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Answers to Your Common QuestionsIn order to communicate with you clearly and conveniently, we've provided some helpful answers to our most commonly asked questions. If you don't find your topic here, or if you'd rather discuss your question in person, just call or email us at any time.
How does Dr. Hutto keep up to date on all of the current techniques and materials?Dr. Hutto subscribes to the latest industry journals to keep tabs on research and development in the dental industry, and attends ongoing continuing education seminars and conferences in various areas of specialty. In his field of primary specialty, he has invested the time to study directly under Frank Spears of the Seattle Institute, learning the complexities of occlusion and bite reconstruction. Further, Dr. Hutto's commitment to long-term education doesn't end with himself: each of the staff pursues continuing education in their area of expertise as well. What makes you different than any other dental practice I can visit?As a state-of-the-art dental care practice, we strive to provide the latest in compassionate, comprehensive dental care to patients of all ages. As do most practices! However, the ways in which we go about providing that care are not at all typical. For example, we're deliberately, consistently considerate of your time and conscious of your concerns. That means that when you come to your appointment, you don't need to bring that novel you've been trying to finish-you won't be sitting in the waiting room long enough to even find your bookmark. In fact, when you arrive, you'll be pleasantly surprised to see that we're expecting you! You'll be greeted by name and invited to tour our facility so that we can familiarize you with our office, staff, and equipment. After we've evaluated your teeth and gums, listened to your concerns, and helped you understand your options, we'll make a professional recommendation. However, it's always a recommendation, not a commandment. We're entirely respectful of your right to make informed decisions about your own dental health. How do I know when its time to come in for a check-up?Typically, it's said that an average, healthy adult benefits from a professional cleaning and check up every six months. However, it's tough to generalize because every mouth is different! Some people are prone to gum disease, bruxism, or other ongoing oral health concerns that require more frequent visits; others simply need a routine professional tartar removal at regular intervals. That's why we're so careful to check methodically and determine what kind of ongoing professional treatment will achieve your optimum dental health.which could translate to our recommending a check-up every 2, 3, 4 or 6 months, according to your needs. Do you accept referrals?We're more than happy to accept referrals from other dental offices as well as from recommendations by our patients to their family and friends! We do appreciate that new patients complete a patient evaluation form prior to the first visit; we also ask for all records and x-rays ahead of time if possible. What different payment options do you provide?We accept cash, personal checks, and all major credit cards and request full payment up front for your portion of any services that we provide. We will file your insurance for you and ask that your portion be paid at the time of your visit. We offer a 5% courtesy adjustment for those who pay prior to their appointment. Additionally, we offer financing options through Care Credit. How can I have whiter teeth?There are a number of procedures available to help whiten your smile. In many cases, a tailored at-home dentist-supervised whitening program can provide the change desired; in other cases, porcelain veneers offer a more effective solution. Dr. Hutto can help evaluate your potential for whitening your teeth, based on their current color and the causes of any discoloration. If you opt for the whitening process, we use the DISCUS Dental home whitening system. This method requires anywhere from one to two weeks of daily sessions, and usually brings teeth up about two shades on the dental chart. I want my front teeth to look better, but I don't want to wear braces, what can you do to help?Dr. Hutto has a number of ways to improve the look of your front teeth without the use of braces. For slightly crooked or unevenly worn teeth, a bit of reshaping and the addition of porcelain veneers or crowns is often sufficient to give them a bright, uniform look. We'd be happy to talk with you further about the option that best suits your individual situation. Can you tell me more about crowns, veneers, onlays and inlays?With today's technology, materials, and advanced techniques, we have many options for restoring weak, broken, chipped, discolored, and/or crooked teeth.bringing them back to their original shape and function. For example, we can apply an all-porcelain crown, somewhat like a 'cap', that covers the entire outside of the problem tooth. Crowns are also helpful to cover large areas of decay after they've been filled. Or, for large decayed or damaged surface chewing areas requiring restoration, we can apply a protective covering/filling or "onlay" made of either precious metal, or composite resin material, thereby adding strength and preventing decay. If you need fillings, we can use porcelain 'inlays' instead of silver amalgam. actually strengthening the tooth and protecting it against further fracture. Similarly, we can restore cracked, discolored, crooked or otherwise unattractive front teeth to pretty, natural shapes and shades by applying paper-thin porcelain veneers to the fronts. Learn more... My breath has a terrible odor. Is there anything you can do to eliminate this problem?Millions of people struggle with halitosis, or bad breath, despite daily teeth brushing. Here's a checklist of procedures that can eliminate the problem: twice daily brushing, daily flossing, tongue cleaning, regular professional cleanings, and careful cleaning of any dentures or removable dental appliances. However, if your hygiene is meticulous and the problem persists, we can offer several solutions. First, we can provide a plastic tool called a tongue scraper that cleans away bacterial build-up on your tongue and significantly alleviates odor. Or, we can recommend a specially-designed program called Breath Rx, which includes a scraper, as well as a toothpaste and rinse that actually breaks the odor-causing sulfur bonds that cause bad breath. Finally, we may also suspect a systemic or internal problem such as an infection or underlying condition, in which case we may recommend a visit with your family physician or specialist to identify the cause. Learn more... I'm a new patient. Is there any way I can get copies of any forms that you need me to complete, prior to my visit?We're happy to provide you with all the necessary new patient forms prior to your first appointment. Simply call our office and we will arrange to send them to you. |
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