General Dentistry

At Dodge City Dental Care, we have three Registered Dental Hygienists on staff who are dedicated to helping you achieve a healthy mouth and smile. We work with all members of the family, and we recommend that all patients come in for a routine teeth cleaning at least twice a year. During a cleaning, our hygienists gently yet effectively clean the teeth and gums, removing any plaque buildup. We also will provide a visual examination, during which we check for developing decay, gum disease and oral cancer. After the cleaning, our hygienists offer customized instructions as to how you can improve your at-home dental hygiene regimen, so you can achieve improved oral health.

As part of our mission to utilize state-of-the-art dental equipment and create a comfortable experience for all patients, our team uses digital radiography rather than traditional x-rays. Digital radiography exposes patients to significantly reduced levels of radiation. In addition, instead of having to wait for film to develop, digital x-ray images are produced quickly and are immediately ready for viewing. Because these images are digital files, we are able to easily save and store them, as well as to transfer them to a specialist or to your insurance company if needed.

In order to protect baby teeth and prevent cavities, our team uses dental sealants. Sealants are plastic coatings that we use to protect the back molars. During childhood, these back molars are grooved on the top. These grooves make these teeth very difficult to thoroughly clean with regular brushing. Therefore, plaque and bacteria can collect there, leading to decay. Sealants smooth out crowns of the back molars, making them easier to clean and preventing cavities.

Although most tap water is already fluoridated, we recommend that patients receive fluoride treatments during their routine cleanings. Fluoride is an element that helps to strengthen the tooth enamel, protecting it from deterioration. It can also improve sensitivity or other tooth pain, and can especially benefit patients who have received crowns or bridges. Our team will be able to determine if your teeth would benefit from our fluoride varnish treatment.

In the past, the removal of a cavity would mean that your smile would suffer from an unsightly silver filling. But today, we use tooth-colored fillings, created out of a composite resin material. These fillings not only improve the strength of the tooth, but they blend in seamlessly with the rest of your smile.

A root canal is a procedure we perform to remove decay or infection that has reached the root of the tooth. We remove the infected pulp, and then carefully disinfect the tooth to ensure that all remaining bacteria is eliminated. After the root canal, we will restore the tooth with a custom crown.

We understand that patients often are anxious about receiving root canals. We offer nitrous oxide conscious sedation to help patients relax, and our team does everything we can to make sure patients feel comfortable.

If a tooth is broken or decayed beyond saving, our dentists will extract it. During an extraction, we remove both the tooth and the root. After the procedure, we discuss options for replacing the tooth, including a partial denture, a bridge, or a dental implant. We also offer nitrous oxide for this procedure, and we strive to ease the anxiety of patients of all ages.

Full dentures are used when you are missing a full row of teeth, whereas partial dentures are used to replace individual teeth. Dentures are an alternative option for patients who don’t want to commit to a bridge or dental implants because dentures are removable. We will take precise measurements of your mouth, jaw and face to ensure that your dentures are comfortable and functional for chewing and speaking.