Brookings Dental Arts is a full service dental clinic that provides a wide range of treatments and services.

• Dentures
• Fillings
• Porcelain veneers
• Dental sealants
• Fluoride treatments
• Professional teeth whitening
• Periodontal (gum) disease treatment
• Cosmetic gum reshaping (for gummy smiles)
• Bad breath treatment
• Root canals
• Wisdom teeth removal
• Custom athletic mouthguards
• Mouthguards for teeth grinding

Dentures

Modern dentures are incredibly versatile, and they can be customized to look and feel just like your natural smile. Whether you need a partial denture, a full denture or a reline of your existing set, we take great care to ensure your dentures are as comfortable and affordable as possible.

Fillings

At Brookings Dental Arts we uses tooth-colored composite materials that can be easily bonded to the surface of your tooth for all our fillings. Composite fillings require less extensive preparation, so the results are often smaller and more natural-looking than silver fillings. The durable composite material is shaped and polished to perfectly match the rest of your tooth, so you won’t notice a difference in the way your tooth looks or feels.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are an excellent cosmetic solution for teeth that are chipped, misshapen or too discolored for traditional whitening. Veneers are thin ceramic casings that are bonded to the front side of your teeth to give your smile a beautiful, more uniform appearance.

Dental Sealants

Dental sealants aren’t just for kids. Adults can benefit from this simple and effective technique to prevent tooth decay and cavities. Dental sealants fill in the grooves on the chewing surfaces of the molars, an area where food particles commonly get caught and cause cavities. Sealants can be applied quickly with no shots or drilling, effectively protecting teeth for years. Once it’s dry, the sealant coating is so thin, you won’t notice it at all.

Benefits of Dental Sealants

• Prevent food buildup and tooth decay
• Semi-permanent way to prevent cavities and tooth loss

Who is a Good Candidate for Sealants?

• Children
• Adults with deep crevasses in their molars or a history of cavities
• Adults who never had sealants
• Adults who received sealants over ten years ago

Putting sealants on your teeth will save you time and money in the long run by avoiding fillings, crowns and tooth loss.

Fluoride Treatments

Fluoride protects teeth from decay and can even reverse the early stages of decay. Many people think that fluoride treatments are just for kids, but people of all ages can benefit from the cavity-preventing properties of fluoride.

Professional Teeth Whitening

Whitening your teeth is a fast and simple way to take years off your smile. We offer three professional whitening systems that will give you the beautiful results you want on any schedule or budget.

• KoR Deep Bleaching™ is one of the most powerful professional whitening methods – it’s even been proven to reverse tetracycline stains. Deep bleaching consists of two in-office treatments with a week of at-home whitening in between. KoR’s powerful hydrogen peroxide solution brightens teeth up to 16 shades, and if you follow the simple maintenance program, your new smile can last a lifetime. Best of all, KoR treatment includes a desensitizing gel that has been proven to significantly lessen tooth sensitivity, a common side effect of whitening.
• ZOOM!® is a one-visit whitening system that’s great for busy patients. Zoom uses a professional whitening gel and special light to brighten your smile in just one hour. If you’ve ever wished you could have an instantly whiter smile, Zoom is for you.
• Custom Take Home Whitening Kits: With our custom take home whitening kits, you can achieve professional results at home. These kits use custom-made trays and high-quality whitening gel (stronger than the over-the-counter varieties) to give you a noticeably brighter smile in just two weeks.

Periodontal (Gum) Disease Treatment

According to the National Institutes of Health, eight to 10 percent of American adults currently have some degree of gum disease. The mild stage, known as gingivitis, is characterized by red, swollen gums that bleed every time you floss. If it’s caught early enough, gingivitis is completely reversible with in-office treatments and proper homecare. Left undiagnosed, it can progress to more serious periodontal disease, which can result in tooth loss, infections and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

One of the major signs of periodontal disease is receding gums. As the gums recede, the space between your gums and your teeth grows, creating what is known as a “perio pocket.” Deep perio pockets make the tooth surface below the gumline more susceptible to the formation of plaque and tartar, which further irritates the already sensitive gums.

In the past, the tried-and-true treatment for gum disease was surgery. Now we can treat many cases with less-invasive techniques, including medicated rinses and local antibiotics.

Deep Cleanings

Deep cleanings break this cycle and allow the gums to heal and reattach to the tooth. They’re very similar to standard dental cleanings, only our hygienist will go below the gumline to remove plaque and damaged gum tissue from exposed areas. Deep cleanings are an effective, affordable and minimally-invasive way to treat and control gum disease until the gums are healthy enough to return to standard cleanings.

Local Antibiotic Treatments

Arestin® is an antibiotic powder that is placed inside a perio pocket to clear an infection right at the source. Unlike oral antibiotics that affect the entire body, Arestin focuses treatment on only the affected areas. Arestin stays in place for up to three weeks while the infection is reduced to a level that can be managed with regular dental cleanings.

Cosmetic Gum Reshaping (For Gummy Smiles)

Cosmetic gum reshaping is an great option for patients bothered by a “gummy” smile. This procedure involves removing excess gum tissue to make your teeth appear longer and enhance the overall appearance of your smile. Cosmetic gum reshaping can be performed on a single tooth, multiple teeth, or your entire gumline.

Treatment for Halitosis (Bad Breath)

Everyone has bad breath every now and then, whether it’s caused by the foods we eat or inadequate brushing and flossing.

Brushing your teeth at least twice a day and flossing at least once are the best ways to keep your breath fresh. An alcoholic-free fluoride mouthwash can help as well. (Quitting smoking, chewing tobacco or vaping can significantly improve your oral health and the way your breath smells, too.)

If you’re experiencing chronic bad breath that can’t be controlled by habit changes, or if it’s accompanied by other concerns like a dry, burning sensation in your mouth, call us for an appointment. We can determine the cause of your bad breath and help you find a long-lasting solution.

Root Canal

When a tooth is cracked, broken or severely decayed, the pulp inside of the tooth can become infected. If the pulp is not removed with a root canal, it can cause an abscess or even spread the infection to surrounding teeth. A root canal is a highly-successful restorative procedure that can save a damaged tooth from extraction and protect it for many years.

Although root canals have a reputation for being painful, the toothaches associated with an infected root can cause more pain than the root canal procedure. Don’t put off treatment because you are worried about pain – Brookings Dental Arts offers sedation options.

Patients often request sedation for a root canal. Brookings Dental Arts provides two sedation options, nitrous oxide and conscious sedation. Nitrous oxide, sometimes called “laughing gas,” is one of the safest anti-anxiety agents used in dentistry. Nitrous oxide has mild, short-lived effects and can be administered with just a mask over the nose. Conscious sedation is an option for patients with more severe anxiety, and for people with complex treatment needs. We can perform almost any treatment with the help of conscious sedation, including a root canal.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Wisdom teeth are the last permanent teeth to emerge. Sometimes there isn’t enough room left in the mouth to accommodate them. The lack of space can cause wisdom teeth to come in sideways, only partially emerge, or become impacted within the gums. Your wisdom teeth can shift your permanent teeth or cause abscesses or infections.

During your routine teeth cleaning, talk to Dr. Brice Chang about any concerns you have with your wisdom teeth, or call us to talk about your options. Although wisdom teeth removal is common, it’s not the only option for crowded, shifting teeth.

If your wisdom teeth are causing your pain, or seem to be inflamed or infected, call us today for an emergency dental appointment.

Custom Athletic Mouthguards

High-impact sports and activities, from football to gymnastics, pose an increased risk of dental injury. Custom athletic mouthguards not only protect your teeth and soft tissues from injury, they also help prevent more serious trauma that can occur as a result of hard hits to the jaw or head. Don’t risk an injury to your face and smile, call Brookings Dental Arts for a custom athletic mouthguard.

Nightguards for Teeth Grinding

Although it’s estimated that eight to 16 percent of adults grind their teeth or clench their jaw during sleep, most don’t know they’re doing it. This clenching and grinding puts a great deal of pressure on the teeth and jaw muscles, which can result in cracked teeth, damaged restorations, jaw pain and chronic headaches. A comfortable, custom-fitted nightguard will protect your teeth and give your jaw a rest.