Dental Grills — The New Trend Affecting Dentistry And The Health Of Your Teeth

It’s the latest trend in dental wear, but there’s nothing cool about the damage it could do to your smile. Dental Grills are a cosmetic, metal and sometimes jeweled tooth covering developed in the early 1980s by hip hop artists. Grills, also called fronts, are removable and fit over the front teeth. Dental grills are made of gold, silver or jewel encrusted metals that run as little as $20 and well into the thousands for more elaborate designs.

Can Wearing a Dental Grill create Oral Health Problems? 

Yes, they can. It’s important to conduct thorough oral hygiene procedures including flossing and brushing with an anti-microbial toothpaste as food and plaque can easily develop on the grill and can cause irritation to the gingival margin and gingivitis may develop and the possibility of tooth decay. Dental grills can also cause abrasion to adjoining teeth, gum recession, tooth discoloration or chipped teeth. A grill should always be removed before eating or rinsing to clean the mouth, and may cause an allergic reaction to the metal.

School districts in Alabama, Georgia, and Texas have banned grills from their use due to disciplinary and health related reasons1. It is important to consult with a dentist regarding the steps for dental grill placement and the implications on your oral health.

Who Makes the Dental Grill? 

A dentist should make a dental grill by taking a proper impression of the teeth versus a jeweler or a grill vendor. A non-licensed dental professional could cause worse dental and oral health problems.

To read the entire article visit colgate.com

Hicks Family Dentistry   
Kevin Hicks, DDS 
756 Lititz Pike
Lititz, PA 17543 
(717) 625-0596 
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

Dental Cosmetic Imaging

COSMETIC IMAGING

With cosmetic imaging, we can display your improved smile in advance of any treatment. Digital images of your teeth and gums can show replacements of missing teeth, the effects of whitening, or the outcome of straightening prior to work. Imagine how exhilarating it will be to see your impending smile even before you begin the steps to reach your treatment goals.

Hicks Family Dentistry   
Kevin Hicks, DDS
756 Lititz Pike
Lititz, PA 17543
(717) 625-0596
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

White Dental Fillings

A LESS OBVIOUS REPAIR

Most people desire to avoid noticeable dental repairs, which is why the conventional silver-mercury amalgam filling is not a preferred choice. A metal filling is an efficient, budget-minded repair, but it can be challenging to hide against white teeth. Enhancements in dental technology permit us to now offer restorations that are a natural-appearing white. These composite materials bond to the healthy part of your tooth, diminishing the probability of new decay emerging in the future. They’re a state-of-the-art restoration that contain no metals, can fortify your teeth, and are nearly invisible when compared to a metal filling.

Hicks Family Dentistry   
Kevin Hicks, DDS
756 Lititz Pike
Lititz, PA 17543
(717) 625-0596
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

How Safe Is Tooth Whitening?

Below is an excerpt from an article found on Colgate.com 

Over a decade of research has proven bleaching and other whitening methods to be both safe and effective. Several products in the market today have shown no adverse effects on teeth or gums in substantial clinical and laboratory testing. Be sure to look for clinically proven products, follow directions and consult with your dental professional.

In the past, the higher bleach concentrations used in-office treatment resulted in more sensitivity. Today, however, bleaching gels are well buffered, making sensitivity less of an issue. Sensitivity may occur in people after whitening procedures, particularly when they eat hot or cold foods, but usually disappears after 48 hours and stops completely when treatment is stopped.

If you do experience sensitivity, there are several ways you can help eliminate it:

• If using a tray applicator, wear the tray for a shorter period
• Brush with a toothpaste made for sensitive teeth that contains potassium nitrate to help soothe tooth nerve ending
• Ask your dentist or pharmacist for a product with fluoride, which helps re-mineralize your teeth. Brush-on or wear in your trays four minutes prior to and after whitening your teeth
• Stop whitening your teeth for several days to allow you teeth to adapt to the whitening process. Within 24 hours, the sensitivity will cease. The longer you whiten your teeth, the less sensitivity you will experience

In a few cases, your dentist may discourage dental bleaching:

• If you have gum disease, teeth with worn enamel, cavities or particularly sensitive teeth
• If you're pregnant or breast-feeding
• If you have tooth-colored crowns, caps or other dental work in your front teeth, which can't be bleached

To read the entire article visit Colgate.com.

Hicks Family Dentistry   
Kevin Hicks, DDS 
756 Lititz Pike
Lititz, PA 17543 
(717) 625-0596 
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

Porcelain Dental Veneers

‘SMILE MAKEOVERS’ IN AS LITTLE AS TWO VISITS!

Have you concluded your teeth are beyond the scope of any type of restoration? Do you believe that your misshapen or widely gapped teeth, or those blemished by deep discoloration, would be impossible to repair? We would like to introduce you to porcelain veneers that can be bonded to your teeth and would alleviate these unattractive problems. Veneers are thin, hard, sheets of the most advanced dental ceramic available. They are attached to your natural teeth in a way that makes your teeth appear straight and uniform, producing a striking smile.

Hicks Family Dentistry   

Kevin Hicks, DDS
756 Lititz Pike
Lititz, PA 17543
(717) 625-0596
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

Smile Makeovers

FULL-MOUTH REHABILITATION

Oral health can have more influence on a person’s well-being than routine cleanings and the occasional filling can address. Many patients who’ve dealt with injury, ailment, bite complications, and general wear-and-tear can have protracted difficulties they don’t even recognize began in their mouth. Bruxism (tooth grinding), TMJ, periodontitis, crooked or misshapen teeth, and missing teeth can combine to generate headaches and migraines, toothaches, lingering bad breath, and an unsightly appearance. But you don’t have to accept that prognosis.

Dr. Hicks will meet with you to talk through your concerns, symptoms, and goals. After taking digital X-rays, photos, and imprints of your mouth, he will offer options for a treatment approach and achieve a healthy, pain-free, striking smile. We can also review phased treatment and financial planning that will put your desired smile within reach.

Hicks Family Dentistry   
Kevin Hicks, DDS
756 Lititz Pike
Lititz, PA 17543
(717) 625-0596
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

One-Visit Crowns

A CROWN RESTORES A DAMAGED TOOTH

At Hicks Family Dentistry, we can frequently save a tooth that has been injured or worn to a point where a normal filling won’t bring it back to complete functionality. By placing a crown, we can rescue and even add strength to your compromised tooth. Plus, the advanced composite materials we use to fashion your crown will appear so natural, you’ll have trouble telling it apart from an original tooth. With CEREC™ computer design and creation, you can get your crown all in one visit!

Hicks Family Dentistry   
Kevin Hicks, DDS 
756 Lititz Pike
Lititz, PA 17543 
(717) 625-0596 
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

Smile Makeovers

Maybe you remember that TV show, Extreme Makeovers?

They took people who were unhappy with their appearance and let surgeons and dentists perform cosmetic miracles on their bodies and teeth.

Well, a complete smile makeover like that can be done by many dentists, And often it only takes two visits!

Hicks Family Dentistry   
Kevin Hicks, DDS  
756 Lititz Pike 
Lititz, PA 17543  
(717) 625-0596  
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

Dental Teeth Whitening

KÖR™ WHITENING – THE NEXT EVOLUTION IN TEETH WHITENING

Deep discoloration, such as tetracycline staining, can defeat even the best professional whitening treatments. Which is why we’re pleased to offer a fantastic whitening procedure called KöR Whitening. With this system, even stubbornly stained teeth can become a brilliant white. If you’ve ever been let down by the results from other treatments, you will be astonished by this technique.

If your teeth are only moderately discolored, you can choose the custom whitening trays we produce in our own lab. After the initial appointment, you will be given materials and instructions to complete this safe and reliable procedure at home. Results become visible within 1 - 14 days.

Hicks Family Dentistry   
Kevin Hicks, DDS  
756 Lititz Pike 
Lititz, PA 17543  
(717) 625-0596  
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

CEREC One-Visit Dental Crowns

Natural-Looking Crowns Made While You Wait
Not so long ago, having a tooth restored with a crown took a lot of time and many steps. First, there was the initial appointment for the temporary and casting impressions. Then there was a long interval while another lab molded the permanent crown. Then a second, follow-up appointment occurred for your dentist to place the crown. If it didn’t fit appropriately, then the entire process started all over again.

Thankfully, there have been advancements in technology. Instead of a multi-week timeframe, in a couple of hours you can have your new permanent crown fitted in your mouth. With CEREC™ computer-aided design and milling, the fit will be flawless, the crown will be long-lasting, and the dazzling appearance will simulate the look of a natural tooth. Our patients love this new method for fitting and inserting crowns.

The process is ingenious. With a special digital scanner, a detailed image is captured and exhibited on our computer screen. No more goopy impressions! We then model the restoration and CEREC generates the crown. Next, we insert and bond the restoration to your tooth. Like our other patients, you will be thrilled by how easy this is!
An early adopter of computer-aided design and manufacturing of crowns (also known as CAD/CAM), Dr. Hicks has been using this technology for over 10 years. He is also a CEREC trainer, teaching other dentists to use the system in the best combination of technology and art.

Hicks Family Dentistry  
Kevin Hicks, DDS  
756 Lititz Pike 
Lititz, PA 17543  
(717) 625-0596  
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

Cosmetic Dentistry

Don’t Hide Your Smile – Remake It!
Are you ready for your “close-up”? Do you already possess the dazzling smile you’ve always wanted? If not, let us assist you. We’ll offer you the optimum combination of preventive care, tooth-colored fillings, and restorative procedures to produce ideal oral health and ensure aesthetic appeal. Smile makeovers are extremely affordable and available faster than you might think. Don’t wait any longer to have a smile that makes YOU happy! Stop by our office so we may tell you all the incredible options available in bonding, whitening, crowns, and veneers.

Hicks Family Dentistry 
Kevin Hicks, DDS 
756 Lititz Pike
Lititz, PA 17543 
(717) 625-0596 
HicksFamilyDentistry.com

Dentist Lititz PA

Dr. Kevin Hicks is pleased to provide beautiful smiles for his neighbors in Lititz and the surrounding suburbs.

Dr. Hicks earned his dental degree from The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, after earning his bachelor’s degree from the College of Wooster. Prior to entering private practice, Dr. Hicks completed a general practice residency at Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton, Ohio. He formerly served as the dental director at Keystone Health Center. In his over 20 years as a practicing dentist, Dr. Hicks has engaged in ongoing postgraduate education. His recent training in implants and orthodontics allows him to offer you great options to replace missing teeth and give you the smile of your dreams.

Dr. Hicks believes in giving of himself to the community, and in 2004 was named to the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare Advisory Committee. He was involved in mission work to aid in Hurricane Katrina relief, and in March of 2016 he spent a week in Haiti on a Christian dental missions trip. He is a member of the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association, and the International Association of Dental Traumatology. Dr. Hicks is an active participant in the community. As a 2012-13 VIP sponsor to the Warwick Youth Hockey Team, he provided all players with custom athletic mouthguards. He and his wife Lora have four beautiful children, having recently adopted their two youngest from Ukraine. In his spare time, he enjoys travel, sports, and spending time with his family.

Hicks Family Dentistry
Kevin Hicks, DDS
756 Lititz Pike
Lititz, PA 17543
(717) 625-0596
HicksFamilyDentistry.com