires a special mask fitted over the face and through which air is forced and keeps your airways open. Many people struggle with these machines, and their medical providers can let them know if an oral appliance might be a more comfortable form of effective treatment.

If so, or if you are simply a chronic snorer without any apnea diagnosis, you can visit our dentist office and discuss an oral appliance for sleep apnea & snoring. There are different designs based on your specific needs, but most will work towards the same goal. What is the goal? It is to prevent the soft tissues from collapsing together. This is easily done by appliances that realign the jaw or teeth and keep the airways open.

Do you have old amalgam fillings? These are the darkly colored, metallic fillings that are so commonly questioned for their lack of durability, their safety and their unappealing looks. Fortunately, at Provo Family Dentistry in Provo, Utah we offer safe amalgam removal that includes restoring a tooth with veneers, inlays or onlays, a composite filling or porcelain crowns as needed.

Of course, many patients ask why they should consider safe amalgam removal at all? Why not just leave the fillings in place? There are several answers to those questions. Firstly, amalgam materials require much more of the original tooth material (enamel or pulp) to be removed to place the filling. Removing this much material really weakens the tooth and leaves it vulnerable to breaking later.

The fillings themselves were never as hard or durable as modern composite materials. Over time, an amalgam filling could succumb to pressure from the downward forces of biting, expanding and flattening outward. This would then allow a tooth, already weakened by the removal of natural enamel or pulp, to fracture or further decay.

There are even questions about the amalgam materials and their overall safety, with many worrying that the metals in them are unsafe for long term exposure.

So, what is the alternative? We have safe amalgam removal options that are both restorative and cosmetic. When you choose them, you are going to end up with a tooth that looks just like a natural tooth and which is much stronger than it was with the outdated amalgam filling in place. After all, any treatment option following the removal of amalgam is going to involve bonding and the use of porcelain and other strong materials. This stabilizes the tooth and ensures many years of function.

If you pay a visit to our cosmetic dentist or restorative dentist because of an issue related to an old amalgam filling, they are going to discuss options for effective and safe amalgam removal, and then consider the ways that the tooth can be restored. Remember, if you remove a filling, it leaves the tooth vulnerable to further decay. It should first be assessed and treated as needed. Then our dental team can review the right option for restoring the tooth.

Replacing outdated fillings with an inlay or onlay, a porcelain crown or a veneer is going to ensure the tooth remains functional and esthetically appealing.

Which is the right answer? Finding the answer begins with your visit to our dental office. There we can determine if this is a cosmetic dentistry issue or one that is about restoring the tooth because the old filling is failing or has allowed further damage or decay.