Frequently Asked Questions

Healthy gums are pink, firm, textured, and rarely bleed. Red, swollen, or bleeding gums may indicate you’re experiencing an oral health issue, like plaque buildup, gingivitis, or periodontal disease. While untreated gum issues can cause permanent damage to your smile’s health and appearance, prompt treatment, like a routine cleaning or periodontal therapy, can safeguard your smile’s integrity.

While the earliest stages of tooth decay can be stopped or reversed with a healthy diet and the right use of fluoride, a cavity that has already formed cannot be reversed or healed. You can prevent further damage from tooth decay and maintain a natural-looking smile with timely cavity treatment and tooth-colored fillings from Dr. May.

The inner core of your teeth contain a delicate living tissue called pulp, which can become infected or inflamed due to injury or deep tooth decay. Diseased pulp won’t go away on its own or respond to antibiotics. Unless treated, serious complications can develop, including the risk of tooth loss, bone loss, and the spread of infection. Root canal therapy helps you stop the infection from spreading, alleviate pain, and save your natural teeth.

While you will experience some soreness in the days following a tooth extraction, you won’t feel any pain during the procedure itself. Along with providing detailed aftercare instructions for optimum healing, Dr. May and his team will ensure you’re completely comfortable during your procedure.

A single missing tooth can change your smile’s aesthetic, make it difficult to chew, or cause your other teeth to shift out of place. Depending on the location of the tooth and your unique situation and needs, you can replace a single missing tooth with a single dental implant or custom dental bridge.

Missing all or most of your teeth can be a distressing experience that can impact your quality of life and health in so many ways. If you’re missing all or most of your teeth, you can rebuild your smile’s function and appearance, preserve your facial structure, and enjoy better overall health with implant-supported dentures.

Though they don’t always cause pain, tooth chips, cracks, or breaks make your tooth vulnerable to further damage and tooth decay. Depending on the nature of the damage and your smile goals, Dr. May will recommend a dental crown or porcelain veneers.

The key to a natural-looking smile with porcelain veneers is choosing a shade that matches your overall facial aesthetic and receiving treatment from a skilled cosmetic dentist. Whether you’re seeking to repair discolored, uneven, chipped, or unevenly spaced teeth, Dr. May will work closely with you to create a bright, even, and beautiful smile that is completely indistinguishable from your natural teeth.

Your child’s first visit to the dentist is an important milestone in their immediate and lifelong health and development. Dr. May follows the guidelines of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists, which recommends your child have their first dental visit within six months of getting their first tooth or by their first birthday.

Also known as nitrous oxide, laughing gas is a mild sedative that is considered safe for adults and children alike. Along with helping your child stay calm and relaxed during their appointment if they experience anxiety, laughing gas may also be recommended if your child has special needs, is receiving simultaneous dental treatments during the same visit, or has a strong gag reflex.