Michael A. Lartigue, DMD, is a Springhill College alumni and a graduate of the University of Alabama School of Dentistry. He is a native Mobilian with strong family ties to the Dog River area. An avid outdoorsman, he spends a great deal of time enjoying the countryside in rural Alabama on weekends.
Among ourstaff members we have three Registered Dental Hygienists (Michelle, April, &Jennifer), a Registered Nurse (Margaret), a retired paramedic/fireman (Mike), and a Student at the University of South Alabama studying to become a Dental Hygienist (Payton). The continuity of ouremployees offers familiar faces to patients and allows for a much more enjoyable patient experience.
Fillings are done to remove decay, and replace the affected tooth structure. Now days most teeth are treated with bonded tooth colored composite resin fillings. Caught early enough, cavities can be treated easily and painlessly. If not treated decay can lead to tooth pain and/or infection, and the tooth would need root canal treatment or extraction.
Routine check ups & cleanings allow us to keep your teeth in the best shape possible. Performing the check up at 6 month intervals allows us to spot problems and correct them before they can turn into bigger problems. Yearly X-Rays can help us find very common issues like calcium resorption which, if left undetected, can result in adult tooth loss.
The extraction of a tooth can be required for many reasons. Things like trauma, infection, over crowding, and gum disease. We can perform this procedure for these and many other reasons. We will explain your options and any alternatives if they are available in your case. If you have questions or would like to talk about your options - just ask.
A root canal is then performed to clean out the infected tooth pulp, and disinfect the canals of the tooth. Once the infection is resolved, the canal(s) are filled in to prevent any further infection.
Root canals are sometimes offered for infected teeth as an alternative to an extraction. This allows you to save your natural tooth after the tooth decay has infected the nerve of the tooth. In some cases, once the nerve and cavity are removed, the tooth could be more prone to fracture and in this case a crown is recommended. Dr. Lartigue may recommend that a specialist, or Endodontist, perform the procedure.
Implants are a permanent solution that has the advantages over bridge work. Implants don't stress the surrounding teeth for support. Also, if they wear out, another can simply be replaced on the shaft.
In this procedure, a small titanium shaft is surgically implanted into the bone and allowed to set. The bone grows around it forming a tight connection, which additionally slows or stops the bone loss that occurs when the root of a natural tooth is missing. Once the implant is firmly set in the mouth, the dentist then works to attach the replacement tooth onto the top of the shaft. We can refer you to a specialist we work with for this procedure.
Zoom! is a revolutionary tooth whitening procedure. Its safe effective and fast, very fast. In just over an hour, your teeth will be dramatically whiter. With the tray method, impressions are made, then a tray. Gels are used for several hours or overnight and the process takes 3-4 weeks and achieve the same results. Professional strength white strips are another option we offer.