Digital x-rays and sensors have improved the quality of the radiographs we use to diagnose dental conditions. Additionally, digital technology reduces radiation exposure by up to 80 percent or more, making them safe for our patients.

• Instantly available on the treatment room monitors
• High-resolution images
• No chemicals necessary for development
• Easy to adjust exposure and contrast for greater accuracy
• Safe storage in digital records
• Easy to compare side by side over time

Every modern person knows that having bits of paper about with your personal information is not secure. To keep your private information private, we store it securely in our digital record system under encryption.

In addition to improved protection from identity theft, digital records make it easy to compare your x-rays, periodontal charts, and intraoral images from one appointment to the next. This makes it possible for Dr. Gill to detect subtle changes in your oral health and provide treatment early when procedures are less complex and conditions are easier to treat.

People who avoid dental treatment often complain about the sounds and vibrations that accompany treatment. Electric handpieces shorten treatment times, and reduce vibrations and noise, and improve accuracy, improving the dental experience for our patients.

Patient education is an essential aspect of the dental care we provide at Oak Tree Dentistry. When patients completely understand their conditions and treatment options, they have the information necessary to make better choices, which can have a long-term impact on their smiles.

Seeing inside your own mouth is difficult, but intraoral cameras make it possible for you to see exactly what Dr. Gill sees during an exam.

An intraoral camera is a small digital camera that captures high-resolution photos of single teeth or focused areas of the mouth. Dr. Gill can display the images on your treatment room monitor for you to review. He will explain any conditions he finds and answer any questions you might have.

Intraoral camera photos also provide additional information to insurance companies when they are deciding whether to approve benefits on a claim.

Anxiety about the dental office is common and keeps millions of Americans from getting the basic dental care they need to maintain healthy smiles. Our caring and compassionate team is excellent at putting our patients at ease, and Dr. Gill's gentle approach to care is appreciated by patients of all ages.

When you need a little help relaxing, we offer nitrous oxide sedation – the safest and mildest form of sedation dentistry. It is inhaled through a small nose mask and will help you relax during treatment. Since the effects wear off quickly, you will not need to arrange a ride home from your appointment. You can easily head back to work or school and resume your day following your appointment.

The latest technology in root canal treatment uses small rotary cleaners to remove infected nerve fibers and pulp from the canals inside of the teeth. Rotary endodontics reduces treatment times and prevents many of the complications that occur when using manual files.

We want you to feel completely at home while you are with us.

Televisions featuring Netflix and Bluetooth headphones help our patients pass the time comfortably while we take care of their smiles. Televisions can provide a welcome distraction that helps take your mind off of an experience that can make some people feel nervous.

Panoramic x-rays are useful in planning dental implant treatment, evaluating wisdom teeth, and inspecting jaw function. Rather than showing only single teeth, panoramic x-rays provide a big picture view of teeth, bone, sinuses, joints, and other facial structures.

Full mouth and cosmetic dentistry require precise planning to ensure success. Smile designing is part of the planning process used to predict how your new dentistry will look and function once it is applied to your teeth. This helps Dr. Gill to determine the proper size, shape, and location for dentistry when planning for smile makeovers, dentures, full mouth rehabilitation, and other complex cases that involve the bite.

In many cases, we offer an opportunity to try on a temporary smile to make sure that your vision for your dream smile becomes a reality.

Laser dentistry offers a non-traditional surgical option to alter gum tissue accurately and virtually pain-free.

At Oak Tree Dentistry, Dr. Gill utilizes the Sirona Laser for a wide variety of soft tissue and restorative treatments.

• Periodontal disease therapy
• Gum regeneration
• Gingival sculpting (reshaping for cosmetic purposes)
• Tongue-tie surgery (frenectomy)
• Dental crown preparation
• Dental implant treatment
• Root canal treatment
• Bacteria reduction
• Cold sore and canker sore healing

Because no cutting or stitches are required with laser dentistry, patients report minimal discomfort and downtime.

Sometimes a 2-D image is sufficient to diagnose and treat conditions such as wisdom teeth evaluation, bone levels, and the location of erupting teeth. In so many cases, however, a 3-D image provides the vital information Dr. Gill needs to make high-level recommendations based on your oral health and conditions, which is why he has incorporated the latest imaging technology into our Elk Grove dental practice to benefit our patients.

3-D CBCT cone beam technology is an invaluable instrument that captures a 3-D image, viewable at many angles using the latest software. It is particularly beneficial when planning the ideal surgical placement of dental implants, evaluating teeth for extraction, and can even eliminate the need for bone grafting in some instances because a suitable alternative location for the post can be determined.

Many of our patients are curious about the science that goes into their dentistry, but all of them appreciate the safety of the equipment we use. Planmeca, the maker of our 3-D x-ray unit exceeds the ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) radiation requirement and boasts up to 80 percent less radiation than previous models.

• Dental implant placement
• Bone evaluation
• Jaw joint evaluation
• Root canal evaluation
• Pathology identification
• Full-mouth rehabilitation

Because of its new design, patients appreciate the roomier and efficient design of the machine. It's quick and not claustrophobic, improving patient comfort.

No one likes goopy impressions, and it has been a chief complaint among patients for decades. Even if you don't have a strong gag reflex, it's still not comfortable. Plus, physical impressions are limited in their use, and are prone to distortion, slowing down the entire treatment process.

Dr. Gill values your time and comfort, which is part of the reason he is so enthusiastic about our new iTero Digital Impression Scanner. Rather than impression paste, he will pass a small wand over the teeth, gums, and bone, which will then appear on our treatment room monitor.

Digital impressions are more accurate for:

• Restorative dentistry like crowns, veneers, and bridges
• Whitening trays and mouthguards
• Invisible braces

Not only do we use the information captured by our digital impression scanner for planning treatment, but we can also use it to predict the outcome of orthodontics and complex cases with multiple crowns, veneers, or even full-smile makeovers.

When you invest in your smile and oral health, you expect the best, most long-lasting solutions, and Dr. Gill agrees. When planning dental implant treatment, the placement of the dental implant post must be precise to ensure that the bone is stable and dense enough to house the post and also support the force caused by chewing. Naturally, we need to avoid sinus cavities and other biological landmarks that could interfere with your results.

Digital guided implant surgery takes all of the guesswork out of dental implant placement. Dr. Gill can plan the precise location and guide the dental implant post into the bone, monitoring it in real-time, using digital technology.

For many patients, this can mean that we can avoid additional surgical procedures, like bone grafting and sinus lifts, because an alternate location can be determined for the post. 

When appropriately placed and looked after by the patient with exceptional home and professional oral care, dental implants can last a lifetime.