Patient Services

Smile Makeovers

First impressions are important, so if you’re self-conscious about your smile, don’t think you’re alone. Smile makeovers are some of the most popular procedures in modern dentistry. Not only can a whiter, straighter smile make others view you differently, but it can boost your self esteem and give you a reason to show off your smile. You deserve to look good and feel good.

After a comprehensive evaluation, Dr. Vinings will create a custom treatment plan for your smile makeover based on his findings and your goals. Call today to schedule your complimentary smile makeover evaluation.

Mercury-Free and Metal-Free Dentistry

While the ADA officially states that the mercury level in amalgam fillings is safe, our office takes no chances to your health. In fact, we won't compromise your all-white smile with metal dental work of any kind. For fillings, we use safe, durable composite resin restorations. For crowns, veneers, onlays and inlays, we use all-porcelain restorations. Your smile is part of your personality and your image. We will partner with you to maintain your oral health and your natural-looking, gorgeous smile.
Bonded porcelain restorations are bonded with adhesive to your tooth structure, protecting against decay and strengthening the tooth. This bond can make a bonded porcelain restoration last 10 years or longer; much longer than the life expectancy of an amalgam filling. By contrast, dental amalgams do not form such a bond. They simply form a mechanical barrier to decay. Thus, over time, the amalgam-treated tooth can weaken, often creating a liability to your long-term dental health.
Bonded porcelain restorations provide long-term bacterial invasion protection, too. Once bonded, a porcelain restoration won't wear down or change shape, despite the incredible forces of biting and chewing. Bacteria and food particles cannot enter the tooth. However, silver amalgams on biting surfaces can change shape with biting and chewing impact. Tiny cracks in the material or between the filling and natural tooth structure can allow bacterial invasion, creating a bigger decay problem than you had at first, and also acting like a wedge in a log and splitting or cracking the tooth.
Conservative dentistry is a philosophy in which dentists preserve as much natural tooth structure as possible. Amalgam fillings require more reduction to the tooth and more removal of natural tooth structure than bonded porcelain restorations. This means that if you want to maximize the amount of natural tooth structure in your mouth, amalgams may not be the right choice.
All Porcelain Crowns
If you're self-conscious about cracked, broken, decayed, or worn teeth, we can bring back your healthy, natural-looking smile with all-porcelain dental crowns, also called caps. A crown can return structure, strength and function to a tooth with extensive decay or damage and preserve the jaw's correct natural alignment.
Often, we can design, fit and place your crowns in just one visit by using our CEREC CAD/CAM porcelain crowns. Once a crown is placed, you can care for it as you do your natural teeth. Conscientious brushing twice a day and daily flossing will protect the base of your crown from bacterial growth. Be sure to see us at least two times each year for professional cleanings and a preventative exam, too.

Veneers and Laminates

Chipped, discolored, twisted, or cracked teeth can be transformed into a beautiful smile without invasive dental procedures. The new generation of veneers look like natural teeth because they’re applied in thin layers. Light reflects from the natural tooth beneath the veneer, so no one will notice that you’ve had cosmetic dentistry. Almost instantly, veneers can completely make over your smile and boost your confidence.

Inlays and Onlays

Traditional fillings can compromise the structure and stability of teeth. Inlays and onlays replace deterioration in teeth, but they actually strengthen teeth significantly since they are bonded, not cemented, in place. Another benefit is that they maintain the all-white beauty of your natural smile.

Invisalign

Do you want to straighten your teeth, but you feel like braces would make you look unprofessional or too young? Maybe you don’t have time for the multiple adjustment appointments traditional braces require. You need Invisalign!

This innovative teeth straightening system works like traditional braces to move your teeth into alignment, but it’s transparent and removable. You won’t look like you’re wearing braces when an Invisalign aligner is in your mouth, and you can simply remove it to clean and brush your teeth after meals. About every two weeks, we’ll give you a new aligner so that your teeth will be moved, little by little, into perfect positioning.

Whiten Your Smile

Do you ever wonder how people on TV and in magazines achieve that  bright, white smile you’ve only dreamed of? Surely they drink coffee, tea, and colas like you. Maybe you think they inherited good genes. The reality is that many of those beautifully white smiles are a product of modern teeth whitening procedures. Over-the-counter products don’t have what it takes to transform stained and discolored teeth into dazzling white smiles.

Dr. Vinings offers two systems for teeth whitening, and both are specially designed to dramatically whiten and brighten your smile safely, quickly, and effectively.

Whiten in Our Offices

With LumaCool teeth whitening system, we can make your smile pearly white in about an hour. We apply a whitening gel to your teeth, then activate the whitening process with a special light. In less than one hour, you’ll walk out of our office with a smile so white that the daisies will be jealous.

Whiten at Home

Opalescence is a whitening system that allows you to administer a strong and fast-acting whitening gel in the comfort of your own home. We’ll create comfortable custom mouth trays for you in our office. For about two weeks, you’ll fill the trays with the whitening gel, and wear them for a few hours a day. A significant progressive whitening will occur, and when your treatment is complete, you’ll be amazed at the transformation.

Imagine a new look without invasive “extreme makeover” surgery. Aesthetic clinical procedures in dentistry can reduce the dental components that contribute to aging, creating a younger, fresher, and brighter appearance. Worn or missing teeth can decrease the area between the nose and chin, dramatically aging  appearance. Vertical lines around the lips and mouth caused by reduced tension on facial skin make people look older.

In addition to drooping skin, natural bone and teeth structure change and deteriorate as people grow older. We now understand how the oral structure can contribute to aging. With this solid understanding, Dr. Vinings and his staff have found that oral cosmetic procedures, what we call a non-surgical face lift, can make patients look and feel younger.

A dental facelift incorporates rebuilding the oral structures that support facial skin. After Dr. Vinings replaces or repairs your missing and worn teeth, your body will naturally rebuild muscle structure, tightening the skin and reducing the signs of aging.

This non-invasive surgery comes with no more risks than any other non-surgical dental procedure. The recovery time is minimal, especially when compared to recovery time associated with surgery.

Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, affects more patients than you’d suspect. The main symptom is bleeding gums. Pain, swelling, and other symptoms you may associate with an oral disease usually don’t exist. The truth is, this common and often unrecognized condition can cause bone deterioration or tooth loosening and loss, and it can also contribute to heart disease, cardiovascular disease, Type II Diabetes, and possible Alzheimer’s.

If your gums bleed, or if you haven’t been in for a preventative exam recently, schedule an appointment now to let our team determine if you suffer from periodontal disease.

Modern treatment for gum disease is no longer invasive, and laser therapies have replaced traditional surgical therapies. Dr. Vinings uses the Waterlase and DEKA high speed CO2 laser for periodontal treatments. The procedures are so gentle that often, only a topical anesthetic is necessary.

Nagging headaches, recurring earaches, or pain when opening or closing your mouth can be signs of TMD. Dr. Vinings has extensive experience in treating TMD, and his postgraduate studies through LVI have kept him abreast of cutting-edge clinical techniques related to neuromuscular dentistry.

After a comprehensive oral exam, we will administer two primary tests to determine if you have TMD and to measure the severity of your condition. Then we’ll either work on neuromuscular positioning for rebuilding, an orthotic to stabilize your bite, or full mouth restoration to achieve your optimal bite position. Occasionally we will suggest neuromuscular orthodontics, in which case we’ll refer you to a trusted specialist for treatment.

This comprehensive diagnosis and treatment procedure can free you from your constant TMD pain and give you your life back.

Our staff enjoys working with patients of all ages, and because we have training and experience in a diverse menu of dental procedures, we can be the dentist of choice for your whole family. From preventative general care, to fillings, crowns, and periodontal treatment, our services cater to the needs of everyone in your family. We also offer implant restoration, single and multiple tooth restorations, and full mouth rehabilitation.

If you have a question about a procedure not listed on our Website, contact us, and we’ll gladly discuss your question.

Your comfort, from the moment you step in our door and throughout your procedures, is important to us. If you’re apprehensive about dentistry, our team will work to quell your fears and prove that quality dentistry is safe, stress-free, and virtually painless. Talk with us about your concerns so we can ensure that you receive the best anesthesia option for your unique situation.

Local Anesthesia

Local anesthesia is the most common form of anesthesia we use. Dr. Vinings has an extraordinarily gentle injection technique, so patients rarely feel any discomfort during administration. Local anesthesia numbs only a portion of the mouth and face, so patients are completely coherent and can communicate with the doctor and staff during their treatment. The effects subside relatively quickly, so you can drive and resume normal activities right after your appointment.

Nitrous Oxide (or Laughing Gas)
Nitrous oxide, commonly called laughing gas, is administered through a mask. During your dental procedure, you’ll be able to communicate with the doctor, but your anxiety will be greatly reduced, and you’ll experience less discomfort. The effects wear off rather quickly, so you can return to work or activity after your visit.

Conscious Sedation

For patients who experience anxiety before a dental appointment, conscious sedation can work wonders. We’ll give you one pill to swallow about an hour before your procedure, and you’ll feel deeply relaxed throughout treatment. You will need a friend or relative to drive you home because the effects of oral sedation take time to wear off. If you choose this form of sedation, clear your schedule for the remainder of the day after your
procedure.

IV Sedation

We can bring in a licensed anesthesiologist for patients who prefer intravenous sedation. This method of anesthesia is similar to conscious sedation in that it puts patients into a deep state of relaxation, and it takes time for the effects to subside. You’ll need a ride home after your appointment, and you shouldn’t schedule any activities for the rest of the day.

Because we’re passionate about the total-body health of our patients, we offer total healthcare products that we have found to improve health and wellness for our families.

Jan Marini, a premium skincare line we use and trust, has been known to reduce the signs of aging. Erase lines and wrinkles, sun damage, spots, and blemishes with this professional selection of researched and proven skincare products.

Visit Jan Marini Website

Do you love to feel good, but you just don’t have time and appetite to eat nine fruits and nine veggies every day? Well, now you don’t have to. Juice Plus offers all these nutritious foods that improve health and energy in two little capsules. It works for us, and we want you to experience the difference for yourself. Click here to visit JuicePlus.

Do you dream about having a smile full of sparkling, straight teeth, but you just can’t imagine yourself wearing traditional metal braces? You’ve probably invested in a professional, mature image, and you shouldn’t have to look like a teenager to straighten your teeth. We agree. Now Dr Vinings can make your dreams come true.
Learn more about Invisalign

Your time is valuable, and so is your smile. Now you can have a strong, beautiful, and permanent dental crown, inlay, or onlay milled and placed in a single office visit. With CEREC technology, millions of dental patients have enjoyed the convenience of one-visit crowns, inlays and onlays without having to mess with temporaries.
Learn more about CEREC