From the Office

Your teeth and gums are precious resources that should be protected, through both diligent home care and respectful dental care alike. At my Boulder dental clinic, my team and I prefer to practice a conservative style called minimally-invasive dentistry. This means we realize that your one set of teeth are irreplaceable and recommend the least-invasive methods first. If there are ways we can solve your problem with less risk, less discomfort, less removal of enamel, etc, we will search for the solution that has the least impact.

Conservative treatments allow us to preserve more of your natural teeth and involve less pain and tooth or gum trauma than more invasive measures. Most of the time this guiding principle is successful and our patients are able to find relief with minor tooth treatment like tooth-colored dental fillings, laser bacterial removal, and other procedures that are easy to undergo and recover from. In cases where additional reinforcement is needed, only then will we recommend the more invasive options such as ceramic crowns, dental implants, and endodontics (root canals).

The principle of minimally-invasive dentistry also translates to the equipment and technology used daily in our office. For instance, our digital X-ray services allow for optimal evaluation of teeth and gums with less hassle, risk and discomfort for our patients. Our dental restoration procedures are performed in the most efficient manner, with advanced equipment, in order to maximize your time and improve comfort while you are here.

If you are not happy with your current dentist and want to find out more about my practice and our minimally invasive style of dentistry, please schedule an appointment today.

Dr. Ania

The temporomandibular joint (nicknamed “TMJ”) refers to the joint responsible for jaw movement. Contrary to previous theories, problems with the TMJs are now believed to most often originate elsewhere in the bite system, instead of within the joint itself. In my practice, I frequently find that joint problems result from a misalignment of the teeth, referred to as a “malocclusion” or “bad bite.”

Jaw Joints and Your Body

The body is a mystery, but the more we uncover about the effects of the temporomandibular joints on the rest of the body, the more we are able to help patients escape the symptoms of a bad bite. Before the field of neuromuscular dentistry developed, jaw joint problems were misdiagnosed or overlooked. Even today, there are many dentists who aren’t trained to identify TMJ issues. As a neuromuscular dentist, I use state-of-the-art equipment to diagnose and treat jaw joint issues that are causing my patients distress. The one overlying lesson I’ve learned from specialized jaw joint training is that TMJ problems can cause even the most seemingly unrelated symptoms. Who would think that numbness in the fingers, shoulder pain and back pain could indicate a bad bite? More obvious symptoms include jaw pain, headaches, and clicking or popping sounds when opening and closing the jaw.

Treatment for Jaw Joint Problems

At our Boulder dental clinic, my neuromuscular dentistry team treats TMJ problems with conservative TMJ therapy first. Misalignment of temporomandibular joints is often resolved as a result of correcting a malocclusion, meaning that we align the bite correctly and the pain and other problems disappear. In most cases, our approach is non-surgical and may indicate wearing what we call an orthotic appliance to temporarily change the bite. If symptoms are resolved successfully, then a second phase of treatment may be indicated to permanently change the bite and hold the alignment of the joints and muscles.

We may prescribe certain anti-inflammatories or pain control medications, but use them sparingly so as not to mask important indicators that may help us find a solution. 

Things like sports injuries, arthritis, underbites, and uneven dental work are often found to cause jaw joint problems.  In many cases, anatomic abnormalities passed on through genetics create the uneven bite that causes TMJ symptoms. Whatever the cause, we can try a number of therapies designed to restore a healthy, harmonious bite and alleviate jaw joint pain.

Whether you are experiencing jaw pain or simply want to ensure your jaw joints are functioning optimally, we invite you to schedule an appointment to meet the team and learn more about how we care for your comprehensive dental health.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

Finding a new dentist doesn’t have to be stressful, especially if you know what you’re looking for before you begin. Here we make some suggestions as to the qualities and characteristics you might consider as you conduct your search. And, while it is great to have the finer points checked off paper, you should also trust your instincts when looking for a Boulder dental team to trust with your comprehensive dental health. If you get a good (or not so good) feeling about a practice, we encocurage you to ask many questions as you can and then move on if they don’t meet your expectations.

Technology

Ask your potential dental practices how they integrate technology and what types of advanced treatments or features are available currently. For example, laser dentistry and digital X-rays are two technological advancements that provide benefits like improved safety and early cavity detection.

Results

You can tell a lot about a dentist’s abilities from before and after photos of cosmetic dentistry treatments.

Personal Service

The way you are treated both over the phone and in person is a good indication of how the practice regards patients.

Attentiveness

Attentiveness is one thing that is missing from many medical and dental practices, especially when patients are scheduled back-to-back.

Education/Experience

Don’t be afraid to ask the dentist about his or her background and training, and to research the educational facilities and check for accreditation. 

Patient Education

A dentist who truly cares about the long-term health of patients will empower them through educational efforts, such as a dental blog, engaging visual aids, and fun educational models for kids. 

Amenities

A practice that offers amenities is likely one that will put forth extra effort to improve the whole patient experience.

Dental Treatments

Find out if the practice offers a wide variety of treatment types, so that you can have all of your dental needs met through one strong team. Ask about Invisalign® braces, porcelain veneers, or other dental restoration options, as well as dental rehabilitation services such as TMD treatment and periodontal therapy.

If you’re shopping for a new dentist, my team and I would be honored to have you come in for a dental wellness visit or a cosmetic dentistry consultation. Please schedule an appointment to meet with my Boulder dental team at your convenience and we’ll show you all we have to offer.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry 

The root canal procedure has earned a bad reputation as a painful and invasive dental procedure. This common misconception most likely originated decades ago before technological and anesthetic advancements made the root canal not just bearable, but quick and often painless.

At my dental practice in Boulder, we perform endodontic procedures using the latest techniques and technology. The root canal is actually a wonderful tool to help save teeth in trouble that would otherwise need to be removed.

Purpose of a Root Canal

The root canal is one of many restoration services designed to preserve your natural tooth and protect it from extraction. Unlike the less invasive options, the root canal is often the last resort option after more conservative treatments have been considered. If you have a severely infected tooth, or tooth that is cracked, fractured, or damaged beyond the repair capabilities of a filling or crown, a root canal may be your best treatment option.

What to Expect During the Root Canal

First, my assistant and I ensure that you are properly anesthetized. When the affected area is completely numb, I use a tiny dental drill to access the dental pulp through an opening in the enamel. I then perform a pulpectomy, the removal of diseased pulp. The root canals and pulp chamber are cleaned thoroughly and then enlarged. A non-toxic material called gutta-percha is used to fill the chamber and empty canals. Finally, I add a dental crown to the tooth to restore a natural appearance and provide additional support.

Choosing Your Endodontic Specialist

The dentist you choose can have a significant effect on your experience as well as your results. Ideally, you want a root canal specialist who has many years of experience and is an active leader in the field of dentistry. I believe the best way to provide excellent care is to stay current on dental techniques and technology through continuing education and organizational participation, I am currently a member of The American Dental Association, the Colorado Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. I continue to study all aspects of dentistry and regularly attend classes and seminars at the prestigious Las Vegas Institute.

To learn more about the root canal procedure and our other tooth restoration solutions, or to schedule your next dental wellness visit, please schedule an appointment to meet with my Boulder dental team.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

The Free Dictionary - Medical Dictionary Edition defines restorative dentistry as, “that branch of the healing arts concerned with the teeth, oral cavity, and associated structures, including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease and restoration of defective or missing tissue.”

Benefits of Dental Restoration

At my dental practice in Boulder, we are proud to offer several restorative solutions to help patients of all ages achieve and maintain the healthiest teeth and gums possible. Restorative dentistry requires both skill and creativity in that it is applied for both functional and aesthetic purposes. For you, this means our restorative services will leave you with teeth that are strong, durable, healthy, natural-looking, and beautiful.

Restoration Treatments

Our restoration services are completely personalized and optimized to ensure maximum comfort during treatment. We utilize the latest restorative dentistry techniques and technology in order to provide you with quality results that last many years and are highly resistant to damage. Depending on the information gathered in your initial consultation and exam, we may recommend one or more of the following restorative treatments to help you achieve optimal dental health.

• Invisalign™ braces
• Bioliner™ 
• Porcelain veneers
• Ceramic crowns
• TMJ treatment
• Dental implants
• Tooth whitening
• Periodontal treatment
• Laser dentistry

Start With an Exam

If you haven’t seen a dentist in awhile, we encourage you to schedule a professional hygiene appointment and X-ray session. Beginning with a thorough dental cleaning, we’ll evaluate your dental health up-close and carefully review your films. If there are any areas of concern, we will give you detailed information on your possible solutions.

Please note, you do not have to have a dental health issue in order to benefit from our restorative treatments. If there are physical traits you would like to change, such as an overly gummy smile, discolored teeth, or dark, metal fillings, we are able to apply cosmetic solutions to benefit your appearance while ensuring ultimate strength and durability. During your first visit, you can also inquire about our additional dental services, such as dental bridges, root canals, dentures, TMJ treatment, and AgilityGuard.

For additional details about our comprehensive Boulder dental services, please schedule an appointment to meet with the team.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

Dental care is a necessity, but many people put off getting the treatments they need in an attempt to save money. This delay can be hazardous to your health, especially now that research on the link between heart disease and gum disease is becoming more widely recognized.

Personalized Payment Assistance

At my dental practice in Boulder, we believe that every individual deserves exceptional dental care at an affordable cost. We understand that disposable income is scarce for many of our patients, and that paying for services the same day is often impossible. To help you afford care for yourself and your family members, our financial coordinator will sit down with you and design a program to fit comprehensive dental care into your budget. If you have insurance, together we’ll take a close look at your plan to see what services are covered. We’ll provide you with a detailed estimate before your treatment is performed and help you choose the payment option best suited to your needs.

You can read more about our costs and affordability in our previous blog,

The Affordability of Cosmetic Dentistry.

CareCredit Financing

The CareCredit card is the only one of it’s kind, and the only financing program we trust here at our Colorado dental office. With an application process that takes just minutes, you can get set up with low monthly payments and no upfront cost. Once you’re approved, you can use your card for a variety of healthcare services, including veterinary, hearing, LASIK & vision, cosmetic surgery, and, of course, dental.

CareCredit financing may be used on any treatment or service we offer, including:

For additional details about the financing and payment options we have available, please schedule an appointment to meet with our Boulder dental team.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

Do you have TMD?

Temporomandibular joint disorder, or TMD, describes a group of disorders affecting the temporomandibular joint, also known as the jaw joint. Problems in the muscles, tendons, bones, and ligaments of the jaw can manifest with symptoms like headaches, jaw pain, ringing in the ears, and even numbness of the hands and fingers. Something as minor as a misaligned crown can cause the bite to be uneven and put extra stress on the jaw muscles during chewing. What our TMD team does is identify the problem and apply personalized solutions to help TMD patients restore normal jaw function and eliminate pain.

• For more information on TMD, please read our blog entitled “Do You Have a ‘Bad Bite.’”

Customized Treatment Planning

At my dental practice in Boulder, we design personalized TMD treatment plans based on the origin of friction, or the pain generator causing the discomfort. The process of finding the source requires jaw mapping, a diagnostic tool that helps us understand where the stress point are within in the jaw muscles. Upon completion of an accurate TMJ diagnosis, we can begin to try solutions that will help you find relief from discomfort, often combining treatments for effective, long-term relief.

Options for TMD Relief

We offer several solutions to help TMD sufferers find relief from pain and restore a healthy bite. Our treatment program usually involves tiers, ranging from most conservative to least conservative. Here is an example of some of the TMD treatment methods being used today.

• Dental restoration (dental implants, fillings, crowns, etc.)
• Physical therapy
• Invisalign braces to realign the bite
• Acupuncture
• Stress management
• Medication therapy
• Jaw surgery
• Heat/cold therapy
• Mouthguards/appliances

A thorough analysis of factors like your body posture, oral habits, diet, stressors, and past dental work will help our team choose the ideal combination of solutions to restore a healthy jaw.

If you’d like a personalized TMJ evaluation, please schedule an appointment to meet with our skilled neuromuscular dentistry team.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

If you are in the process of looking for a Colorado dental center that is just right for you and your family’s needs, we have a few suggestions on how you can get acquainted with the dentists in your area that are up for consideration.

It is easy to get valuable insight into what a dental practice is like from the very first phone call. Notice how you are treated and how accommodating the patient coordinator comes across. Do they answer your questions thoroughly? Focused attention on the phone is a sign that the team truly cares about building patient relationships.

At my dental practice in Boulder, we make it effortless for our patients to get to know our staff upfront, before any actual dental work is performed. During your first visit, our patient coordinator will sit down with you and ask you a series of questions about what you are looking for in a dental practice. We also take this opportunity to get to know you as a person — your lifestyle, goals, hobbies, and motivations. At this time, you can feel free to ask us anything at all regarding our philosophy of care, experience, technology, insurance, financing, and anything else that may be on your mind.

If you are unsure about what to ask, here are a few suggestions:

Do you offer special amenities to make the dental visits more enjoyable?

What happens during the dental wellness checks?

Do you have photos of cosmetic dentistry results available to view?

What is your dental education and background?

How long have you been in practice?

How do you make visits fun for kids?

How important is technology in your practice?

This initial meet-and-greet is integral in understanding each patient’s unique needs so that we may provide exceptional personalized care.

If you are ready to find a dentist you can trust for years to come, please schedule an appointment to meet with our team and find out what we have to offer. 

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

If you are experiencing recurring headaches, jaw soreness, jaw clicking or popping, or neck and shoulder pain, it may be time to have your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) examined by a skilled Colorado neuromuscular dentist.

Temporomandibular disorder, or TMD, is a medical condition indicating dysfunction of the jaw joint. TMD sufferers experience a wide variety of symptoms when the jaw joint is out of alignment, usually the result of an accident, genetics, orthodontics, or arthritis. The symptoms mentioned above are just the tip of the iceberg — there are a wide range of symptoms that may indicate TMD, including numbness in the hands and ringing in the ears. What we want to do as your diagnostic team is to evaluate the symptoms and examine the components of the jaw, including muscles, ligaments, and tendons, to uncover the cause of the misalignment.

Often we will use sophisticated jaw-tracking technology to evaluate the musculoskeletal system and identify the components of the jaw that are weak. Digital imaging allows us to see how the inner workings of your jaw operate and to spot areas of stress. Once the underlying cause is pinpointed, we can choose the TMJ therapy program to eliminate your symptoms and gently realign your bite. Treatment may include a combination of efforts, such as cosmetic dentistry, braces, orthotics, and jaw joint manipulation exercises.

If you experience issues with your jaw joint and would like to know more about TMD, please read our previous blog Do You Have a Bad Bite? and give us a call to set up a personalized evaluation.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry

Tooth-colored fillings are a valuable dental procedure used to restore a tooth that has been damaged, either by decay or physical injury. Onlays and inlays are two types of deep fillings that protect natural teeth from further damage and prevent the need for extraction. Placed by a highly skilled cosmetic dentist, they can help increase tooth strength as much as 75%!

At my Boulder, Colorado dental office, all of our onlays and inlays are handcrafted from a safe ceramic, or glass-type material, in our dental laboratory. Unlike metal fillings, they will not expand and contract due to temperature changes so there’s no risk of internal cracking.

A dental inlay is recommended when a tooth’s decay or damage is confined to its indented top surface. A dental onlay is used when the damaged area encompasses one or more of the tooth cusps. Here’s a brief description of how they are placed.

1. We take an impression of the decayed or damaged tooth.
2. A temporary onlay or inlay is placed in position.
3. Your impression is sent to our state-of-the-art lab.
4. The onlay or inlay is created from ceramic material to match your exact specifications.
5. You return to our office for the placement of your permanent restoration.

Onlays and inlays require less tooth reduction than ceramic crowns, but more than regular fillings. My team and I often use them to restore a tooth that has carried a metal filling for too many years and is now in a weakened state because of it. (See our blog on When to Replace Old Fillings.)

If you have tooth issues that are minor or purely cosmetic in nature, you may want to consider dental bonding or porcelain veneers as an alternative to fillings.

If you’d like to learn about the benefits of dental onlays and inlays, please schedule an appointment with our experienced cosmetic dentistry team.

Dr. Ania

Comprehensive & Cosmetic Dentistry