Dr. Chris Neilson is a native of St. George, Utah. His mom was born and raised in Pine Valley and before that his grandfather, Peter Neilson, was one of the original settlers of St. George, Dr. Chris grew up in Las Vegas and long felt the call to return to his roots in the Southern Utah area. He's now been practicing dentistry in St. George for over 20 years and has dedicated himself to giving back to the community he loves.
After graduating with a biology degree from Brigham Young University, Dr. Neilson earned his Doctorate Of Dental Surgery from Case Western Reserve University, a prestigious research University in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Neilson then came back to Utah and completed his general practice residency at the University of Utah Hospital, While there, he completed course traning on implants, sedation dentistry, Arrowhead Smile Design, and full-mouth rehabilitation.
While in school and now throughout his career of over 20 years, Dr. Neilson has had a passion for continuing education. His love for the art and science Of dentistry is nurtured every day as he strives to give his patients beautiful, healthy smiles. By utilizing state-of-the-art equipment, Dr. Neilson ensures his patients have access to the very best treatment options available, His team of trained ceramists, certified dental assistants and front office specialist share his passion for and deep knowledge of rehabilitative dentistry and the guiding principles of dental aesthetics. These deep, abiding commitments allow Dr. Neilson and his team to achieve beautiful, natural-looking results for their patients, often in just one visit.
This commitment to continuing education has led Dr. Neilson to accomplish some extraordinary feats in the community as well. After setting up his practice in St. George in 1997, Dr. Neilson saw a need for education in the dental assisting and dental front office administration field. He went on to co-found SunRock Dental Careers, a school for aspiring dental assistants and dental professionals. As part of the training, Dr. Neilson even provides SunRock students with on-the-job training in his office. He is also a co-founder of DentalCon, an annual event that provides continuing education for all dental providers and a fundraising event for the Dixe State University Dental Hygiene Department.
Aside from his involvement with SunRock and DentalCon, Dr. Neilson also maintains memberships with the American Dental Association, Utah Dental Association, Southern Utah Dental Association (serving as president from 2004-2005), Dixie Dental Society, Academy of General Dentistry, and the Local Chamber of Commerce. He is also active in the community, volunteering with and supporting various organizations such as the Dixie State University Hygiene Department, Dove Center, Switchpoint, Boy Scouts of America, Red Cross, The Dixie Foundation, The Fire and Ice Gala, Learning Curves, Smiles for Life, Church Humanitarian Aid, and many more. He is also currently serving as the President of the Dixie State University Hygiene Advisory Board and established the Bloomington Dental Health Science Scholarship that is awarded yearly.
When he isn't doing all of that, Dr. Nelson and his wife, Ronda, enjoy vacationing with their kids, participating in sporting, church activities, and riding their Harley Davidsons. They can often be found in Pine Valley on the weekends working on their ranch, running, boating, skiing, riding dirt bikes, off-road Jeeping, and other Southern Utah favorite pastimes.
Here at Bloomington Dental, we gladly accept Cash or Check, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover Card. In addition, we offer short-term, interest-free financing and longer term financing with low monthly payments, making great dental care and a Dazzling Smile even more affordable!
Its impossible to overstate the emotional, social and even professional benefits that smiling with confidence can give you. If you find you cover your mouth when you smile, or even hold back your smile because you dont want to show your teeth, you should consider what cosmetic dentistry the art of smile enhancement can do for you.
Theres so much that can be done these days to improve the appearance of a persons smile at any age. From powerful, professional whitening treatments to amazingly realistic porcelain veneers to state-of-the-art dental implants, theres a wide range of exciting possibilities.
The first step in any smile makeover is a thorough dental examination to make sure that your cosmetic problems really are just that, and not a sign of underlying dental disease. Once your health has been established, your smile can be cosmetically enhanced in a variety of ways.
A successful smile makeover is a team effort between you and the dentists who treat you. Depending on which procedures you choose, other highly skilled professionals such as dental lab technicians may also play a crucial role. Some common cosmetic dentistry procedures include:
It is extremely helpful for you to bring in pictures you have collected of smiles you like, smiles you dont like, and/or photos of the way your own smile used to look, if thats the result youre aiming for. Now is the time to get started on creating a smile that will make you feel as good as you look!
We understand how important first impressions can be, and we want to help you achieve a beautiful, healthy smile that will make a lasting impression. There are a number of common problems that can hinder a person from having an aesthetically pleasing smile. Here are just a few common problems that we can fix.
Crooked teeth are common among adults who didnt have orthodontic treatment as a child. We offer an instant solution for crooked teeth without depending on traditional orthodontic treatment. We use porcelain veneers to give you the beautiful, straight smile youve always wanted.
Cracks and chips in teeth can occur for various reasons, including eating sticky candy or hard foods, suffering from trauma and teeth grinding. Some of the services available to fix cracked or chipped teeth include porcelain veneers, bonded fillings or porcelain inlays and onlays.
Our teeth naturally darken as we age. Changes in the color of your teeth can be caused by such factors as the food and beverages consumed (like coffee, tea and soda). Other known factors for discoloration may include childhood medications or illnesses, tobacco use or improper oral hygiene. Restoring your natural white smile is a priority for our dental team. We can provide a variety of options for whitening your smile.
While traditional metal-mercury amalgam fillings offer a strong, durable solution for filling cavities, their dark, dull appearance is very unattractive. We offer tooth-colored fillings as a more attractive solution for filling cavities. We can replace mercury fillings with more natural looking, tooth-colored fillings.
Missing teeth is a serious problem, both aesthetically and functionally. A missing tooth causes the whole structure of the mouth to change, resulting in shifting teeth, periodontal problems and deterioration of the chewing function. We offer dental implants to replace missing teeth. Whether you are missing one, several, or all of your natural teeth, dental implants are designed to look, feel, and function like your own.
A chipped tooth can happen to anyone: a child riding a bicycle, a teenager playing basketball, or a grown-up crunching a piece of hard candy. Its one of the most common dental injuries and, fortunately, its usually one of the easiest to treat. There are several ways a chipped tooth can be treated, depending on how extensive the chip is. But first, there are some things you should do right away.
In many cases, a small to moderate chip can be repaired via a procedure called bonding. Bonding uses tooth-colored substances to replace missing tooth structure. Bonding materials are called composite resins because they contain a mixture of plastic and glass, which adds strength and translucency. This composite actually bonds, or becomes one, with the rest of the tooth.
Composite resins can be successfully bonded to most healthy teeth, and they come in a variety of tooth shades for truly lifelike results. When bonding is complete, it may be impossible to distinguish the repaired tooth from its neighbors. Though bonding may not last as long as some other restorations, it also does not require the involvement of a dental laboratory and, most often, can be done with very minimal drilling of the tooth. Its a particularly good solution for teens, who often need to wait until their teeth have finished maturing before choosing a more permanent type of dental restoration.
Tooth bonding can usually be accomplished in a single visit to the dental office, in a procedure that may take 30 minutes to an hour. First, the surface of the tooth may be altered slightly with a drill to bevel the chipped areas. Next, the tooth to be bonded will be cleaned so it is plaque-free, and etched with a gel that opens up tiny pores in the surface. Then, liquid composite resin in a matching shade is painted on in a thin layer, and a special curing light is used to harden this bonding material. Once the first layer is cured, another layer can be painted on and cured. More layers can be built up until the restoration has the necessary thickness; it can then be shaped using a dental drill to give it just the right form, and given a final polishing.
If a tooth has been severely chipped and has lost a large part of its structure, a more extensive restoration may be needed. In this case, a veneer or a crown restoration (cap) may be recommended. There are several different varieties of veneers and caps, which we will discuss with you. Both veneers and caps usually require the services of a dental laboratory, and will take more than one visit to prepare and place. In some cases where extensive damage has occurred, a root canal procedure may also be necessary to prevent or treat infection in the pulp (inner part) of the tooth.
Dental implants allow patients to regain fully functional and natural appearing smiles. Tooth loss can be caused by tooth decay, gum disease, or trauma. Dental implants are an alternative to ordinary dental bridges or dentures to fill in the gaps caused by missing teeth.
Dr. Neilson focuses on creating smiles that have the natural stability of real teeth. Tooth implant smiles look and feel authentic, and they maintain biological stimulation to prevent bone loss and that sunken-in appearance.
A tooth implant is a durable titanium cylinder that is surgically placed into the upper or lower jawbone. After placement, the implant will fuse with the jawbone until it is fully integrated and becomes part of your body. Dental implants can be restored with dental crowns, dentures, or dental bridges. Each tooth implant can sustain all of the bite force and ability of a natural tooth.