We always screen for oral cancer because it is one of the fastest growing of all cancers. The early symptoms can be very subtle and painless so you probably won’t realize you have it until it becomes more advanced. Catching it early could save your life!

And to ensure that our screenings are the most accurate available, we have invested in the latest technology, such as digital x-rays and panographic x-ray equipment, to allow us to get a detailed overview of your entire mouth including your teeth, jawbone, sinuses and other parts of your head and neck.

If you have not had a dental check-up or comprehensive exam recently, give Plymouth Station Dental a call. We can help make sure your mouth is healthy – and that it stays that way.

You know that good oral hygiene and regular check-ups keep your teeth and gums healthy. But dental cleanings can also improve and protect your overall health as well.

Recent studies have linked a variety of oral health issues to whole-body health issues. For example, periodontal disease has been linked with an increased risk of heart disease and strokes. If cavities are left uncared for they can cause abscesses, infections and loss of jawbone.

We use a variety of comfortable and highly effective tools to assist us in your dental cleaning. One of our most powerful tools is the ultrasonic scaler, which uses high frequency sound waves (instead of metal scrapers and hand scalers) to clean teeth. This method is not only amazingly gentle but has also been proven effective in removing tartar from both above and below the gum line. We use these ultrasonic scalers both for regular cleanings and for more advanced periodontal care.

Pregnant women who have periodontal disease may be more likely to have a baby that is born too early and too small. Periodontal infection has been shown in several studies to have an adverse affect on glycemic control in people with diabetes.
Gum disease has been directly linked to a higher risk for all kinds of cancers including blood cancers, lung cancers, pancreatic cancers, kidney cancers and tongue cancer.
The risk for heart disease is doubled by periodontal disease because of increased levels of C-reactive protein, one of the known factors in cardiovascular diseases.
Multiple studies show more and more links between gum health and whole body health.

If you already have an active gum infection, we can treat and heal your gums with a variety of new technologies, such as ultrasonic scalers to deep clean with sound waves for effective and gentle scaling and root planing. Powerful antibiotics, such as Arestin, kill bacteria under the gum line with microspheres that stay under the gums for up to 21 days.

If you suspect that you have any level of gum disease or if it has been a while since your last cleaning, please give us a call. It could protect your teeth and your health!

Bruxism is unconsciously clenching or grinding down with too much force when you wouldn’t normally be chewing or biting anything, usually when you are sleeping, driving or working. While most people clench or grind primarily at night, you could be clenching any time of day, especially during times of increased stress.

Why is it so Important to Treat Bruxism?

Grinding your teeth can cause a wide variety of problems from wearing down or breaking your teeth, to jaw disorders and chronic headaches. If we see signs of bruxism or tooth grinding, we can fit you with a custom-made bruxism guard, night guard or occlusal splint to reduce the damage to your teeth from grinding or clenching and relieve your TMJ pain. The more you wear your appliance, the more you protect your teeth – and the better you feel!

If you think you might grind your teeth, call us today. We can help save your teeth and your dental work!

People – especially kids – suffer thousands of injuries each year participating in sports, biking, skateboarding or during other activities.

In fact, Edmond Hewlett, D.D.S., an ADA consumer advisor and associate professor at UCLA’s School of Dentistry, says “Injuries to the face from participating in a sport or other recreational activity can harm your child’s teeth, lips, cheeks and tongue, but a properly fitted mouth guard can help protect your child’s smile.”

Our custom-made mouth guards cushion blows that might cause injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw and, in the worst case, broken teeth. Even more importantly, they might also reduce the severity and incidence of concussions.

If you play a sport or have an active child, talk to us about how our custom-made sports mouth guards can protect your smile.

Our smile whitening can take your teeth from dull to dazzling in just one visit using Opalescence Boost (in-office) whitening. If you prefer to whiten your teeth in the comfort of your own home, we offer professional take-home whitening trays that can give you a movie star smile in just a few days of wearing our comfortable trays.

Over-the-counter methods may work to some degree, but the results are unpredictable and slow to show. Why not treat yourself to the comfort and confidence of professional bleaching? It’s a great way to prepare for any special occasion like a wedding or a big night out, but it is also a great confidence booster.

We will create custom molds to hold the special tooth whitening gel comfortably and securely against your teeth. Just pop them in your mouth to whiten in the car, in your office or while you are relaxing at home. In a few days, you’ll uncover the bright smile you always wanted!

Because bonding is done by hand, directly on the tooth, you don’t want just any dentist to apply your dental bonding.Dr. Fitzsimmons’s artistic touch really becomes evident when he is bonding teeth. He starts with the best bonding materials available. With these materials, he sculpts and builds, layer by layer, a beautiful restoration. The layers are shaded and varied to duplicate the depth of color and the color gradations that occur in natural teeth, and to match the teeth around the tooth being repaired. Once the bonding is hardened and polished, your teeth will look perfectly natural, beautiful and better than ever before.

Traditional Porcelain Veneers – Porcelain veneers are thin sheets of ceramic that bond directly to the front surfaces of the teeth. They are an ideal choice for improving your smile and have become increasingly popular due to their simplicity and versatility. Once they are bonded to your teeth, the ultra-thin porcelain veneers are virtually undetectable and highly resistant to coffee, tea or other staining agents. In both strength and appearance, their resemblance to healthy, white tooth enamel is unsurpassed by other restorative options.

Minimal-Prep Veneers – We offer the newest way to whiten, straighten, close gaps and repair chips – minimal-prep veneers! Minimal-prep veneers are porcelain veneers made from porcelain so strong and stain resistant that they can be made as thin as contact lenses and applied in a way that is completely non-invasive. They do not require removal of tooth structure and have been proven to last and last… yet they are completely reversible.

We start by talking to you about your goals and expectations, and working together, we will discover what you need. Once your goals have been determined, we will create a plan to achieve the results you want.

What Can a Smile Makeover Do for Me?

Our cosmetic smile makeovers can make you look younger and brighter, with a renewed confidence that lets you smile like never before! To find out more, call us today!

What Are Tooth Colored Fillings?

Tooth colored fillings, sometimes called white fillings, are actually a very hard “plastic” that bonds (micromechanically fuses) to the tooth, sealing and holding the tooth together. These fillings blend beautifully in your smile… and because we use the latest and best composite bonding materials, they have amazing restorative and staying power.

Why Choose Tooth Colored Fillings?

Many of our patients prefer them, because they say they are more comfortable both in the tooth, where metal sometimes shifts and can cause sensitivity, and to the tongue.

Metal fillings will expand when exposed to cold, such as ice cream or an iced drink, and contract when exposed to heat, such as soup or coffee. This movement of expanding and contracting can weaken the tooth walls and eventually lead to factures or breaks. It can also create a space between the tooth wall and the filling, allowing bacteria to get in under an existing filling and cause decay that your dentist can’t see.

Tooth colored fillings stay stable in the tooth without expanding and contracting in response to temperature changes, and they feel more like natural teeth. Best of all, they look like you have never had a cavity at all! Call us today for more information about tooth colored composite fillings or to schedule your appointment today!

Porcelain inlays and onlays are a great choice for restoration and repair of cavities or smaller areas of damage when a crown is not necessary. Beautiful and durable, they are formed to fit and fill most types of cavities and are almost impossible to distinguish from the natural tooth.

We have an outstanding reputation for the natural appearance and lasting quality of our dental restorations. Call us today and discover for yourself what we can do to bring your teeth back to optimum health and strength.

If you are missing one or two teeth and are not a candidate for dental implants, Dr. Fitzsimmons often recommends a dental bridge. A bridge consists of two crowns attaching a false tooth to the teeth on either side. Our bridges are fixed, so they stay in place and feel secure. Patients say these bridges are so comfortable, they sometimes forget they are there!

Dentures from Plymouth Station Dental are especially designed by Dr. Fitzsimmons to look as good as they feel, with multiple layers of colors and varying degrees of translucency to mimic the natural layers of the tooth. Once the appearance of your dentures has been decided, we carefully fit the dentures for a custom fit.

We always take plenty of time with you to discuss your needs and evaluate the way your dentures or bridges should fit and appear to suit you.

Why Choose Dental Implants?

Dental implants can both permanently replace one or more missing teeth and support dentures and bridges for a secure and astonishingly comfortable fit.

What are my Implant Restoration Options?

Dr. Carl Fitzsimmons can offer a variety of implant restoration options:

Single tooth replacement with an implant crown custom crafted to perfectly blend with your natural teeth.
Implant-supported bridge to replace several teeth. These are permanently anchored to the implant posts for a beautiful and secure bridge that lets you enjoy your food and look great!
Implant-supported denture to help create a comfortable bite, reduce chances of bone loss, enhance aesthetics and improve your speech. There is no longer any need to use adhesives or worry about teeth slipping while you are talking. Some actually feel the new dentures have taken years off their appearance.
Whatever implant restoration you choose, we can help you look great, feel younger and face life with renewed confidence. Why wait? Call us today to schedule an implant consultation and find out how we can help you feel and look better than ever before.

What is a Full Mouth Restoration?

Every full mouth restoration is unique. And though we call full mouth restorations by one name, they really are a collection of procedures, planned and designed together to bring your smile back to fully balanced function and beauty.

What a Full Mouth Restoration Can Do for You

Full mouth restoration dentistry involves restoring the teeth, bite, and muscles to a natural looking and youthful feeling condition, to improve self-esteem and enhance appearance and can combine any of these treatments:

The processes and the results of the restorations are as individual as our patients. But we can say this: A full mouth restoration from Plymouth Station Dental will help your smile look and feel young and healthy again!

How We Use CEREC to Make Your Care Easier…and Better

CEREC technology is pretty amazing. It starts with pin-sharp digital impressions. Since they require no mold material, they are not only more accurate, making our dentists’ lives easier, they are more comfortable as well. And our patients certainly love that!

These high resolution digital impressions can then be used to create and plan a variety of treatments.

Crowns, Inlays, and Onlays

— If you need a porcelain restoration, CEREC restorations may be the best option for you. We use your digital impressions to design the perfectly fitted repair, mill it with incredible CAD/CAM precision, custom tint it to match your tooth or teeth, and place it — all in one appointment! That means no temporaries, no return visits, and no extra Novocain shots! What could be better?

If we do decide that a restoration would be better created in one of our master labs, we will send them your digital impressions for improved accuracy.

Clear Correct Braces

–Patients love these braces for their convenience and the fact that they are virtually invisible. Now you can love them even more! CEREC digital impressions free you of the need for a mouthful of goo, and give flawless impressions that can be digitally managed and stored on a computer instead of in a box.

Eventually, we will use digital impressions for even more of our procedures. These are impressions designed to impress!

You Don’t Have to Live with Sleep Apnea!

According to the the World Sleep Day’s website, “Officially, about 4 percent of men and 2 percent of women in the United States have sleep apnea, but research shows that many more people are living with it. One estimate put numbers at 24 percent in men and 9 percent in women; another said nearly 14 percent of adults have the disorder.”

The Dangers of Sleep Apnea

The real problem is that sleep apnea is dangerous! Worse than the noise is the fact that breathing stops – over and over throughout the night – sometimes hundreds of times a night. The lack of oxygen causes the brain to initiate a muscle spasm to reopen the airway, which then wakes you up. With sleep apnea, you get the awful combination of oxygen deprivation and sleep deprivation.

Let Dr. Carl Fitzsimmons Help

We can help! If you feel that you might have, or if you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea, please talk to us. We can work with a sleep center or your primary physician to help you get the treatment you need. If you can’t tolerate a CPAP machine, the most common device for treatment of sleep apnea, our oral sleep apnea appliances might be just the thing you have been looking for. Talk to us today!

What Causes TMJ Disorder?

Often TMJ disorder or TMD originates with a bad bite or a lack of harmony in the way your teeth come together. It can be a result of an accident or other trauma, stress, clenching, or even poorly balanced dental work.

What Can Plymouth Station Dental do to Help?

Dr. Fitzsimmons uses the principles of Centric Relation to help relax your jaw muscles and move your bite back into its ideal position.

This process starts with a specially made bite appliance to relax your muscles and create an artificially perfect bite. Once your bite has relaxed into the proper position, we will use a variety of methods to keep your jaw comfortable, relaxed and in the ideal position.