ClearCorrect Straightens Your Teeth Without the Mouth Full of Metal

Thanks to new orthodontic technology, achieving a straight smile has become easier than ever. With ClearCorrect, Dr. Kathleen Hoye helps her patients of varying lifestyles straighten their teeth without needing to commit to a mouth full of metal.

ClearCorrect is a great smile improvement solution for patients that feel uncomfortable committing to traditional braces to fix mild and moderate bite or alignment issues. As a series of removable aligners made from clear, specialized plastic, ClearCorrect remains virtually invisible on your teeth during smiling, speaking and laughing. The aligners fit directly over the top and bottom rows of your teeth, modifying them with each aligner, and because they are not noticeable, they are a convenient way for the vast majority of orthodontic patients to straighten their smiles.

Because ClearCorrect aligners can be removed for easy eating, drinking and cleaning, you do not have to adjust your eating and oral care habits to meet the standards of orthodontic treatment. Unlike traditional braces, ClearCorrect only requires regular brushing and flossing habits to keep your teeth healthy during straightening.

Every six weeks, Dr. Hoye will check on your progress and provide you with your next two sets of aligners. Unlike other clear aligner companies, the aligners are manufactured in phases, so changes to your plan can be made at any time. Treatment usually takes between 6 to 18 months.

To schedule an appointment with our office in Taunton, MA, call 508-823-1600. For our Needham, MA office, call 781-444-4647. For more information, visit www.HoyeDental.com.

When You Need Your Wisdom Teeth Removed

Your wisdom teeth are your last set of molars to emerge, and they usually come in when you are between 17 and 21 years old. Because these teeth often become impacted, which means they come at an angle rather than straight through the gums, it is often necessary for them to be removed before they cause pain or crowd your other teeth. At our offices in Taunton and Needham, Dr. Kathleen Hoye can determine if your wisdom teeth need to be removed and extract them if they do.

If a wisdom tooth is impacted and can only emerge partially, it is possible for an operculum to form over the tooth. This flap of skin makes the molar extremely hard to clean, which means you are susceptible to an infection called periocoronitis.

When a wisdom tooth is in danger of causing such problems, Dr. Hoye extracts the tooth. Many times all four are removed at once. This is done either by using a local anesthetic to numb the area or a general anesthetic to sedate the patient. It depends on the preference of the doctor and patient, as well as how far the wisdom tooth has emerged. After an anesthetic is applied, the gum tissue over the wisdom tooth is cut and the tooth is loosened and pulled out. If necessary, the gums will be sutured.

After surgery, rest is required. You will also need to change the gauze applied to the incision every couple hours.

To see if your wisdom teeth may need to be removed, schedule an appointment with Hoye Dental by calling 508-823-1600 for the Taunton office or 781-444-4647 for the Needham office. For more information, visitwww.HoyeDental.com.

Healthy Gums, Healthy Mouth

We all know that caring for your teeth is essential for maintaining good oral health, but your gums also play an important role and shouldn’t be neglected. Gum disease can be a serious detriment to both your oral health and your overall wellness, and Dr. Kathleen Hoye provides the type of dental care you need to maintain peak periodontic health and prevent gum disease.

With periodontal disease responsible for 75 percent of all adult tooth loss cases in the United States, it is critical to check for and treat periodontal issues when the first arise. Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums that starts when a build-up of plaque on your teeth hardens into tartar. As tartar accumulates, bacteria collects and attacks the tissue around the gums. In its early stages, this gum disease is gingivitis, but if it is left untreated, it becomes periodontis. Periodontis can destroy your gums tissue and lead to tooth loss. Periodontis can even result in a loss of bone mass in your jawbone, and heart disease, diabetes and stroke have also been linked to poor periodontal health.

The state of your gums affects the health of your entire body, so come to Hoye Dental for dental checkups and cleaning. We will make sure your gums are well cared for. Call 508-823-1600 to schedule an appointment with our office in Taunton, MA and 781-444-4647 to schedule an appointment with our office in Needham, MA. For more information, visit www.HoyeDental.com.

Enhanced Smiles with Bonding

Of all cosmetic and restorative procedures in dentistry, bonding is one of the easiest and most affordable ways to enhance your smile. Called bonding because tooth-colored resin is bonded to your teeth, the procedure is used to repair teeth that are discolored, unevenly shaped or chipped. At our office, we can even use bonding as an alternative to amalgam fillings if only a small filling is required.

Bonding is achieved by applying incredibly strong resin to the tooth in need of restoration. The procedure can usually be accomplished in one visit and allows you to keep most of your tooth’s original enamel, which makes bonding preferable to veneers in many cases. Once the right color resin has been chosen for your smile, Dr. Kathleen Hoye will slightly abrade your teeth to roughen the surface. Then a conditioning liquid is applied to help the resin adhere. The putty-like resin is then applied to your tooth and molded and smoothed until it is in the proper shape and then hardened with an LED light. After the bonding material has hardened, Dr. Hoye will trim and shape it even more and then polish it until it shines like a tooth. Altogether, the procedure usually takes between 30 minutes to an hour for one tooth.

If you’re unhappy with your teeth but unwilling to go as far as veneers, bonding can be used to improve your smile quickly and effectively. To schedule an appointment with Hoye Dental, call us at 508-823-1600 to reach our Taunton office and 781-444-4647 for our Needham office. For more information, visit www.HoyeDental.com.  

Intraoral Camera

Dental technology has greatly improved the diagnosis of dental issues over the years, making early treatment of decay, infection and disease possible. With advancements, such as intraoral cameras, dentists can view patients’ teeth easier and more accurately, which helps them diagnose dental issues earlier and treat them with less invasive methods. At Hoye Dental, our patients’ oral health is important to us, so we use intraoral cameras and other top-of-the-line technology to keep them smiling.

The intraoral camera is an effective tool for viewing patients’ teeth and mouths from different angles. This allows us to see the mouth from angles that were not available even a couple years ago. The camera connects to a monitor that lets us see the structures of the teeth more closely and with better accuracy than traditional methods. These digital images allow the patient and insurance companies to see what the doctor has seen, which lets you understand your oral health better and gain procedure acceptance from your insurance company more easily. In addition, by using digital intraoral cameras and digital X-rays, instead of traditional dental X-rays, your dentist can limit your exposure to radiation.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Hoye and Hoye Dental, call 508-823-1600 for our Taunton office and 781-444-4647 for our Needham office. For more information about our services and technology, visitwww.HoyeDental.com.

Cold Sore Treatment with a Diode Laser

Cold sores can be painful, uncomfortable and embarrassing, but at Hoye Dental, we can help you get rid of the herpetic lesion with a diode laser. Treatment with a diode laser is quick and does not require an anesthetic, allowing you to easily treat cold sore symptoms.

If you are treated with a diode laser during the tingling stage that occurs before a breakout, you can reduce or even eliminate cold sore symptoms before they start. If you are already experiencing a breakout, the diode laser can still effectively treat your cold sore, offering pain relief and accelerated healing.

The diode laser treats cold sores by killing the viral particles of a cold sore, which not only helps heal a cold sore but can also decrease the frequency at which a cold sore reoccurs in that area. Several treatments can decrease the frequency of cold sores and lessen symptoms during the breakouts that do occur. We have had great results with the diode laser, with many patients and non-patients in Taunton and Needham, MA experiencing great relief.

If you would like to receive treatment, you can schedule an appointment with our Taunton office by calling 508-823-1600 or with our Needham office by calling 781-444-4647. For more information about the procedure or our practice, visit www.HoyeDental.com.

Why Do You Need a Root Canal Procedure?

While the thought of having a root canal procedure usually fills patients with dread, it is a necessary procedure for those who teeth become infected in the nerves. Besides causing pain, infections, if left untreated, can become abscesses, which are much more serious and result in a loss of bone mass in the jawbone. Here at Hoye Dental, Dr. Kathleen Hoye can relieve your pain with a root canal procedure.

Although root canals may not sound pleasant to you, they are well worth it to stop your pain and improve your oral health. While there is soreness after the procedure, it is only temporary and usually nothing that over-the-counter painkillers cannot take care of.

During a root canal, Dr. Hoye removes the infection by applying a local anesthetic to the area and drilling into the tooth to create an opening in the canal. Then she is able to remove the infected tissue and clean the area. Once the infection has been removed, your tooth will be filled with a sealant and then fitted with a crown to protect it from infection in the future. The crown also helps improve the appearance and strength of the tooth.

Once the procedure is complete, you will be able to eat without experiencing pain and sensitivity to heat, cold and pressure. If you’re in pain, you don’t need to suffer. Schedule an appointment us by calling 508-823-1600 for our Taunton office and 781-444-4647 for our Needham office. For more information, visit www.HoyeDental.com.

Providing Comfortable Dental Care

At Hoye Dental, we strive to provide our patients with high-quality dental care in a friendly and relaxing atmosphere. With top-of-the-line services and equipment, our offices in Needham and Taunton are both comfortable and well-equipped. By using digital X-rays, chair side TVs, BioLase soft tissue lasers and Xeomin, we can take dental care to the next level.

We use digital X-rays because they produce high-quality, accurate images of a patient’s tooth structures in real-time without exposing them to nearly as much radiation as traditional dental X-rays In addition, to less harmful diagnostic tools, during soft-tissue procedures, we choose to use BioLase, which can perform deep scaling, whitening, crown preparation and cold sore treatments that are quick and painless. Xeomin, which is similar to Botox, is used to help our patients fight the appearance of wrinkles in a safe way.

To increase our patients’ comfort during dental procedures, we have chair side TVs so that you may watch TV during your appointment. The TVs are equipped with 20” LCD monitors that are mounted by your chair for convenient viewing.

To schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Hoye, call 508-823-1600 for the Taunton office and 781-444-4647 for the Needham office. To find out more about our practices and services, visit www.HoyeDental.com.

Soft Tissue Lasers

Dental lasers have improved the way that dentists perform a variety of procedures, including the treatment of periodontal issues. From pocket reductions to frenectomies to crown lengthening, it is now possible for patients to have their gums restored while forgoing incisions, stitches and the discomfort of traditional gum surgery. This is why we use soft tissue lasers at Hoye Dental.

With increased accuracy and effectiveness and decreased negative side effects, soft tissue lasers offer many benefits to both dentists and patients. Using the energy of various wavelengths of light to cut and vaporize tissue, procedures that use soft tissue lasers may not require stitches or anesthesia. The laser also minimizes bleeding, bacterial infections and damage to surrounding tissue. In addition, wounds can heal much faster.

Dr. Kathleen Hoye often uses soft tissue laser therapy for pocket reduction, which is the treatment of gum disease. The laser is used to reduce the bacterial levels in the pockets of your gums. By killing bacteria and reducing pocket depth, this therapy helps restore healthy periodontal structures around your teeth.

Soft tissue lasers can also be used for cold sores. They can reduce pain and minimize your healing time. With the pain management attachment, the laser can also help relax TMJ disorders and reduce inflammation.

To schedule an appointment in Taunton, MA, call 508-823-1600. Call 781-444-4647 for the Needham, MA office. For more information, visitwww.HoyeDental.com.

How Clean are Your Teeth?

Regular checkups and dental cleanings are a part of any good oral hygiene routine, and at Hoye Dental we provide dental care services of the highest quality to ensure that our patients’ smiles stay healthy year after year.

Dental cleanings involve the removal of plaque, which is a soft and sticky film of bacteria, and deposits of tartar that have built up on the teeth over time despite regular brushing and flossing. Because teeth are constantly bathed in saliva, which contains calcium and other substances to strengthen and protect teeth, tartar or calcium deposits can build up over time, and it can only be removed with the help of a dentist. If this tartar is not removed and allowed to accumulate, bacteria will be provided a perfect environment and thrive on the gums and teeth, which can cause cavities, infection and gum disease.

At-home brushing and cleaning are not enough to make sure teeth stay clean. Regular dental cleanings are required. We will clean and polish your teeth, leaving the surface clean and smooth. The smoother the teeth, the more difficult it is for bacteria to stick to them and the more effective at-home brushing will be.

We recommend checkups and dental cleanings every six months for optimum oral health. To schedule an appointment, call 508-823-1600 for our Taunton, MA office and 781-444-4647 for our Needham, MA office. For more information, visit www.HoyeDental.com.

Transform Your Smile with Veneers

If you’re unhappy with the way your teeth look, veneers are an effective method for reshaping and redesigning your smile. Whether your teeth have gaps, stains, cracks, chips or other issues, you can get the smile you’ve always wanted with veneers. Veneers are thin, ceramic shells that cover the existing tooth structure in your mouth, and Dr. Kathleen Hoye can use them to give you the smile you’ve always wanted.

Having veneers placed usually only takes two to three visits. During the first visit, you can discuss the shape and look of the smile you want to accomplish with the doctor, and then your teeth will be prepared. Dr. Hoye will prepare your teeth for veneers by removing some of the enamel. The amount removed will be nearly equal to the thickness of the veneers. This ensures that your smile will still feel natural and not bulky after the procedure.

Once the enamel has been removed, and impression is taken of your mouth so that the veneers can be fabricated to fit your existing teeth. This fabrication process takes between 10 to 14 days and is done in a laboratory of the highest standards. You will be provided with temporary veneers during your wait. Then the final veneers are bonded to your teeth to create an attractive smile that looks and feels natural.

To schedule an appointment with Hoye Dental in Taunton, MA, call 508-823-1600. Call 781-444-4647 for the Needham, MA office. For more information, visit www.HoyeDental.com.

How Digital X-rays Help Us Provide Better Service

Advancements in dental technology have greatly improved the way that dentists practice, enriching every part of dental treatment. New technology has even changed the way that we X-ray patients’ teeth with digital X-rays becoming the go-to for many dentists. At Hoye Dental, we strive to provide patients with superior service by using up-to-date technology, including digital radiography.

Digital X-rays are taken in a similar manner to traditional X-rays that use film, but rather than placing film in the patient’s mouth, it is a digital sensor. This sensor is connected to an imaging program on a computer that projects the image for easy viewing by Dr. Kathleen Hoye. The digital projection allows her to view your teeth more closely and with better accuracy than traditional dental X-rays. Better images mean that there is a greater chance that the dentist will spot potential problems and be able to fix them before they become more serious or possibly more painful. In addition to better accuracy, digital radiography produces 90 percent less radiation than regular film X-rays, granting peace of mind to those who take X-rays frequently.

Whichever treatment you’re receiving at our practice, from a regular check-up to dental implants, we will strive to provide you with the best service with up-to-date technology.

To schedule an appointment with our Taunton, MA office, call 508-823-1600. For the Needham, MA office, call 781-444-4647. For more information on our practice, visit www.HoyeDental.com.

Thinking About Dentures?

Dentures are an option chosen by many of our patients at Hoye Dental. Available in both full and partial, dentures serve as a removable replacement for missing teeth.

If providing patients with full dentures, Dr. Kathleen Hoye will remove all the teeth from the patient’s mouth. With conventional dentures, the gums are given time to heal before the dentures are placed, which means that the patient does not have any teeth for several months. With immediate dentures, you would forgo this healing process with no teeth. Prior to having your teeth removed, the dentist would take measurements of your mouth in order to place dentures immediately after your teeth are removed. This type of full dentures requires a follow-up video to refit the dentures since the jaw bone will slightly change shape as your mouth heals.

Partial dentures are another option for those who do not need all their teeth to be removed. They are similar to bridges, except they are removable.

Whichever dentures our patients choose, they take time getting used to, and even though they are not real teeth, dentures should still be cared for as if they were. They should be brushed before removal and should be placed in room temperature water or cleaning solution overnight.

To find out if dentures are the right choice for you, schedule an appointment with us at either of our locations. Call 508-823-1600 for our Taunton, MA office and 781-444-4647 for our Needham, MA office. Visit www.HoyeDental.com for more information.

We Offer XEOMIN®

If you are a patient of Hoye Dental, you are qualified to receive XEOMIN® injections. XEOMIN® is a neurotoxin with the same active ingredient, botulinum toxin A, as Botox. Used to treat a range of ailments, the neurotoxin’s side effect is that it reduces the appearance of wrinkles.

When you squint or frown, the muscles between your browns contract, which causes the skin to fold. As you age and your skin loses its elasticity, the repeated contractions of these muscles cause persistent frown lines. XEOMIN® is a prescription medication used in facial aesthetics to temporarily improve the appearance of moderate to severe frown lines between the eyes.

Botulinum toxin type A, which is the active ingredient in XEOMIN®, acts on nerve endings in muscles to prevent muscle fibers from contracting. If the muscles’ contractions are minimized, then frown lines can be temporarily reduced.

While we do not allow patients to come in exclusively for XEOMIN® injections, it is an available service for our dental patients, but we are always accepting new patients to our practice!

If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Kathleen Hoye at Hoye Dental, you can call 508-823-1600 for the Taunton, MA office and 781-444-4647 for the Needham, MA office. For more information, visit www.HoyeDental.com.

What You Need to Know about Crowns

A dental crown is used to protect and strengthen a tooth if it has become extremely weak, fractured or decayed. It covers your affected tooth and restores it to its original shape and size while reducing pain, saving your tooth from extraction and keeping your smile functional. At Hoye Dental, we can see if a crown is necessary to save your bite.

As we age, our teeth begin to weaken, making them more susceptible to problems, such as decay, cracks and discoloration. If a tooth reaches a point where the structure is compromised and in danger of breaking, crowns can be used to reinforce and protect it. When a crown is installed, the decay is removed from the tooth and a core build-up is used to insulate the nerve and create a surface to bond the crown to. Then an impression is taken of your tooth so that a crown can be custom made for your mouth out of gold or porcelain. This process can take two to three weeks. When completed, the crown is then cemented onto the current tooth.

Crowns are made of incredibly strong material in order to protect the remaining tooth structure, and the custom fit ensures that the seam between the tooth and crown is minute to protect from further decay.

If you’re experiencing decay and pain in one of your teeth, stop by one of our offices to see if a crown can save your bite. Call 508-823-1600 to schedule an appointment in Taunton, MA, and call 781-444-4647 to schedule an appointment in Needham, MA. For more information on our practice or Dr. Kathleen Hoye, visit www.HoyeDental.com.