Preventive Dental Care in Westwood, KS

At Sullivan Family Dental, we believe that most serious dental conditions can be prevented with routine dental cleanings and gum care. By taking a comprehensive approach to your oral health, Dr. Sullivan is able to diagnose problems early and use the most conservative treatment plans possible. Good preventive dental care is a team effort, and at Sullivan Family Dental, we are always on your team!

Preventive Dental Services

• Routine Dental Cleanings
• Personalized Dental Exams
• Custom Mouthguards & Nightguards

  Children and teens who participate in contact sports and high-impact recreational activities are at an increased risk of dental injury. Athletic mouthguards not only protect your child’s teeth and soft tissues, but they also help prevent more serious head trauma like concussions.

  If you experience chronic headaches or jaw pain first thing in the morning, you might be grinding your teeth or clenching your jaw while you sleep. These habits can really do a number on your teeth, so if Dr. Sullivan notices excessive wear-and-tear during your exam, she might recommend a custom-fitted nightguard to protect your teeth while you sleep. In addition to saving you a great deal of discomfort, a nightguard can also save you time and money on future dental treatment.

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• Oral Cancer Screenings

  Regular check-ups, including an exam of your entire mouth, are important for tracking the health of your smile and detecting cancerous or pre-cancerous conditions. Dr. Sullivan is skilled at identifying any early factors that may suggest cancer.

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• Dental Sealants

  Dental sealants, a thin, plastic film applied to the chewing surface of your molars, have proven to be extremely effective in preventing molar cavities. Children and adults can benefit from dental sealants.

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• Fluoride Treatments

  Fluoride strengthens tooth enamel and replaces important minerals that protect teeth from decay. Fluoride can even help reverse the early stages of decay! Most toothpastes include a safe and effective amount of fluoride, but Dr. Sullivan can also provide a more concentrated fluoride varnish to help fight off decay.

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Restorative Dental Care

If you're missing teeth, recovering from a dental injury, or struggling with a chronic dental condition, restorative care might be the best option for you and your smile. Rather than referring you to an oral surgeon or outside specialist, Dr. Sullivan provides a number of life-changing treatments in-house that will have you eating your favorite foods and smiling with confidence again in no time!

Restorative Dental Services

• Oral Surgery (Extractions)

  If we can save your natural tooth, we will – every single time. Sometimes, however, conditions in your mouth, ranging from infection to advanced tooth decay, make a tooth extraction the best option for your oral health. If this is the case, we will make sure your time with us is as comfortable and pleasant as possible.

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• Natural-Looking Fillings
  

  Tooth-colored fillings, also known as composite fillings, are a great alternative to traditional silver (amalgam) fillings. Because composite fillings resemble the color of your natural tooth, most people will never notice them!

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• Dental Implant Restorations
  

  Missing teeth can take the joy out of the everyday things you love, from eating your favorite foods to laughing and smiling with confidence. Dental implants are the preferred method of permanently replacing missing teeth, and they’re also one of the most effective ways to stabilize loose or ill-fitting dentures.

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• Endodontics (Root Canal Therapy)
  

  Root canal therapy is a highly successful restorative treatment for teeth that are infected or likely to become infected. Although root canal therapy has a reputation for being painful, the toothaches associated with an infected root are probably causing you more pain than the treatment will. Our Westwood dentist also provides nitrous oxide (laughing gas) to keep you comfortable throughout your visit.

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• Porcelain Crowns
• Fixed Dental Bridges
• Dentures and Removable Partial Dentures

Cosmetic Dental Care

We want you to be proud to show off your healthy and beautiful smile, so we offer several cosmetic dental treatments to enhance the appearance of your teeth. From professional teeth whitening to Invisalign clear braces, we can help you get the smile of your dreams!

Cosmetic Dental Services

• Invisalign^® Clear Braces
• Professional Teeth Whitening
• Porcelain Veneers

  Porcelain veneers can completely transform teeth that are chipped, cracked, widely spaced, or too discolored for traditional whitening. Veneers are thin, custom-made porcelain casings that cover the front side of your teeth to perfect the look of your smile.

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Periodontal & Oral Care

According to the American Academy of Periodontology, approximately three out of four Americans suffer from some form of gum disease—from mild cases of gingivitis, to the more severe form known as periodontitis. If your gums feel tender, look red and swollen, or bleed every time you floss, you could be at risk for gum disease. Untreated gum disease has been linked to other serious health problems, so it's important to keep up with your gum care and dental cleanings.

Gum disease used to require surgery, and while surgery is still sometimes the best option, we can now provide gum care with less invasive techniques, including local antibiotics, deep cleanings, and medicated rinses.

Periodontal Services

• Diagnosis of Gum Disease
• Scaling and Root Planing (Deep Cleaning)
• Long-Term Maintenance Plans

Arestin^®

If you have any degree of gum disease, we want to help. Ask Dr. Sullivan about Arestin, an antibiotic powder that can stop the infection right where it starts. After your deep cleaning, Dr. Sullivan simply applies the antibiotic to the small space between your tooth and gum tissue. The procedure is comfortable and has been proven to fight infection for up to 21 days.

Sleep Apnea Treatment

Sleep apnea is a serious concern. If you suspect you might have this sleep disorder or you want to check if you do, we can give you a take-home sleep study and provide you with treatment recommendations if necessary. We are proud to offer this study to our patients as a more convenient and affordable option than hospital sleep studies.

State-of-the-Art Facility

With all the advancements happening with dental technology, you shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than the most comfortable and effective dental treatments. We use advanced technology to make sure your diagnosis, treatment plans, and long-term maintenance plans help you achieve a healthy and beautiful smile that lasts a lifetime.

Advanced Dental Services

• Digital & Panoramic X-rays

  Digital X-rays have a number of benefits over conventional X-rays. In addition to being faster (the images are available on our computer screen within seconds), they also emit significantly less radiation and require no sharp X-ray film. With just a few small digital sensors, we can get a clear and precise view of your teeth, sinuses, and upper and lower jaws.

  Many serious dental conditions can go unnoticed during a standard visual exam, so we incorporate digital X-rays to make sure we always see the big picture. X-rays help us diagnose:

  • Small areas of decay between teeth
  • Decay below existing restorations
  • Deep cavities, abscesses, and cysts
  • Gum disease and Infections
  • Developmental abnormalities
  • Some types of tumors
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• Intraoral Camera

  Like digital X-rays, digital photographs taken with our intraoral camera are a useful diagnostic and patient education tool. Using the camera, we can give you a “tour” of your mouth, live on our computer screen. These images help us guide you through your diagnosis and treatment options, and they help Dr. Sullivan better visualize and diagnose issues that might not have been found without the up-close view.

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Anxiety-Free Dentistry with Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, is a colorless blend of oxygen and nitrous oxide gases with a pleasant smell. Inhaling nitrous oxide creates a sense of well-being and relaxation, which can help children and adults who experience dental anxiety or fear about dental treatment feel more at ease. It is also helpful for patients who have a strong gag reflex that interferes with dental treatments. During treatment, you'll still remain fully conscious and you can reverse its effects by simply breathing pure oxygen for several minutes after treatment.