Professional Teeth Whitening

Whiter Teeth

When it comes to a perfect smile everybody thinks of the superstar pearly white teeth that just shine whenever you smile! Behind each perfect white smile there’s a long history of complex dental care, cosmetic dentistry and advanced Read more

Virginia Dentistry

Virginia Dentistry license

According to the Code of Virginia (Chapter 27 of Title 54.1)”No person shall practice dentistry unless he possesses a current valid license from the Board of dentistry”. According to the same code dentistry is defined as:” nonsurgical or related procedures, of diseases, disorders, and conditions of the oral cavity and the maxillofacial, adjacent and associated structures and their impact on the human body”.

For anyone willing to practice dentistry in Virginia one needs to obtain a dental license from the Virginia Board of Dentistry. The Virginia requirements for potential Virginia dentists require the completion of a nationally recognized dental school, the completion of a two part written national board exam as well as a fully completed application you can find here. These forms are necessary for any dental jobs in Virginia to be able to legally exist and upon their approval they also make any dental practice legally liable to follow the Virginia dental hygiene laws.

Virginia dental hygiene laws

The state of Virginia regulates Virginia dentistry practices through its dental hygiene laws that mandate that each dentist must obtain a license before practicing dental services. They also mandate special certifications to attest the ability of dentists to perform special procedures such as cosmetic dentistry, X-ray safety regulations and many more. Although not required by law, The Virginia board of dentistry recommends that every dentist in Virginia take the Virginia Dental Law examination to show their understanding of all the laws regulating dentistry and dental hygiene in the state of Virginia. You can find all the forms and relevant information about dentistry procedures and regulations.

Consumer complaints

While the laws and regulations mandate necessary requirement to safeguard patients’ health and standardize quality among dental practices, they also allow for consumers to report health care practitioners that might have violated any dental hygiene requirement or have been involved in any unlawful medical procedure. You can file a complaint about any improper dental service by clicking here.

General Dentist

What is general dentistry?

General dentistry focuses on preventing, diagnosing and treating a variety of issues affecting you dental health from monitoring dental hygiene, regular checkups, treatment of cavities, infected, damaged or broken teeth, performing root canals, implants, dentures and many more. (For a detailed description about various dental procedures click on the “Common Procedure” page)

A general dentist is your primary resource when seeking dental care (preventive and restorative) as well as when needing referrals for specialized dental procedures such as seeing an oral surgeon or a cosmetic dentist or needing a laser dentistry procedure. Among Virginia dentists, general dentistry is one of the widest from of practiced dentistry.

Family dentistry

A family dentist offers general dentistry services for both adults and children. Whereas all general dentists need to diagnose and treat adult patients, a family dentist needs to be a very gentle dentist, also trained to diagnose and treat children in either preventive or restorative care. Visiting a family dentist regularly will be a great way to educate your children about the importance of maintaining a good dental health from an early age. There are various dental practices in Virginia that offer both general dentistry and family dentistry. If you live in the Springfield, Fairfax Burke area of Virginia you can check out this Northern Virginia dentist office in the area that offers both general and pediatric dentistry, being one of the dentists Fairfax Virginia, or Springfield dentists that offer both practices.

Preventive dental care

Your general dentist and/or your family dentists are your first and best resources in monitoring your oral health through regular checkups and preventive dental care procedures such as professional cleaning, screenings and any other procedure made to keep your smile healthy. Regardless of whatever insurance or dental discount plan you may have, preventive dental care is the most economically efficient way to keep dental care costs low by maintaining your oral health in perfect shape. Any general dentist will be able to perform preventive dental care procedures, but it is your responsibility to make sure how your insurance plan may cover these services.

Cosmetic Dentistry

What is cosmetic dentistry

Cosmetic dentistry blends in art, science and the state of the art dental technology, all in an attempt to make your pearly whites look perfect. Cosmetic dental procedures range from correcting uneven teeth, correcting tooth discoloration, applying veneers, lumineers, dental implants or any other procedure made to restore your teeth’s color, shape, alignment and shine. Before searching for Virginia cosmetic dentists you should first read a little bit of the various cosmetic techniques available.

Cosmetic dental techniques

From extreme makeovers in terms of dental damage to easy procedures, they have all improved in quality leading to fantastic results as technology develops more and more.You can now correct for crooked teeth by setting up clear braces no one will know you are wearing. You can also fill out the space between teeth and correct their shape by adding porcelain veneers- custom made shells that cover your natural tooth to enhance its enamel, shape or size.

You can also correct for discoloration through professional whitening treatments applied in your dentists office. Very popular over the counter whitening treatments, although appealing are never as effective as a professional whitening treatment performed by your dentist. They have also been proven to increase your tooth sensitivity and also deteriorate the heath of your gums and enamel.

If you are afraid of all the pain involved you can be relieved as there are various painless dentistry options available at the moment: you can look for laser dentistry practices or you search for a sedation dentist that will perform any dental treatment only while you are sedated.

Cosmetic dentistry financing

As PPO dental insurance plans do not really cover a large proportion of cosmetic dentistry procedures (some don’t even cover any) most people hold back from gaining a great perfect white smile because they are afraid of paying high amounts out of pocket. As your dental health and beauty are priceless, most cosmetic dentists offer financing plans that will allow you to set multiple monthly payments to cover the costs of various cosmetic procedures. Some work with large credit card companies such as Capital One and Care Credit in crafting the best dental financing plan for your needs.

Common Procedures

Dental procedures vary but with the advent of ever increasing cutting edge technology, dental procedures have radically transformed into more efficient longer lasting procedures that will keep your smile healthy and bright.

When looking for a dentist you should check for a dental procedures list they may post on their website to make sure they have a wide variety of services they can offer to you. According to its purpose, each dental procedure can be categorized under various types of general procedures. Each Virginia dentist have been provided with dental licenses to attest their ability to perform such general procedures, whereas more complicated ones require special licenses.

Preventive procedures

These procedures focus on taking care of your teeth through check- ups, cleaning and monitoring procedures to prevent future tooth damage such as cavities, misaligned teeth and so on. Starting to have these procedures performed by your dentist at an early age will guarantee you a good oral health. Dental insurance plans as well as dental discount plans cover the costs of preventive procedures as they also focus on you keeping your teeth healthy and bright.

Restorative procedures

These procedures treat existing damage to your teeth gums or jaws. For mild damages such as minor cavities, dental fillings are performed to remove the cavities and restore your tooth’s health. For more seriously damaged teeth or infected teeth root canals may need to be performed and your tooth’s strength and health will be restored through the help of a dental crown, dental bridge, dentures or any other procedures your dentist deems necessary.

Dental surgical procedures

Dental surgical procedures involve various types of dental extraction (whether it is severely damaged teeth that can no longer be restored, or wisdom teeth extraction). For more complex dental surgery procedures such as full mouth reconstruction or complex tooth extractions you may need to see an oral surgeon.

Cosmetic dental procedures

Cosmetic dentist services focus on improving the beauty of your smile. They can correct the shape or alignment of your teeth, perform various teeth whitening procedures. Cosmetic dental procedures cost more than preventive or general dentist procedures, and most of the times are not covered by your dental insurance. For more information about these cosmetic dental procedures, click on the “Cosmetic Dentistry” page.

Finding a Dentist

Finding a dentist is sometimes a daunting task for some but here‘s a mini guide with some great tips to help you find northern Virginia dentists, Virginia dentists and any of the many dentists VA has to offer.

Dentist Search

There are many ways to find a dentist, but in today’s high health care costs, your first search option should be the preferred network of dental providers your insurance company has. Most insurance companies nowadays enable you to search online for a preferred dentist list in their network. If you are not sure about this process you can always call the customer care number on your dental insurance card to speak to a representative that will be able to assist you with that.

Another option is searching for a dentist within your local community area. You can browse through our dentist directory online or through the yellow pages. Sometimes asking your friends or co-workers to recommend you their dentist is also a good start for building options to choose from.

Find a Good Dentist

With today’s fast internet access to information it is relatively easy to find a dentist, but the real question is how to find a dentist to fit your needs? According to your state of oral health a good dentist can play a crucial role in helping you keep your smile healthy. If you have a good oral health and undamaged teeth, you need preventive care done properly as to maintain your smile healthy and bright.

On the other hand, if you have damaged teeth, finding a good dentist to address those problems becomes a crucial point. Make sure to read the websites of various dental practices you browse through. The more detailed they have a website, the more information you can learn about the services they offer. Reading through dentist reviews is also a good way to see other people’s opinion of certain dental services they have received from a dental practice.

Payment Options

Regardless of your age and income, having a dental insurance plan is of great importance in making sure you are financially able to preserve and restore your dental health. It is your responsibility to review the benefits of each insurance plan and also understand how and where you can use our insurance plans. For procedures such as cosmetic dentistry these plans may not cover any costs but there are various financing options available.