Mobile Dental Clinic
Basic dental care and emergency needs will be met in this van on a weekly basis by volunteer dentists. Long term plans are to rotate through four locations with a large selection of volunteer dentists/assistants to provide free dental care in Stanislaus county.
If you are interested in supporting this project, volunteering your time or finding out more information, please contact us at the office number.
FAQ - Dental Implants
Question: What can you tell me about dental implants?
Answer: I’ve been involved with the restorative end of the process for the past ten years or so and I’ve been a member of the Modesto Study Club which is a group of local dentists and specialists who meet monthly to diagnose and treatment plan different cases.
Dental implants are made out of titanium and placed into the top or bottom jaw bone and then used to replace one tooth, many teeth or to anchor a denture. Most dental implants are created with three parts: the implant itself is placed into the bone, the abutment is screwed into the implant and sticks out of the gums and then the crown is cemented or screwed into the abutment. In this three part system, I refer patients to a surgeon for the implant and I am responsible for restoring the abutment and the crown.
There are several things to consider when thinking about implants. First, do I have enough bone to hold the implanted tooth/teeth in place? If not, you may need to consider a bone graft procedure. Secondly, will I take care of my new implant. Implants need as much, if not more, care than your original teeth. Third, am I prepared for the three month healing process? Implants take three months or more to integrate into a healthy patient’s bone. Although there are dentists placing implants for immediate use, I still recommend that implants heal without any use until they integrate with the bone.
The California Dental Association has a terrific article that explains everything about dental implants. You can link to it here.
If you have any questions, please drop a comment.
Keep smiling! – Dr. Fletcher
FAQ - Does the office take Stanislaus Dental Foundation insurance?
One other insurance plan question is: “Does your office take Stanislaus Dental Foundation coverage?”
Our insurance coordinator Trudi responds: “Dr. Fletcher is a member of the Stanislaus Dental Society and the California Dental Association, therefore we treat patients who have insurance through the Stanislaus Dental Foundation.”
FAQ - How much will my dental care cost?
Question: How will I know how much my dental care will cost?
Answer: No one likes surprises. Therefore, prior to any treatment, Dr. Fletcher will explain the risks, benefits and alternatives of any and all treatment. Part of that discussion with his patients is informing them of the cost. The financial coordinator will provide you with a written estimate for any dental work that is planned and you will need to sign that estimate prior to any dental work.
Anterior Tooth Trauma
Fractured left maxillary central incisorWhat Happened: This patient came into our office on a Monday afternoon. He explained that over the weekend he had been jumped and during the attack he was hit in the face with a metal pipe.
In the picture above, you can see the results. Hopefully you can see the diagonal fracture through the enamel on his front left tooth. This fracture was quite extensive and actually continued through the tooth and down to the gumline on the inside of his mouth. When I felt the edge of the tooth, it was very mobile.
The Plan: We decided to prepare this tooth for a full porcelain crown. The most difficult part of this case was matching the shade of one tooth to the existing teeth in the arch. We had this patient go to the dental laboratory for the technicians to get the most accurate shade match possible. From the picture, you can see how well they did with matching his new porcelain tooth to the existing teeth.
Porcelain Crown, Left Maxillary Incisor, 1 year followup
