Family Dentistry Services

Preventive Dentistry

Serenity Valley Family Dentistry Digital X-Ray

Serenity Valley Family Dentistry is dedicated to providing comprehensive family care with a gentle touch. We recognize that for many people, going to the dentist can be stressful and a white-knuckle experience. To eliminate your fear and anxiety, we have created a warm, friendly and calm atmosphere both in our lobby and our treatment rooms. We offer a complimentary beverage bar in our waiting area and will treat you to a tranquil, warm paraffin hand wax dip during your procedure. We also encourage you to bring your own headset and music if that will help you relax.

Our doctors and each of our dental assistants is personally committed to making you feel at ease by explaining every step of our treatments. We’ll answer any and all questions you have about your options and we’ll always provide effective and efficient numbing agents to prevent any discomfort. We utilize leading-edge innovations in dental procedures and equipment to make sure you are receiving the best dental care available.

Gum Health

Gingivitis occurs when plaque builds up around your teeth causing red, swollen inflammation of your gums. Fortunately, gingivitis can be reversed with excellent oral hygiene—regular brushing, flossing and dental cleanings.If untreated, gingivitis can progress to periodontitis which usually involves the loss of gum tissue (receding gums) and possibly even bone loss. This can happen in any of the 192 sites around your teeth and should be carefully monitored.

Again, if not treated properly, eventually periodontisis advances to a stage where you may lose teeth in addition to the bone and gum tissue. Periodontal disease is not reversible, but it can be controlled. We work with all our patients to avoid periodontal disease; however, if we feel you have a severe case, we will recommend a specialized periodontist dentist to provide more extensive treatment options.

Sports Mouthguards

Anyone—children and adults—involved in active, competitive and even low-impact sports should consider protecting your teeth with a custom-fit mouthguard. For many sports, a mouthguard is now mandatory equipment and for good reason, in addition to preventing mouth and/or tooth injuries, they can also help protect athletes against concussions.Although premade mouthguards are available at most sporting goods stores, a custom-fit mouthguard is much more comfortable and durable. For more details about our sports mouthguards, please talk to your hygienist or Dr. Rosenfeldt.

Sealants

Sealants are a protective measure used to prevent decay of the large molar teeth in the back of your mouth. These teeth typically have uneven surfaces and crevices that makes them vulnerable to trapped food and eventual decay. Sealants are helpful to patients of all ages, but they are especially recommended for young patients as soon as permanent molars emerge, usually around age six.

To apply sealants, we paint a thin coating of dental plastic that hardens to form protective layer on the tooth. The protective coating should last for several years, but can be reapplied as necessary.

Learn more about sealants by visiting with your hygienist at your next appointment.

Cleanings & Checkups

We recommend you come to our office for at least two and up to four preventive care checkups each year depending on your personal needs and dental plan. During these preventive care checkups, we will provide the following:

Personal consultation and x-ray review
Updates to your medical history
Discussion of any problems or concerns
Digital x-rays (90% less radiation than standard x-rays)
Oral cancer screening with the VELscope® system
Gum health assessment
Cleaning and polishing of your teeth
Fluoride varnish treatment
Scheduling of your next 3- or 6-month appointment

Cosmetic Dentistry

As the old saying goes, you’re never fully dressed without a smile. To make sure your smile is a brilliant showstopper, we offer cosmetic dentistry that includes a whitening system, invisible aligners and veneers.

WHITENING

Wish your smile was a little more sparkling? Whether it’s coffee, tea, red wine, soda, berries, smoking or just aging that has dulled your pearly whites, we can help you boost your smile with our Zoom!® whitening system.Zoom® In-Office WhiteningZoom is a bleaching process widely used throughout the country and around the world to lighten discoloration of enamel and dentin. The Zoom in-office tooth whitening procedure uses the Zoom Advanced Power Chairside Lamp to activate the 25% hydrogen peroxide whitening agent. As the hydrogen peroxide is broken down, oxygen enters the enamel and dentin to bleach the stained substances, leaving the structure of the tooth unchanged.The complete procedure takes less than an hour, but for best results we recommend completing the procedure immediately following a regular teeth cleaning. We’ll begin by covering your lips and gums, leaving only your teeth exposed. We’ll apply the Zoom hydrogen peroxide whitening gel and activate the light for 15 minutes. During this time, you can relax, watch TV or listen to music. The gel is applied for a total of three 15-minute sessions with the light activation which accounts for a treatment time of 45 minutes. If you have a strong gag reflex or anxiety, you may have difficulty undergoing the entire procedure. Immediately afterwards, we’ll apply a fluoride gel to reduce any sensitivity. Zoom® Whitening At-Home Maintenance After your in-office whitening session, you will receive a Zoom at-home maintenance kit that includes custom-fitted whitening trays and a tube of whitening gel as well as detailed instructions for when and how to use your at-home whitening kit. As part of our Smile For Life program, we’ll give you a free tube of whitening gel at each of your six-month preventive care appointments so you can continue to maintain your whitening regimen. Of course, you’ll also need to practice good basic hygiene with proper brushing, flossing and avoiding stain-causing foods or activities to see the most benefit from the Zoom whitening procedure. This process is not for everyone; Dr. Rosenfeldt can visit with you about whether Zoom whitening is a good option for you.

INVISALIGN®

If you wish for straighter teeth, but just can’t commit to the traditional braces method, you may be the perfect candidate for Invisalign clear aligners. Treatment is customized to you, removable, extremely effective, comfortable and virtually invisible.The revolutionary Invisalign system consists of a series of clear aligners that you switch out about every two weeks to gradually move your teeth into better alignment. At your first consultation, we will discuss what you would like to improve about your smile and the results you would like to see. If we feel the Invisalign treatment will work for you, we’ll develop a treatment plan with your goals in mind beginning with impressions of your teeth. These molds, along with photos and your treatment plan, will be sent to Invisalign. They will use the impressions to produce a computerized 3-D model of your teeth which will help us determine the timeline of your treatment and how many aligners you may need to wear.The next step is fabricating your customized aligners, and although this varies for each person, a full set typically includes 20-30 aligners which will take approximately 10-15 months of treatment. You will wear your aligners at all times, only removing them for eating and drinking. Every four to six weeks, you’ll meet with Dr. Rosenfeldt to review progress and give you the next set of aligners. Little by little, your smile will move into something you’d like to show off. The benefits of straightening your teeth are endless: you’ll have a healthier smile and healthier gums, your home hygiene and dental cleanings will be easier, you may even experience improved chewing and speech. With Invisalign, we can maintain your comfort and your natural tooth structure by preventing abnormal wear. Serenity Valley Family Dentistry is a Premier Invisalign provider. We’ll be happy to answer questions you have about the process or how Invisalign may work for you.

Veneers

Get the healthy, natural, permanently white smile you have always wanted with ultra-thin porcelain veneers. Correct chipped, discolored, mildly crooked, spaced or misshapen teeth in as little as two visits; no shots, no drilling, no pain. These ultra-thin porcelain veneers that can give you a beautiful and permanently white smile. There are no shots and no drilling of sensitive tooth structure, therefore no pain. On your first of two visits, we will take precision molds and choose the right shade for your new, permanently white smile. On the second visit, your customized veneers are checked for fit and shade and then permanently and painlessly attached. That’s it!

Easily correct these conditions:

Chipped teeth
Mildy crooked teeth
Spaced teeth
Discolored teeth
Misshapen teeth
Old dental work

Restorative Dentistry

Serenity Valley Dentistry Preventive Services

Sometimes, no matter how well you take care of your teeth, you experience injuries, cracks or decay that cannot be avoided. When this happens, we provide restorative dentistry to help repair the problem and prevent further issues.

FILLINGS

Silver and gold restorative fillings are a thing of the past. Today’s composite resins are tooth-colored, safe and extremely durable. They are made up of ceramic and long-lasting plastics. Fillings are used to repair cavities, cracks, chips and worn enamel. To apply a filling, any decayed area must first be removed, cleaned and thoroughly dried. You may be a candidate for our new, Solea, CO2 dental laser system that replaces traditional numbing injections and drilling. If this process requires drilling, scraping or any potentially painful measures, we will first numb the appropriate areas. Our priority is to always make sure you feel safe, comfortable and relaxed while you are at our office.

SAME-DAY CROWNS AND ONLAYS

The days of needing multiple appointments and temporary, uncomfortable crowns is over when you choose Serenity Valley Family Dentistry. Thanks to new technology called CEREC® (chairside economical restoration of esthetic ceramics), we are able to restore damaged teeth with natural-colored ceramic fillings in one appointment, saving you time, money and hassle. CEREC uses computerized technology to manufacture a ceramic crown while you wait. Dr. Rosenfeldt will use a special camera to photograph your damaged tooth and then create a precision-cut restoration. The tooth-colored crown is anti-abrasive, plaque-resistant and looks natural in your mouth. The crown is bonded to your old tooth and you’re ready to go; the whole process usually takes only one hour from start to finish.

BRIDGES

When you are missing a tooth, a bridge (sometimes called a fixed partial denture) is a great way to fill in the gap. Replacing a missing tooth isn’t just about improving appearance; sometimes the open gap can change your bite pattern, cause speech problems or allow surrounding teeth to shift out of alignment. Dr. Rosenfeldt can help you determine if you might benefit from a bridge.To make a bridge, an artificial tooth is created to replace the missing one, with crowns on each side that attach to your surrounding teeth. The crowns are what keep the bridge in place and provide structure and stability to the artificial tooth.

ROOT CANALS

Sometimes tooth decay goes deeper than the surface of the tooth into the root pulp and a filling is not sufficient to repair the damage. Untreated, deep decay can cause painful infections and disease that may lead to the loss of the tooth. Infected pulp can be caused by deep cavities, cracks in the tooth or injuries. If you are sensitive to hot, cold and sweets; experience pain when biting or chewing; notice swelling around your mouth or have a chronic bad taste in your mouth, you may have an infection. Be sure to call our office right away if any of these symptoms occur so Dr. Rosenfeldt can complete an exam.To perform a root canal, the infected or decayed areas of the tooth are removed and replaced with a filling compound. The entire tooth is then covered with a crown to seal off the roots. Within 24 hours, you should no longer have sensitivity to hot or cold and chewing should be pain free.

DENTURES

Chronic dental issues, health problems or injury can lead to the loss of all or several of your natural teeth. When this happens, we recommend dentures. A denture is a prosthetic set of artificial teeth that are tailored to fit your jaw. As with most dental procedures, technology has made dentures so comfortable and natural looking, it’s nearly impossible to know if someone is wearing them.Please visit with Dr. Rosenfeldt if you are interested in learning more about partial or complete dentures.

DENTAL IMPLANTS

Whether it’s decay, genetics or an all-star hockey game that causes you to lose some adult teeth, implants may be the ideal replacement option for you. An implant consists of a titanium post, which is surgically implanted in your jaw, topped by a crown that acts as your artificial tooth. It takes several months to ensure that the post is assimilated to your jaw and completely healed before the permanent crown is placed, but a temporary crown can be created to help you maintain chewing capacity and a natural smile. If this is a wise choice for you, Dr. Rosenfeldt will recommend a local specialist to complete the surgical portion of your implant restoration process.

Tongue-Ties

Being tongue-tied isn’t just a figure of speech. It’s a very real medical condition that can affect oral and facial development, and have a range of other serious health consequences.

A tongue-tie used to be thought of as something that only affected babies and breastfeeding. But new research shows that the problems associated with a tongue-tie can affect both children and adults of all ages. Releasing a tongue-tie is now an integral part of achieving optimal oral and dental health.

What is a Tongue-Tie?

A tongue-tie is also known as a restricted lingual frenum or tethered oral tissue (TOT). The Frenum is the line or band of tissue under the tongue that we all have. It connects the tongue to the floor of the mouth. For some, the frenum is too tight or too short, and it can actually restrict the movement of the tongue, as well as prevent it from resting in the correct place. A similar tissue connection can be found inside your upper and lower lips as well.

Why Does it Matter?

Your tongue should fill up the entire roof of your mouth. When it does, it provides an internal support structure for the upper jaw. If your tongue is in the right place, your teeth will grow in straighter and your face will develop properly. A tongue-tie keeps your tongue in the bottom of your mouth.

For some people, it’s tighter or thicker than it should be, and this can physically restrict the movement of the tongue.

A tongue-tie can also be referred to as Ankyloglossia or Tethered Oral Tissue (TOT) and can cause the following symptoms.

Speech issues
Mouth breathing
Jaw pain, clenching and grinding
Headaches
Head, neck, and shoulder tension
Forward head posture
Snoring, sleep-disordered breathing, Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome (UARS), and sleep apnea
Increased risk of cavities and gum disease
Slower orthodontic treatment
Orthodontic relapse

Tongue Tie & Breast Feeding

Breastfeeding is one of the first ways a tongue tie can be noticed. When mothers have trouble breastfeeding, a tongue tie can often be to blame. However, if babies are bottle-fed, or meet weight-gain and growth markers, the tongue-tie can be missed or overlooked.

Just because a mother managed to breastfeed her baby doesn’t mean that tongue-tie isn’t an issue. Many times, a nurse or lactation consultant will notice a tongue tie but not recommend a release because the baby is gaining weight.

From a myofunctional perspective, the tongue tie still needs to be released so that proper oral development can take place.

Treating a Tongue-Tie

Most often, a tongue-tie must be treated surgically. This procedure can be called a frenectomy, frenotomy or frenulectomy. Serenity Valley Family Dentistry has been doing these procedures since 2017 using either the Solea laser or traditional surgical methods.

There’s more to treating a tongue tie than just releasing it, and this is where myofunctional therapy comes in.

It’s very important to do myofunctional therapy exercises for at least two to three weeks before the frenectomy. This helps prepare for the procedure by strengthening the muscles of the tongue.

After the frenectomy, caring for the wound is also critical. The mouth and tongue are great at healing, so it’s possible that the tongue will reattach, meaning it will literally heal back down the way it was. So I meet with my patients immediately following the release to guide them through caring for the wound, and to teach them new gentle exercises. This allows the tissues to heal without reattaching and affecting the end result.

What’s a Lip-Tie?

A lip-tie is similar to a tongue tie, and the two are often seen together.

With lip-ties, the small seams that we all have on the midline between our lips and gums are too short or thick, causing restricted lip movement. This can have a major impact on breastfeeding and speech, as well as dental development.

At Serenity Valley Family Dentistry, Lip-ties are treated exactly the same way as a tongue tie; the tie is surgically released, and myofunctional therapy exercises are prescribed.

Have more questions?

Call us to learn more or schedule a consultation. (701) 373-0681