Below are a list of Services we provide.

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Preventive Dental Education

Prevention is a foundational cornerstone of our practice. Be assured you will receive individualized oral hygiene instruction and nutritional education if you are interested. Our goal is to educate you to understand the link between your oral health and you total body health.

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Restorative Dentistry

What is restorative dentistry? To restore your mouth so you can chew pain free and be infection free. How is this restoration achieved? Through the use of fillings, crowns, bridges, implants, partials, dentures, root canals and proper occlusion (bite). If you would like more information about each of these specific procedures go to our resources page or give us a call.

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Mercury SAFE Dentistry

Studies have shown that dentists and dental assistants have elevated levels of mercury. The studies have shown that dentists have a higher incident of tremors, slower reaction time, higher levels of mercury in their kidneys and pituitary gland, memory disturbances, higher heart rates, nervous disorders, emotional changes, and higher incidences of suicide than the general population. Female dentists and female dental assistants have shown a higher incidence of aborted pregnancies and a higher rate of birth defects with their offspring than the general population.

One-half gram of mercury, the amount of mercury in an average sized amalgam, can poison a 10 acre lake, making the fish unsuitable for consumption. Not placing amalgam (the black mercury-silver fillings) is beneficial to everyone involved. It’s no longer enough to be a “mercury free” practice (not placing new amalgams) we need to be “mercury safe” because extraordinarily large amounts of mercury are released when it is removed unsafely. Call us and ask about our safe mercury removal protocol.

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Caries Risk Assessment

Are you one of those patients that you don’t eat sugar, you brush and floss and still get cavities? There is hope with Cari-free! CAMBRA (caries assessment management by risk assessment) is not just telling you that you need to brush more and eat less sugar. If you are in the high risk category and you do not make any changes to your routine and diet clinical studies show that you have an 88% chance of a new cavity in ONE year. We evaluate your risk factors; disease indicators and biofilm challenge then along with you develop a personalized plan of attack to help you decrease your risk of future cavities. You will not only be helping yourself but your family too because dental decay is familial and can be passed on to your children. Come in and see us for a free risk assessment, let’s talk.

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Oral Cancer Screening

Oral cancer includes mouth cancer, tongue cancer, tonsil cancer and throat cancer. In 2012 approximately 40,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer. One person dies of oral cancer every hour of every day. This is the fifth year in a row in which there has been an increase in the rate of occurrence of oral cancer. There are two distinct pathways by which most people come to oral cancer. One is through the long term use of tobacco and alcohol and the second is through exposure to HPV-16 virus (human papilloma virus version 16), a newly identified etiology, and the same one which is responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancer in women. A small percentage of people (under 7%) do get oral cancers from no currently identified cause. It is currently believed that these are likely related to some genetic predisposition.

In our dental practice we perform a visual and palpation oral cancer exam of the tongue and mouth only every time you have a check-up. Should you desire additional information about the signs and symptoms of oral cancer we encourage you to go to the oral cancer foundation.org. We wish to thank the oral cancer foundation for the above listed statics.

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Mercury Free and Metal Free Restorations

You no longer need to suffer with black mercury-silver filling and crowns with black at the gum line. The composite and porcelain/zirconia restorations of today have been proven very functional, durable and biocompatible. If you have a concern about allergies to the materials we utilize a simple blood test (Clifford Materials Reactivity Report Dental Panel) that can determine if you may be suited or not well suited for a particular dental material.

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BPA Free Fillings & Root Canal

What is BPA? Bisphenol A is a chemical found in just about every consumer product containing plastic. For example soup cans water bottles, Sippy cups, baby bottles, plastic bags, even some dental sealants and fillings. BPA has been around for the past six or seven decades. It is a synthetic chemical that is categorized as a man-made substance found in our environment that is an endocrine disrupter. Some of the disorders now connected to BPA include obesity, infertility, early puberty, prostate disease, breast cancer, impaired immune function, and others. Fortunately manufactures are becoming aware of these issues. We strive to utilize BPA-free dental materials.

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Limited Orthodontic Treatment

Crooked or crowded teeth are hard to clean and maintain. A bad bite can cause abnormal wear of tooth surfaces, difficulty in chewing and or speaking, excessive stress on supporting bone and gum tissue. Without treatment many problems become worse and can require additional dental care later in life. It is the recommendation of the orthodontic association that all children be evaluated for bite issues at age 7. At every check-up appointment we are evaluating the eruption of your child’s teeth and development of your child’s jaw. We will educate you on your options such as no treatment, Crozats appliances, Invisalign or traditional orthodontics.

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Nitrous Oxide

Nitrous oxide is a gas which you can breathe. It is colorless sweet-smelling and nonirritating. After five minutes or so of breathing in the gas, you should feel a sense of euphoria spread throughout your body. On occasion people even giggle.

The nitrous oxide gas is delivered through a tube that is attached to a comfortable hood that fits over your nose. All you have to do is breath through your nose. Nitrous oxide works very rapidly, reaching the brain within 5 minutes.

The depth of sedation can be altered from moment to moment, allowing the person who administers the gas to adjust the depth of sedation. The gas is eliminated from the body within 3 to 5 minutes after the gas is stopped and pure oxygen is inhaled. If your head feels clear and you judge yourself alert you can drive yourself home. Nitrous oxide has been found to reduce or eliminate gagging and decrease anxiety.

Please let us know if you would like to try nitrous oxide at or before your next dental appointment. If you do not like it you simply need to breathe oxygen to clear the nitrous oxide out of your system. If the nitrous oxide alone does not relieve your anxiety it can be combined with anti-anxiety medications to fully relieve the anxiety.

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TMJ Diagnosis & Treatment

Temporomandibular disorders can have many different signs and symptoms including pain in or around the ear, tender jaw muscles, excessive tooth wear, clicking or popping noises in the jaw, difficulty opening or closing the mouth, pain while chewing or yawning, the jaw joint feels “locked”, “stuck” or “goes out of joint” and can cause headaches. The diagnosis and treatment of TMD (temporomandibular dysfunction) is complex and requires a problem focused examination and some cases specialized x-rays to look at the jaw joint. Dr. Engler years ago focused additional study with the International Partnership for the Study of Occlusion (formerly Niles Guichet Associates) to more fully understand occlusion (how your teeth bite together) and how occlusion can affect the success of your dental work and the health of your TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint).

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Laser Gum Treatment

We are blessed in Colorado to be the home for much of the pioneering histological research on laser-assisted new attachment procedure (LANAP). LANAP is a surgical (no cutting no stitches) gum therapy designed for the treatment of gum disease through regeneration rather than resection. The laser once placed in the periodontal pocket selectively removes the infected pocket lining at the histological level. Stimulation of the existing stem cells permits the formation of new root surface coating (cementum) and new connective tissue (periodontal ligament) formation (collegen) on the tooth root. Although LANAP is not used to treat every form of gum disease it does have many applications. When indicated we have several specialists we refer our patients to for treatment.

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Periodontal Treatment

Recent research suggests that there may be a link between gum disease and other health problems. Gum disease (periodontal disease) is an infection of the gums that destroys bone and other tissues that support the teeth. Brushing and flossing can help prevent your gums and bone from becoming irritated by the toxic agents produced by plaque bacteria. Brushing and flossing in addition to a professional cleaning by our highly skilled hygienist are critical.

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Full & Partial Dentures

Dentures and partials are replacements for missing teeth. These replacements should be removed when you sleep, cleaned nightly and then back into your mouth in the morning. While dentures take some getting used to, and will never feel exactly the same as one’s natural teeth, today’s dentures are natural looking and more comfortable than ever. There are several types of dentures and partials please schedule a free consultation so we can discuss your options. Or if you’d like to do more research you can go to www.missing teeth.org or www.healthy teeth.org.

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Cavity Finder

You look in your mouth and see a brown spot…is it a cavity or just a stain? To assist in the diagnosis of a cavity we utilize the Spectra (a laser cavity finder), x-rays when indicated, and a thorough visual examination. The Spectra sees what the eye misses. The Spectra penetrates the tooth without damaging it and illuminates the enamel. The device recognizes when there is a cavity. Healthy tooth structure fluoresces differently from a tooth with a cavity. If a cavity is found, the Spectra reacts emitting an acoustic signal and a numerical reading. The whole process is pain free. Early recognition of a cavity can keep your care minimal and preserve your precious enamel.

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Children Friendly Dentistry

We are great with children! Dr. Engler has spent many years of her career in the non-profit dental sector with a particular focus on children. A common complaint among our younger patient’s is that they are upset when it is their parent’s turn for their dental appointment and not the child’s turn. We will utilize as many no charge “happy visits” as your child needs so they have a great dental experience and are excited about coming to the dentist. Our philosophy (the research back) is this it is important that you bring your in child to the dentist at age of six months (even if they do not have teeth yet ). This helps place your child on the narrow road to a cavity free life!

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UA Performance Mouth Wear

Custom fitted sports mouthguards are significantly different from the boil and bite type found in most sporting goods stores. The total rehabilitation cost for a single knocked-out tooth is more than 20 times the preventative cost for a custom laminated professional grade mouthguards. The Under Armour performance mouth wear takes the mouthgurd to the next level. Under Armour mouthguards block the human body’s instinctive reflex to clench the teeth thus improving performance. Go to www.underarmour.com so you can watch an educational video on UA performance mouth wear. We offer many different types of sport mouthguards from youth sports to the professional. Our fees are very reasonable. Tell us about your sports activities.

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Cosmetic Dentistry

You want to look your best. You take time to choose the right hairstyle and the most flattering clothes. But… you may not realize that a poor smile can have an overwhelming impact on your appearance and what you communicate to others. To improve your smile it does not mean just an expensive smile makeover. Often times just slightly reshaping a few teeth, replacing a black filling or teeth whitening can make a dramatic difference. Dr. Engler has been placing veneers and whitening teeth since they were developed in the 1980’s. Please ask questions we are honored to help you.

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Implant Dentistry

When teeth are lost there are many options to replace lost teeth. If it is a single tooth or multiple teeth the titanium dental implant(s) functions like a replacement root(s). Implants have become very popular and quite predictable, yet there are things you need to consider. We encourage you to go to www.missing teeth.org and educate yourself. We are here to answer your questions about your particular situation and your investment in your health.

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Snoring Treatment

Snoring negatively affects personal relationships and health. People who suffer from snoring take in reduced amounts of oxygen. There are health risks associated with snoring, some can be life threatening. Talk to us if you have concerns about snoring, we have several different appliances we can recommend.

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Intra Oral Camera

Ever wish you could see what your dentist’s sees inside your mouth? You can in our office. We take digital images which are then placed on a monitor for you to view, discuss and ask questions about. If you have more questions than time allows you are always welcome back for an additional consultation. We strive to assure that you thoroughly understand your options so you can make the best decision about your oral health.

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Minimal Fluoride

The current research on CAMBRA (Caries Risk Management By Risk Assessment) reveals that fluoride alone is not the only solution to caries (dental decay). Our office takes an individual approach (you decide) to the utilization of fluoride. We are not big fans of fluoride and recommend you educate yourself at www. fluoride alert.org. We assess your individual risk for caries evaluating your biofilm challenge, risk factors and disease indicators. Once your individual caries risk assessment level has been determined we discuss with you the possible behavior modifications you desire to implement and the treatment options of: pH neutralization, antibacterial therapy, fluoride, xylitol and calcium phosphate with nano particles of hydroxyapatite. We as a team (you, Dr. Engler and our staff) formulate the plan that is right you. For more information you can go to www.carifree.com.

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Tooth Whitening

A whiter brighter smile can make a big difference in your appearance. A smile communicates so much! We have several different options for whitening, the technique we recommend is determined on an individual basis. We are always here to discuss your options with you.

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Oral Myology

What is Oral Myology Therapy? Oral Myology is therapy that can help children and adults with thumb and finger habits, tongue thrusts, open mouth rest posture, nail biting, and pain associated with TMJ. Oral Myology is very specific exercises for the muscles of the head and neck. Muscles are stronger than bone and respond to regular and consistent exercises. This non-invasive therapy helps train the muscles of the tongue and face through simple exercises. If a patient has a tongue thrust, gets braces and does not change the tongue habits the teeth will not stay straight they may move back to the old position.

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Oral Sedation

If you have been delaying treatment because you are scared, fear the shot, gag easily, afraid of the pain, or have difficulty getting numb anxiety free sedation dentistry may be the answer for you. With oral sedation or minimal sedation you are prescribed anti-anxiety medication before your dental visit. The act of relieving anxiety can make you feel calm. This class of medication has a great amnesic effect so you do not remember much of the time you spent in the dental chair.

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Extractions

With many years of experience in non-profit dentistry Dr. Engler has a great deal of experience with extractions. With the utilization of nitrous oxide and oral sedation she can help make a difficult situation comfortable. Although she has strong skills in this area she realizing her limitations and does on occasion refer to the team of oral surgeons she has worked with over the years.