General Dentistry

In addition to the hygienists that have worked with Dr. Cunningham for over 25 years, Dr. Bardell has brought 2 hygienists she has worked with for 7 years.  Our hygiene team, Kim, Melinda, and Hiram, provide professional cleanings. When you come to our practice you can expect a highly trained hygienist and a friendly face that you will see year after year.  Cleanings remove harmful plaque and calculus (tartar).Plaque and tarter can lead to bone loss, gum disease and cavities. Cleanings also remove staining left by food wine, tea, coffee and smoking.  Our hygienists also have the ability to treat sensitive areas of your teeth at no charge.

Our hygienists use multiple instruments to provide a superior clean.  They use Ultrasonic Cleaners, Scalers, and Curettes depending on the extent of buildup and patient preference.  They provide a professional polish at the end.  You have the opportunity to choose from many flavored pastes.

On top of the friendly atmosphere and familiar faces, our office offers free nitrous in all the hygiene rooms to make your experience as comfortable as possible.

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A dental crown is a cover that surrounds and strengthens a weakened tooth. Some people refer to it as a cap. Teeth with large fillings or that are severely broken down benefit from crowns because it can help prevent cracking or breaking the remaining weakened tooth structure. Crowns restore teeth to their original shape, function, and color. Crowns are also used on teeth following root canals. Additionally, crowns can be used for cosmetic enhancement and for fractured teeth.

Dr. Bardell will discuss crown choices, and help you make an educated decision on what the best option is for you. The main types of crowns are zirconia, porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, and gold. If you have any questions about the options, please make an appointment and discuss treatment options with Dr. Bardell.

A bridge is a non-removable prosthetic tooth used to replace one or more missing teeth by joining adjacent teeth with dental crowns.  The bridge consists of a crown on each side of the gap left by the missing tooth and a false tooth that is attached to the crowns. A bridge looks and functions like a natural tooth.  Bridges are an excellent option to esthetically replace one  or multiple missing teeth.  Replacing missing teeth is important to restore your smile, improve chewing, and maintain the shape of your face. It also keeps other teeth from drifting out of position.

Dr. Bardell can discuss the treatment options to replace missing teeth with a bridge. Bridges can be made of zirconia, porcelain fused to metal, or gold.  Our office works closely with the lab to make sure the esthetics and function are of superior quality.  Dr. Bardell has been practicing cosmetic dentistry for years, and has taken multiple continuing education classes in cosmetic dentistry to assure a superior result.

At every 6 month cleaning we provide  an oral exam. Your oral health can change drastically over a 6 month period, and our office emphasizes detecting all cavities and soft tissue lesions in their early stages.  We provide oral hard and soft tissue cancer screening at no additional charge.  Oral cancer is an aggressive form of cancer and early diagnosis is key for a good prognosis.

Dr. Bardell can provide this early diagnosis for her patients.  She will consider these screenings one of the most important parts of her job and always take time for a thorough analysis.  At the office all of the hygienists have also been thoroughly trained to aid in early detection.

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Our hygienists provide fluoride treatments to children and adults at high risk of cavities. Fluoride sticks to teeth and prevents cavities on the smooth surfaces of the teeth.  These areas are at high risk for cavities in children who lack the dexterity needed for proper brushing.  An example of a high risk adult is a person who has undergone radiation therapy, causing decreased salivary flow.  Fluoride treatments can be in the form of fluoride "painted on" the teeth, available in a variety of flavors, or a prescription toothpaste.

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Our office offers a variety of night guards depending on what will be most effective for each individual. A night guard can prevent damage caused by grinding your teeth.  Many times grinding is a subconscious activity, but the damage and pain it causes are very real. Signs of grinding include: headaches in the morning, jaw and muscle tenderness (TMJ), grinding noises at night, chipped front teeth, and fractured teeth.

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Dr. Bardell is always on call after regular business hours, for patients of record.

If experiencing pain, swelling, or injury, call 309-663-6551 and you will be directed to an emergency number.  You can then text or call Dr. Bardell or an on-call dentist.  If swelling is affecting your breathing call 911 immediately.

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Patients that have not had a cleaning in a long time face the possibility of periodontal disease, if there is bone loss due to high levels of calculus (tarter) below the gum level. Our dentists will perform an evaluation of the damage and discuss deep cleaning options to restore maximum oral health.

Athletic guards are recommended for all contact sports, including football, hockey and martial arts.  Our office makes custom mouth guards in our office lab with two quick appointments.  Research supports the importance of custom athletic guards opposed to the “boil and bite” guards that are often used.  Current research shows 50% fewer concussions in athletes who use custom athletic guards.

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Root canals are performed when the living tissue in the tooth has undergone trauma and is dead or dying.  This trauma can be from a large cavity, bacteria entering the living tissue in the tooth, a cracked tooth, or physical trauma.  Pain and swelling are often associated with a tooth that is dead or dying and has an infection. A  root canal is the only treatment that allows the patient to keep the tooth.  The other treatment option in this scenario is to have the tooth extracted. A root canal consists of removing the blood vessels and nerves inside of the tooth, filling the tooth with a new core material, then sealing the tooth.

Modern root canal therapy is practically painless. Dr. Bardell has been performing root canals for over a decade, and has taken multiple continuing education courses to keep up to date on current techniques.  The office has invested in the most up to date equipment to provide superior service and make your experience as pleasant as possible.

Sealants are a resin placed on a child's permanent molars without removing tooth material or using anesthetic.  Sealants provide a barrier between the tooth structure and the grooves where plaque and food accumulate.  Sealants prevent decay on permanent teeth during the high risk ages.  Sealants are recommended for children since they do not have the proper technique or dexterity to keep these areas clean.

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Tooth colored fillings are a resin filling material that blends with your natural tooth to fix small fractures and cavities.

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Dental Implants are titanium artificial tooth roots anchored into your jaw to replace a tooth or stabilize a denture.  Placing implants is a highly technical procedure.  After our initial consult, we refer to a specialist for implant placement.  Once the implant is placed, Dr. Bardell will secure an attachment to the implant and cement a crown to match the adjacent teeth.

Benefits of dental implants include their reliability and high success rate.  They do not require crowns to be placed on the adjacent teeth like bridges do, which is beneficial if the adjacent teeth have never had a filling or cavity.  Implants also are free standing and do not decay.

Dr. Bardell has been restoring implants for years.  She works with the lab and the specialist’s office to make sure that your case is successful and esthetically superior.

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Dentures are removable prosthetic teeth that replace missing teeth and restore your smile.  Complete dentures replace all of your missing teeth so you are able to eat and speak more naturally than you could without teeth.

Dentures can greatly improve not only your smile but your overall appearance.  Without teeth in place, facial muscles sag and deteriorate, making the face look older.  With a denture in place the face retains more of it's natural appearance.

Dr. Bardell works with a local lab, which is beneficial because if final changes are needed to make the denture perfect prior to processing, We can work with the lab directly while the patient is at the office.

All-on-4 Implant retained dentures are a revolutionary system. If you have limited bone due to bone loss, this system will improve your quality of life over a standard denture. 4 implants are placed at the same time the teeth are extracted and you can wear a temporary denture immediately. The cost of the denture also has factored in the final denture, which is more like a long span bridge anchored to the implants. The denture does not have large denture acrylic on the palate of the mouth or the floor so that it does not feel as bulky or affect your taste like a conventional denture. These are also beneficial for people that have a severe gag reflex but require a denture.