Our Services
We are here to help keep you smiling.
At any age, high-quality dental care is essential to your health. Our approach to dentistry blends our years of experience and continuous education, with innovative technology. We believe in going above and beyond because you are worth it!
Our team of dentists are experts in dental surgery. Both of our dentists have dedicated decades of their lives to perfecting the art and science of surgical procedures.
For more information, click here.
We know that the dentist’s office can be a scary place for many people. We want to change that for you!
We routinely implement a variety of safe and effective practices to reduce pain and anxiety. These services include nitrous oxide sedation, oral sedation, local anesthetics, and pain relief medications.
Sedation with Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide (known to many as laughing gas) is both safe and highly effective in preventing pain and anxiety during dental procedures. Here at Columbia Dental, we use Nitrous Oxide for all eligible pediatric and adult populations.
Nitrous Oxide acts through inhalation and is administered by mask. This is ideal for patients who have a fear of needles! Once your mask is on, our team will closely monitor you or your child throughout your procedure to ensure you are comfortable and relaxed.
People often experience a euphoric state, while inhaling the Nitrous Oxide. You might even find some things to be a little extra funny. All you have to do is sit back, relax, and go to your happy place! Ask us today if Nitrous Oxide is right for you!
Oral Sedation
If Nitrous Oxide is not right for you, your dentist may provide you will oral sedation. With oral sedation, you will take a special medication before your procedure. This mediation will make you feel sleepy and relaxed throughout your appointment.
Oral sedation is often paired with local anesthetic to enhance your comfort, keep scrolling to learn more!
Local Anesthetic
During your procedure, your dentist may choose to use a local anesthetic. Local anesthetic is often referred to as “numbing” because it blocks sensory nerve impulses, making your mouth feel numb. Local anesthetic may be applied topically (applied onto the tissue using a gel or cream) or it may be injected. Our dentists use both forms of local anesthetic.
For your procedure, our team will first numb the procedure area with a gel. After you are numb, your dentist will inject anesthetic. You may feel a quick pinch while the anesthetic is injected but after, the anesthetic acts for hours to prevent pain in the affected area.
For more information, click here.
General Dentistry
Here, you will find links to a variety of general dental procedures offered in our clinic. If you do not see what you are looking for, check out some of our procedures!
Migraines? Popping? Clicking? Lock Jaw? Jaw Pain?
Stop living with this. Let us help!
TMJ is the acronym for temporomandibular joint, which connects your lower jaw (the mandible) to your skull at the temporal bone. This joint controls many jaw functions, like chewing. If the chewing muscles or the joint itself are causing you pain you may have temporamandibular disorder, or TMD. TMD can be caused by stress, continual clenching of the jaw muscles, or teeth grinding.
Some of the symptoms of TMD are:
Pain when opening or closing mouth
Trouble chewing
Jaw becoming stuck open or shut
Headaches or ear pain
Clicking or popping sounds when opening your mouth
Teeth Grinding
Many of these symptoms can often be associated with other health problems, so only a medical professional can tell you if it is due to TMD.
If you suspect you may have TMD come in for a consultation. We can help!
For more information, click here.
Painful gums, bleeding gums, receding gums, overgrown gums?
We take care of gums, no matter what shape they are in! Let us help you and your gums to succeed.
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We care about your family’s dental health. From the first tooth to dentures, we’ll keep your smile bright and shining.
Here, we love all teeth… Even the tiny ones! A child’s first visit to the dentist should start as early as 6 months after their first tooth erupts. Early visits to the dentist help children to develop a trusting relationship with their dentist. This also helps to lessen anxiety in future visits.
From teething to teenager, oral health is important for all young people. We recommend bringing your youngster in twice yearly to have a check-up and teeth cleaning. Twice a year check-ups and cleaning help to prevent minor problems from developing into bigger ones.
We care about preventing pain for all our patients, especially the little ones.
We think you’ll benefit from our quick, easy and painless cancer screening program.
We recommend yearly oral cancer screening for all patients. It is a quick, easy, and painless procedure that can be included with your regular dental cleanings. We strongly recommend this screening for all patients as early detection of oral cancers allows for better treatment options and outcomes.
Our cancer screening program includes a thorough examination of the head and neck, as well as all oral tissues. Our team will check your neck for swollen/hard lymph nodes. We also search for lumps/bumps, red/white patches or persistent sores in the oral tissues. Last, we use the VELscope cancer screening system to assess the oral tissues for signs of cancer.
Ask about our Oral Cancer Screening program at your next dental cleaning appointment!
For more information, click here.
- Invisalign
- Cavity Fillings
- Tooth Extractions
- Wisdom Teeth Removal
- Bridges
- Dental Implants
- Crowns
- Night Guards
- Bone Grafting
- Gum Grafting
- Root Canal Therapy
Our Procedures
Invisalign
No Braces. No Elastics. No Stress.
Invisalign® is a non-invasive treatment used to correct teeth and bite alignment. Invisalign® can transform your smile in as little as 6 months!
To start, your dentist will use a state-of-the-art scanner to capture a 3D digital image of your smile. This will then be used to develop a unique treatment plan and create custom aligners. These aligners will work to correct your smile and adjust your bite. Once your aligner is fitted, you can immediately start wearing the aligners and transforming your smile. The aligners are easily removed and hardly noticeable, so you can keep up with your usual routine.
Every 6-8 weeks, you will meet with your dentist to check in and pick up your next set of aligners.
Once you are happy with your results, your dentist will create a custom Invisalign retainer. This is called the Vivera® retainer and it will protect your smile after your treatment is complete!
Invisalign® Can Help Treat…
Overbite
Underbite
Crossbite
Gap Teeth
Open Bite
Crowded Teeth
Baby and Permanent Teeth Problems
Want to know more? Click here to be redirected to the Invisalign® website and to learn more about how Invisalign® can change your smile.
Cavity Fillings
Dental bondings and fillings offer cosmetic and practical uses in the world of dentistry.
Bondings are made of composite resin. They are often used to repair chips or cracks on the tooth. The resin is painted onto the tooth surface, filling chips or cracks and creating a uniform tooth color and shape. After the resin has been applied, a special light is used to harden the resin. Your dentist will then polish the tooth to give you a fresh, new smile. Bondings can also act as a non-invasive and affordable alternative to veneers. These days, bondings are very durable and can last up to 10 years!
Fillings are even more durable than bondings. Fillings are primarily used for treating tooth decay; however, they may also be used for cosmetic purposes. Here at Columbia Dental, our dental team uses exclusively white filling materials, to ensure fillings are aesthetically appealing.
If you have a cavity, your dentist will make sure you are comfortably sedated with numbing in place. Then, they will perform a deep cleaning of the tooth cavity and surrounding area, removing the culprit bacteria. Once complete, your dentist will apply a white filling to your cavity, leaving you with a smooth and beautiful tooth!
Click the link to learn more about preventing cavities!
Tooth Extractions
The term dental extraction refers to the removal of a tooth. This is a very common dental procedure and our dentists are seasoned experts in this field. There are many reasons for a tooth to be pulled including, tooth decay and problematic wisdom teeth. Here at Columbia Dental, we implement a variety of practices to ensure you have a quick and uncomplicated recovery from your dental extraction. There are two classifications of dental extractions “simple” and “surgical." Keep scrolling to learn more about each classification!
Simple Extractions
Simple extractions are possible when the tooth is easily accessible and visible within the mouth. This procedure generally occurs under local anesthetic.
Once your mouth is sufficiently numb, your dentist will begin the procedure. During this procedure, your dentist will use instruments to take hold of the tooth and apply steady firm pressure to extract the tooth from its current position.
After your procedure, you may need to take antibiotics or pain medications as prescribed by your dentist, until you have made a full recovery.
Click the link below to access our after-care instruction sheets!
Surgical Extractions
Surgical extractions happen when the tooth has only partially erupted, the tooth remains below the gum surface, or when a tooth has broken below the gum’s surface. This procedure generally occurs using a local anesthetic and Nitrous Oxide sedation.
Once you are comfortably sedated and your mouth is sufficiently numb, your dentist will begin this procedure. During this procedure, your dentist will make a small incision to allow the tooth to be extracted. Your dentist will then work in partnership with one of our registered CDAs to remove this tooth. This part may be relatively complex, as the dentist may have to remove the tooth in sections or delicately maneuver around nearby structures.
Following the tooth extraction, your dentist may place a few small sutures along the extraction site, using either dissolvable or removable sutures. At this point, our dentists routinely incorporate Plasma Rich Fibrin (PRF) injections to dramatically reduce patient discomfort and recovery time.
After your procedure, you may need to take antibiotics or pain medications as prescribed by your dentist, until you have made a full recovery.
Extraction Site Preservation
When extracting a tooth, our dentists recognize the impact the removal will have on the mouth and jaw. This impact varies depending on the location of the tooth within the mouth. For example, wisdom teeth reside in the back of the mouth, extractions from this site generally require no further intervention and healing is uncomplicated. For other teeth, the removal of a tooth results in an empty socket that weakens the surrounding bone structure. This weak point may cause the remaining teeth to shift in your mouth, resulting in problems with the bite, chewing, and speaking.
Depending on your unique needs, your dentist will develop an individualized plan to prevent complications following an extraction. This may include the placement of a bone graft in the empty socket. Bone grafting materials act as scaffolding for the body to build and heal around. Bone grafting is especially important for clients who plan to have a dental implant placed.
Click the link below to learn more about bone grafting!
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars to emerge, usually during your late teens or early twenties. For some people, the wisdom teeth emerge through the gums and have enough room to grow naturally. For others, wisdom teeth cause problems.
When a wisdom tooth is impacted, the tooth is emerging on an angle rather than straight through the gum line. The tooth can come in fully and unevenly, or the tooth may only partially emerge. This can cause discomfort, pain, or other serious complications (infections, headaches, migraines). When a wisdom tooth only emerges partially, a flap of skin (called an operculum) may form over the tooth. The operculum can make the tooth hard to clean, and pieces of food may be caught under the skin. This also presents an opportunity for an infection to develop! Headaches and migraines may occur as a result of pressure or discomfort within the oral cavity. Impacted wisdom teeth can also cause structural damage to the jaw and other teeth.
To treat these problems and to prevent more complications, you may need your wisdom teeth removed. Routine x-rays, during your dental exam, can reveal if you will need to have your wisdom teeth removed.
Click the link to learn more about Dental Extractions!
Bridges
A bridge is a dental restoration, used to replace a missing tooth. It works by permanently joining an artificial tooth to adjacent teeth or dental implants. To ensure strength and durability, bridges are made from gold, metal alloys, zirconia core, and porcelain. A simple bridge consists of two crowns on either end, which will be placed on the existing teeth. The middle section of the bridge is called a pontic, which is the new replacement tooth.
Our team will always ensure you are comfortable and relaxed, with appropriate pain measures in place, prior to starting a procedure. Once you are nice and comfortable, the process of creating a bridge begins by preparing abutments out of your existing teeth. This process involves recontouring the existing teeth, to provide a base for the bridge. After the abutments have been created, a mold is taken off the area. This is then sent to the dental lab. The lab will next use the mold to create a bridge, a process that takes about 2-3 weeks.
In the meantime, we will fit you with a temporary bridge. This will protect the abutments and gums areas. When the permanent bridge has been created, you will have a follow-up visit to set up the bridge. It will be placed on the abutments and your dentist will use an adhesive to permanently set the bridge.
The bridge may take a little while to get used to, but after a few days, it should feel very comfortable and natural.
If you are missing a tooth, you should strongly consider having it replaced. Besides the aesthetic disadvantage of missing a tooth, it could also cause structural changes to your mouth and jaw. This includes bone loss as well as gum and tooth decay.
Dental Implants
Dental implants are the standard treatment to replace missing or extracted teeth. Dental implants serve a variety of purposes including the replacement of a single tooth, an anchor for a future bridge, or improving the retention of dentures.
The entire implant process requires approximately 6-9 months. The first step is to install the implant itself. During this first step, you will be offered sedation and local anesthetic, based on your unique needs. Next, your dentist will carefully secure a titanium screw into the jaw bone. At this point, multiple implants can be placed at once.
The implant must then be allowed ~ 3-6 months for healing. The healing period is dependent on the quality and health of your jaw bone. During this time, the bone will fuse with the implant in a process called osseointegration. During this healing time, we will offer you a temporary appliance (partial/complete denture or crown) for aesthetic and functional purposes.
Following the healing process, your dentist will place an abutment on the implant. The abutment later acts as the base for the crown placement. Next, an impression of the abutment is taken and used to create your permanent restoration.
Crowns
Over time, our teeth begin to weaken and become more susceptible to problems such as decay, cracks, and discoloration. If you feel your smile isn't what it once was, crowns can help you! If a tooth is significantly decayed or seems weakened/cracked, a crown may be necessary to prevent further problems. In these cases, a filling or bonding will not be sufficient.
Crowns can be made from porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, or a full gold crown. To maintain a natural look and feel, a porcelain-finished crown is best, as it can be matched to the shade of your other teeth. This will allow it to blend in.
The process of installing a crown normally takes 2 visits to the dentist. If you are needing a crown because you lost a tooth, you may need bone grafting and implant surgery first.
To start, our dental team will always ensure you are comfortable with appropriate pain management strategies in place. Once you are comfortable, the tooth will be reshaped by filing the tooth. After the tooth has been reshaped, a mold will be taken of that tooth and the surrounding teeth. This mold will be sent to a dental lab and used to create a perfectly sized crown, that matches your other teeth. Before leaving, your dentist will fit you with a temporary crown, until your permanent crown is ready.
The crown takes about 2-3 weeks to be returned to our Kamloops office. At this time, you will have another appointment to place and fit the permanent crown. On this visit, the tooth will be permanently placed using dental cement.
Crowns are durable and will usually last about 10-15 years. You should care for it as you would for any other tooth!
Night Guards
Many people are afflicted with bruxism, or teeth grinding. Some people may do this during the day, but it is a more common problem at night, while you are asleep. Grinding your teeth can damage enamel, wear down teeth, cause jaw pain and migraines, or irritate your gums. All of this can lead to some serious dental health problems. The noise from teeth grinding can also disturb your partner’s sleep.
If you grind your teeth you should consider a night guard. A night guard provides a barrier between your top and bottom teeth while you sleep. All night guards are custom fitted for comfort and to allow for proper breathing.
Here at Columbia Dental, your dentist will take an impression of your teeth and have the night guard created by a dental lab.
Night guards are very durable, but we recommend you bring your night guard into your regularly scheduled teeth cleaning to have it examined by our team. When you bring it in, we can professionally clean it for you! Night guards should be replaced every 3-4 years, depending on your unique situation.
Bone Grafting
Bone grafting is a procedure used to strengthen or alter the shape of a weakened jaw bone. Causes for jaw bone degeneration include tooth loss, cancers, or gum disease. To accommodate a dental implant, the upper or lower jaw bones may need repositioning or strengthening before implant placement. Bone grafting is frequently used in preparation for dental implant surgery and periodontal procedures, such as guided tissue regeneration. A bone graft acts as scaffolding for the surrounding tissues to build on and around. The bone grafting materials may include a segment of bone removed from another area of your body or mouth or a commercial bone grafting product.
Ridge Augmentation
When a person loses a tooth either through trauma, extraction, or infection, the jaw bone is weakened by the remaining empty socket. A ridge augmentation procedure is used to prevent degeneration of the jaw bone and to prevent teeth shifting. In some cases, ridge augmentation is required, before the placement of a dental implant or bridge.
If a ridge augmentation is right for you, your dentist will select a bone grafting material and place it into the existing open cavity. The body will then build upon and around the bone grafting material.
Once your dentist has completed a ridge augmentation, you will need to allow 3-6 months for healing before dental implant placement.
Sinus Augmentation
When a person loses a tooth either through trauma, extraction, or infection, the jaw bone is weakened by the remaining empty socket. As a result, the surrounding structures may shift, degenerate, or deform, due to a change in balance and pressure. This may cause the upper sinus floor to drop, preventing adequate bone surface area for a dental implant or bridge.
A sinus augmentation (or sinus lift) is a procedure used to increase the upper jaw bone density and surface area. Your dentist will select the appropriate bone grafting material to be placed within the upper jaw bone. The body will then build upon and around the bone grafting material. This process allows for repositioning of the sinus floor to accommodate a future dental implant placement.
Once your dentist has completed a sinus augmentation, you will need to allow 3-6 months for healing before a dental implant placement.
Gum Grafting
Gingivitis is an inflammation of the gums characterized by swelling, pain, or bleeding of the gums. With chronic gingivitis, more and more plaque and bacteria build up along the gum line. This creates pockets and further damages the gum tissue. With time, gingivitis may worsen, causing many oral health problems. The term periodontal disease refers to this advanced form of gingivitis. Advanced periodontal disease can lead to damaged and receding gum lines. Luckily, gum grafting can help.
Gum grafting is the corrective procedure that restores the gum to its natural, healthy state. Your dentist may perform this procedure using one of several techniques. All procedures are generally comfortable, and they usually result in minimal or no recovery time. Your dentist will talk with you about which option is best for your gums.
To start, thin gums may require preventative free gum grafting. This procedure increases the stability of the gum tissue and prevents the recession of gum tissue. This is ideally done before larger problems occur and more advanced interventions are required.
Another technique is to reposition the gum tissue from one area to another. Using this strategy, your dentist will reposition healthy gum tissue from the surrounding teeth, into the area of recession.
Last, your dentist may recommend a connective tissue graft. Using this strategy, your dentist will collect soft tissue from the roof of your mouth, then they will graft the collected tissue to your receding gum lines. This technique is primarily used in patients requiring a significant amount of gum restoration, in one particular area.
Root Canal Therapy
"Root canal" has become a scary term for dental patients to hear, but the benefits of the procedure and advances in dental technology have made it much less scary. Root canal therapy is one of the most common procedures. If the dental pulp becomes diseased or injured, root canal treatment is required to save the tooth. The infected nerves need to be removed. If left untreated an infection can turn into an abscess, which is a much more serious problem.
Your dentist, here at Columbia Dental, will make sure you are pain-free and comfortable throughout this procedure. Once you are relaxed and the area around the tooth is completely numb, your dentist will use a small surgical drill to create an opening into the canal. Your dentist will then be able to remove infected tissue and clean the canal. After the infection has been removed, the space is filled with a sealant called gutta percha. After a tooth has undergone a root canal, you may be fitted with a crown. This will prevent subsequent tooth fractures, as the treated tooth will be more brittle.
Local anesthetics and proper pain medication allow the procedure to be performed with little to no pain. There may be some soreness following the procedure, but your dentist will ensure you have appropriate prescription medicine to reduce the pain. This procedure will also relieve the pain caused by the infection, allowing you to enjoy eating the foods you love!
