Two oral health care professionals – your dentist and the dental hygienist – will likely see you. The hygienist will conduct an initial oral exam of your gums and teeth, document any changes in your overall health and medicine use, clean and polish your teeth, talk to you about caring for your teeth and gums, and answer any questions you might have about home care products. Your dentist will also conduct an oral exam of your mouth (for signs of oral cancer or other diseases), gums, and teeth; ask about changes in your overall health or medicine use; review the cleaning done by the hygienist; diagnose any oral health problems; and make treatment recommendations.
X-rays
If you’ve had dental x-rays in the last six months, please bring them to your first appointment. If you don’t have them, plan on biting down on that little cardboard thingy. New x-rays will be taken.
Teeth cleaning may be performed during your first visit, or might be scheduled for a follow-up visit depending on the condition of your teeth and gums.
Gold fillings  are made to order in a laboratory and then cemented into place. Gold inlays are well tolerated by gum tissues, and may last more than 20 years. For these reasons, many authorities consider gold the best filling material. However, it is often the most expensive choice and requires multiple visits.
Veneers
Are strong but brittle. Porcelain veneers typically do best in those situations where the forces placed upon them are relatively light or passive.
Crowns
Patients requiring crown or bridge services may cancel treatment with no charge prior to natural teeth being prepared or altered for the prosthetic. Once tooth preparation occurs, patients are liable for the estimated full cost of the services even if they choose not to complete treatment.
Although home-based tooth brushing and flossing help remove plaque, only a professional cleaning – provided by your dentist or dental hygienist – can thoroughly clean your teeth and remove the hardened plaque (called calculus or tartar) that builds up on teeth. Most hygienists use a series of metal hand instruments to clean your teeth. Some are using ultrasonic scalers, which provide deep cleaning above and below the gum line.
If the crown falls off, make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible and bring the crown with you. If you can’t get to the dentist right away and the tooth is causing pain, use a cotton swab to apply a little clove oil to the sensitive area (clove oil can be purchased at your local drug store or in the spice aisle of your grocery store). If possible, slip the crown back over the tooth. Before doing so, coat the inner surface with an over-the-counter dental cement, toothpaste, or denture adhesive, to help hold the crown in place. Do not use super glue!
A dental implant is an artificial tooth that is inserted into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge. Dental implants may be an option for people who have lost a tooth or teeth due to periodontal disease, an injury, or various other reasons.
Antibiotics are strong medicines that can save lives in the face of infection. However, they are not needed in every situation. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has issued several warnings on the consequences of inappropriate use of antibiotics. As surgeons dealing mostly with the head and neck, we have the luxury of a region that has a very rich blood supply, and a tremendous ability to resist infection. It is for that reason that not every surgery we perform necessitates the use of antibiotics afterward. There have been numerous studies published that show the use of antibiotics after most oral surgery procedures in healthy patients does not affect the infection rate. The general rule at our practice is: If you need antibiotics to fight an infection, or if you have a disease that lessens your body’s ability to fight infection, a prescription will be given. If you do not fall into one of these categories, no antibiotics will be required. That does not necessarily mean that you will not get an infection afterward- just that the use of antibiotics after surgery will not change the risk.
Jaw Surgery
Numbness of the lip, tongue, gums, teeth etc. is a common occurrence after lower jaw surgery. It is usually caused by some type of irritation to the nerves involved and over 90% of the time resolves within a few days or weeks. Occasionally, it may take longer to resolve. Fortunately, it is just a feeling sensation and does not cause a muscle weakness. It is however, important for you to have us evaluate this so appropriate recommendations can be made.
Maxillofacial Surgery
All instruments are cleaned and then sterilized after each use. Each instrument pack or bundle is tested with chemical indicators to confirm sterilization parameters have been achieved. Our autoclaves (sterilizers) are spore-tested with each use (state of Texas requires only weekly spore-testing) to ensure it is working properly prior to using the instruments. Each patient receives their own IV bag or nitrous mask to prevent transmission of disease to other patients. Our office was one of the first to exercise these precautions. We have set the standard for monitoring of instrument sterility in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
Tooth Extractions
In order to diagnose and treat any problems involving the teeth or jaw, X-rays are necessary. For wisdom tooth extraction, we will need a panoramic taken at our office on the same day of surgery. At the Allen Office, we use 3D Cone Beam Scan to insure the location of the tooth needing extraction, nerves, and blood vessels.
Bone Grafting
Almost always there will be some tissue or bone grafting. Remember that when you have lost your tooth, there is a high possibility of tissue and bone loss. Even taking an extraction out will cause damage to adjacent bone that may also need bone and tissue grafting.
Indirect bonding allows for more precise placement of brackets compared to the original technique of mounting each one by hand. This is because we make a custom mold of your teeth to work off of. Indirect orthodontics allow the brackets to be placed precisely in the molded tray that will then be placed in your mouth to ensure proper position while bonding. This procedure takes far less time and effort to complete which provides added comfort to the patient. The ease of this indirect method also helps when the patient is young and cannot hold still for long. Not having to hand place brackets in the back of the mouth also eliminates discomfort to patients.
Braces
Dental Republic specializes in Indirect Orthodontic Braces. They look like traditional braces, but are placed on the teeth with an upgraded procedure. In the indirect bonding method, the brackets are positioned using tray molds of your teeth for increased accuracy.
Zooom! Whitening Professional In-Office teeth whitening delivers optimum whitening results in a short amount of time. Performed at Dental Republic under supervision of a dentist, this method of tooth whitening most effective method of chemically whitening your teeth.
Cosmetic Dentistry
General Dentistry
Dr Hemavathi Patil grew up in India and received her Bachelors of dental surgery degree (BDS) in 1999 and Masters in Oral Medicine and Radiology (MDS) in 2002. Dr. Patil moved to the United states in 2004 and received her Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) with honors in 2008 from “NEW YORK UNIVERSITY”. Dr. Patil then practiced General Dentistry in chicago for 6 years before moving to the Dallas area.