Middletown, Ohio Dentist Mark D. Phillips, D.D.S.

Middletown Smile Center
Mark D. Phillips, DDS
311 N. Breiel Blvd.
Middletown, OH 45042
513-420-1876

Photos of our commitment to excellence in our Middletown, Ohio cosmetic dentist office.

PORCELAIN VENEERS

These are the magic behind what everyone is wearing today. They are very thin coverings that are permanently bonded to re-enamel your teeth. This cosmetic care option is sometimes referred to as instant orthodontics. This is due to their ease in helping straighten crooked teeth without the need for braces. They can also achieve things that braces cannot such as changing the shape, size and color of your teeth.
The possibilities are amazing with porcelain veneers. In as little as two visits, we can create the smile you've always dreamed of.

PORCELAIN CROWNS AND BRIDGES

Porcelain Crowns are like Veneers with regards to changing the shape, size and color of your teeth with the added benefit of encompassing the entire tooth. The days of unnatural looking gold to porcelain crowns for anterior teeth are completely eliminated with these new life like materials. Our office routinely uses porcelain crowns and bridges to replace outmoded dentistry and restore teeth to proper function. We also provide them to create an all new smile that is not hindered by unsightly dark lines and shadows that are typical with previous "crowns".

WHITE FILLINGS

You now have a choice between porcelain inlays/onlays and composite restorations. Using high tech, adhesive techniques, these restorations will be virtually indistinguishable from your natural smile. You will avoid the necessity of having a greater amount of tooth structure removed, typical with the mercury based silver fillings. Silver fillings also can act as wedges, causing teeth to crack and eventually break which leads to more extensive and costly dental treatment. In contrast the new white fillings bond to the tooth making them stronger and more durable.
We have found that insurance companies do not always provide the standard 85% coverage for these. After explaining to our patients the benefits of the white fillings vs. the silver ones,they realize the added out of pocket expense is well worth it.

BLEACHING (SMILE WHITENING)

Tooth whitening has become one of the most popular and affordable areas of cosmetic dentistry. It seems everyone wants his or her smile to be as white as possible. A lot of our patients have tried over the counter bleaching systems with mixed results. Most of them come back and tell us my teeth have lightened a little, but I want them lighter. Can you help? Several factors can contribute to the darkening of teeth, these can include the effects of aging, improper home care, and not having them professionally cleaned. Teeth may also discolor from the exposure of coffee, tea, pop, juices, alcohol and tobacco products. Certain medications have also been shown to darken ones teeth.
The whitening process involves making a custom fit tray and placing a bleaching solution in contact with the teeth, which causes oxidation of stains and subsequent lightening. Studies have shown that no damage occurs to gums or tooth structures, provided a dentist monitors the process. Results from bleaching vary for each individual, but most achieve a dramatic change, a brighter, whiter, more beautiful smile.

PERIODONTAL "GUM" CARE

Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. The good news is that it is easily prevented with proper home care and regular dental check ups. It begins with gingivitis (inflamed and bleeding gums) and if left untreated will advance to attack the health of the gums and bone support, thus resulting in premature loss of ones teeth.
We routinely check for periodontal disease in our patients. If found we can control the spread, and sometimes totally reverse it, through non surgical treatment. We tell our patients to think of their bone and gums like a foundation on a house. If they lose their foundation, their house will collapse. Likewise; If they lose their bone support, they will lose their teeth, either due to extremely mobile teeth, painful abscesses, or toothaches.
If you haven't had a periodontal evaluation and professional cleaning in the past year, now is the time to make an appointment. If you do your part, we will try our best to preserve your teeth for a lifetime.

DIGITAL X-RAYS

This high tech approach to taking traditional x-rays has been enjoyed by staff and patients alike. It allows us to reduce your radiation exposure by as much as 90%. It also has the added benefit of being environmentally friendly eliminating much of the waste from developer solutions and the plastic and lead foil packs that are in the old type x-ray films. You can see the image on the computer screen in seconds, exactly as the dentist sees it. We have the ability to change the contrast and color to help highlight any problem areas that you may have. Like our intra-oral camera, digital x-rays help our patients co-diagnose their dental needs.

COMPUTERS IN EACH OPERATORY

This is another area in which we wanted to show patients our commitment to providing them a new and modern dentist office in Middletown, Ohio. We embraced this technology with open arms because we feel it adds to our interaction time with our patients. Rather than fumbling through a paper chart that might be as thick as a common magazine, we have all our patient's information right at our fingertips. We can use this technology to display digital x-rays and intra-oral camera images, as well as to develop a treatment proposal and give patients a cost estimate before they leave our office. With these advantages over traditional paper charting, our office would not even consider going back to doing things the old way.

STERILIZATION

Infection control in a dentist office is a subject of concern to everyone (whether it is in Monroe, Springboro, Franklin, Carlisle, Trenton or Lebanon, Ohio). In our Middletown, Ohio office, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our patients. We follow, and in many cases exceed, the controls set forth by the American Dental Association and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. We completely sterilize all dental instruments including "drills" before each use. We wear disposable gloves, face masks and eye protection as barriers. We use disposable products whenever possible, and we disinfect all patient contact surfaces prior to each patient.
By taking these universal precautions our family of patients can relax knowing that their safety is being protected.

NITROUS OXIDE "Laughing Gas"

Some of our patients are genuinely afraid of going to the dentist. This treatment option will help melt away the fear and anxiety associated with dental treatment. It helps our patients relax so they can obtain the necessary dental care and have a great dental experience. Some offices routinely use this on kids, we have found that most kids do just fine without it and it is the adult patients that seem to get the most benefit from it's use.

ORTHODONTICS

Patients can now benefit from our experience of providing orthodontic care for adults and children alike.
If you have nice looking teeth but they are crowded, rotated, have wide gaps, or even stick out, we can straighten and align them. We offer the clear brackets for those who fear showing to much metal, and for the kids all the cool colors to show off their silver braces.
Orthodontics has come a long way since the days of having patients in braces for 4-5 years. In most instances we can provide the necessary orthodontic treatment in 18-24 months. Sometimes less.

ENDODONTIC TREATMENT

"The dreaded root canal." This no longer needs to be the case. In most instances we can perform endodontic treatment in one visit, eliminating the need to be re-numbed to finish your care. We use the latest rotary driven instruments, which are less traumatic to the tooth and our patients. They help us provide very smooth shapes inside your tooth, which allows us to easily fill the canals, thus eliminating the spread of pain and infection.
If we feel that more extensive restorative needs will be needed, on top of endodontic treatment, we will advise you of the cost so that way you will know the total expense associated with saving your tooth.

PARTIALS AND DENTURES

As dentists, we always try our best to save teeth, but for certain patients that is not practical, nor desirable.
With the newer materials, we can now make partials that are metal free. If we have to use metal we can make them with a hidden clasp design, thus minimizing the amount of metal that is shown when you smile.
For our full denture patients, we routinely deliver the dentures on the same day that we take out their front teeth, eliminating the need to go without teeth while tissues heal.
For our patients with old dentures that have become loose or have broken teeth, we can usually reline or repair them the same day. In many instances we can make dentures fit like new again without the associated cost of replacement.

THANK YOU

We have tried to be as complete with our list of services and procedures as possible; however, no one list could cover all of the different aspects of dentistry that we do. Our goal is to provide you with enough detail so you can make an informed decision about what our office can offer you. We see patients from the surrounding Middletown, Ohio area. Including being a dentist for patients in Lebanon, Springboro, Monroe, Trenton, Franklin and Carlisle, Ohio. If you have any questions or concerns about our office do not hesitate to call us at (513)420-1876. Lisa, Tish, Brenda or Amy will be able to answer any questions that you may have.