Family Dentist in Butler, PA

Approximately 86% of children and 66% of adults make at least one visit to the dentist each year. If you have children, it only makes sense to find a family dentist who can treat them, as well as adolescents and adults. At Brockley Dental Center, we provide dental care for people of all ages.

What Is a Family Dentist?

A family dentist can address the oral health of patients in all stages of life, from childhood to adulthood. We offer the same services a general dentist does, but we also have much more experience treating children. 

There are many benefits to choosing a family dentist over a general dentist. With a practice like ours, you can have one dentist to care for everyone in your family. You can schedule appointments for more than one family member at the same time, putting your time and energy to better use.

A family dentist can also be a friend to children with dental anxiety. By seeing their parents or older siblings sit in the same chair, children can learn that seeing a dentist isn’t as frightening as it may seem.

A family dentist will also have your family’s complete dental history. If anyone in your family has a genetic disease or condition, we can help prevent complications.

Having a single dentist who can treat children as they grow to adulthood can provide consistent care that makes a difference. When we have an idea of your children’s dental health from an early age, for example, we can help mitigate or prevent issues in the future. 

Services We Offer

Brockley Dental offers a variety of services for the whole family, including routine cleanings, cavity fillings, and complete reconstructions.

Routine Cleanings

One of the most important things you can do to prevent tooth decay is to get routine cleanings. These cleanings can allow us to remove tartar buildup and plaque from the surface of your teeth, preventing decay while relieving mild forms of gingivitis. 

Regular cleanings can also be useful for flushing out bacteria from areas you have trouble accessing with your toothbrush or floss. They allow your dentist to determine whether you need to make changes to your oral routine.

We like combining routine cleanings with general oral checkups, which should take place roughly every six months. 

Cavity Checks and Fillings

Catching cavities early is vital for preventing infections and other serious dental issues. At a family practice like ours, we can help check for cavities in children as well as adults. 

If we find a cavity, we can fix it with a dental filling to prevent further issues. Since we have experience working with children, we can also help younger children understand cavities and what they can do to prevent them from forming. 

Tooth Extractions

We perform tooth extractions on location at our Butler office. Tooth extraction may be necessary for those with the following conditions:

• Severe tooth decay
• Crowded teeth
• Impacted teeth

If you have severely damaged teeth, including those that are too decayed to receive a crown, getting the affected teeth pulled may be the best option. Although this procedure is most common in adults, we can also perform extractions on children and adolescents. 

Root Canals

A root canal is an option for patients of all ages with tooth decay that causes pain. This procedure removes the infected tooth pulp while leaving the rest of the tooth in place. Then, a protective dental crown can be placed on the tooth. 

Mini Dental Implants

If we have to remove a tooth, a mini dental implant can allow you to regain your full bite without requiring a more involved solution like traditional dental implants. 

You can experience bone loss in your jaw when you lose a tooth. Your jawbone depends on stimulation from the roots of your teeth. Consequently, removing the tooth cuts off the stimulation to that area. Mini dental implants work similarly to natural teeth, preventing bone loss and promoting new bone cell development.

Mini dental implants don’t require cutting into the gums, making the process faster and less expensive as well as less invasive. The recovery process is also swifter than it would be with a traditional dental implant — for most patients, we can put in mini dental implants in one day.

Mini dental implants can also help if you need to get dentures. Implant-retained dentures are a great option that offers more stability than traditional dentures, and they work well with mini dental implants. 

Implant-retained dentures snap onto the implants so they don’t move as you eat or talk. These types of dentures allow you to speak and chew freely and can also prevent mouth sores because they fit more comfortably. 

Full-Mouth Reconstruction

A full-mouth reconstruction is a procedure in which all of the patient’s teeth are replaced or rebuilt. We perform full-mouth reconstructions using a combination of procedures, always taking into consideration the patient’s individual bite, jaw structure, and desired results.

As part of a full-mouth reconstruction, we may recommend procedures like:

• Dental implants
• Bone grafts
• Veneers
• Orthodontics

In some cases, you may also require gum contouring to improve your smile. In the most extreme cases, orthographic surgery might be necessary to modify the shape of the jaw. 

What To Expect From a Family Dentist Visit

We take our time with each patient, whether they’re children or adults. The process begins with a consultation, during which we ask for your medical history and a list of any medications you take. We then examine your mouth to assess your overall oral health. Depending on the procedure you require, we may also take X-rays or dental impressions.

Next, we’ll thoroughly explain the recommended procedures, giving you the time to ask any questions you may have. This is especially important when treating children, as giving them a chance to voice their worries or anxieties can help them feel more at ease. 

If you or a loved one deals with dental anxiety, we can offer sedation options as part of our services. Our goal is to keep you as comfortable as possible at all times.

While we don’t accept conventional insurance, we’d be happy to file a claim for reimbursement on your behalf to maximize your coverage. We also offer CareCredit financing options that may help you access the treatments you need.

Brockley Dental is a family practice in every sense of the term. The father and daughter team of Donald B. Brockley, DMD, and E. Ahono Gildersleeve, DDS, along with Carmin Gonzalez, DDS, have more than 50 years of combined experience improving oral health and making patients smile a little bigger.

We use only the latest technologies in our state-of-the-art facilities and do our best to create a welcoming and stress-free environment for all our patients. 

Work With a Trusted Family Dentist

A dedicated family dentist can benefit you and your loved ones in countless ways. At Brockley Dental Center, we’re proud to offer family dentistry services to the Greater Pittsburgh and Butler, PA, areas. With a capable team like ours on your side, everyone in your family can receive the dental care they need, no matter their age. 

Contact us today to schedule your first visit, and let us serve as your new family dentist.