Bridgewater Family Dental is a Hamilton based family dentist practice that treats patients of all ages. We are committed to delivering the highest quality dental care and do so using advanced dental equipment. We are a cosmetic dentist that offers services like checkups, teeth cleaning, crowns, veneers and more.

Dr. Schulte is from a small town in Northwest Ohio, where she worked for her hometown dentist in high school and college. That is where her love for dentistry started! She achieved her degrees from the University of Dayton and The Ohio State University College of Dentistry, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. She completed a General Practice Residency, after graduation, at Summa Health Systems Hospital, and has been practicing in the Cincinnati area since.

Dr. Schulte loves getting to know her patients and making them feel comfortable in the dental chair. She feels at home with the small town family feel of Bridgewater Family Dental and works to continue on the great relationships that Dr. Pavloff, and his staff, have built with patients since 1980.

She strongly values continuing her education in dentistry, to help provide the best care for her patients. She is currently working toward achieving the honor of becoming an Academy of General Dentistry Fellow, which requires 500 hours of additional education and training in dentistry. She is a member of the American Dental Association, Ohio Dental Association, Cincinnati Dental Society, The Academy of General Dentistry, and Spear Study Club.

Dr. Pavloff has been practicing dentistry since 1980. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Cincinnati and his degree in dentistry from the Ohio State University. He is a huge OSU Buckeye fan. He is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Dental Study Group, ITI Implant Study Group, Keely Dental Society, Ohio Dental Association, and American Dental Association. He devotes many hours to continuing dental education through study groups and seminars throughout the country. He has been named one of Cincinnati's Top Dentists in Cincinnati Magazine for 5 years running.

Dr. Runyan received her Bachelors of Science degree in Biochemistry at Kent State University and was on a full ride scholarship for gymnastics as well as an Honors College member. She completed her Doctorate of Dental Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Dentistry like Drs. Pavloff and Schulte. While at Ohio State she became Invisalign certified and was a recipient of The Academy of Operative Dentistry Award and Outstanding Commitment to Community Award. She has been practicing in the Cincinnati area since 2017.

Dr. Runyan is passionate about helping patients improve their oral health and attain a beautiful smile. She fell in love with this profession from the young age of four and became captivated by dentistrys ability to help others while forming caring relationships with patients. She grew up in the Cincinnati area and is happy to serve the patients of Bridgewater Family Dental.

Outside of dentistry, Dr. Runyan loves spending time with her husband, son, daughter, and their goldendoodle, Charlie. They enjoy being outside, going to Lake Norris, traveling, and cheering on the Ohio State Buckeyes!

Dental implants can be an ideal solution to replacing damaged or missing teeth. They can restore not only the functionality of teeth but can provide a great new look as well. Dental implants are a standard cosmetic dental option offered at Bridgewater Family Dental.

People tend to assume that the gap left behind after losing a permanent adult tooth can remain empty. The reality is that an exposed tooth socket faces the risk of infection, can cause teeth to shift out of alignment, and can cause other issues as well. With a dental implant, we can help patients avoid those oral health issues We have the tools and skills necessary to provide patients with a customized dental implant to meet their specific needs.

Dental implants can even help prevent facial structure from changing, providing the functionality needed to perform the same as before the original tooth was damaged. Supplementing them with a dental crown can also ensure that the dental implant looks perfectly natural along with your other teeth.

Once you are cleared for the procedure, the team at Bridgewater Family Dental will take an impression of your mouth to create a new tooth in a dental lab. Each synthetic tooth will match the size and shape of the surrounding teeth, along with having a perfect color match. This way your smile will appear completely natural once we complete the procedure. Many patients are satisfied with the results since no one can tell the difference between which teeth are real and which ones are synthetic.

Teeth restored with implants will not get cavities. A replacement tooth, or crown, does not decay like a natural tooth. However, you still need to brush, floss and care for it and your surrounding natural teeth in the same manner as natural teeth. Regular professional cleanings and dental checkups are also essential.

The next step in the procedure is to implant a metal post under the gum line. This aspect of the procedure is what sets an implant apart from other forms of cosmetic dentistry. The metal post is secured to the jawbone in order to create a durable, synthetic root system that rivals the strength of natural roots; with one exception that the metal cannot face infection. Over the course of a couple of months, the metal post and jawbone will fuse together. This creates a level of durability that cannot be replicated in other types of procedures.

Afterward, we will secure the new synthetic tooth to the metal post at the surface of the gums. The new tooth is attached so securely, that patients can eat their favorite foods, maintain an active lifestyle, play sports, and more, without fear of their tooth becoming loose or falling out. Patients can enjoy the benefits that come from never having to worry about their tooth again.

The team at Bridgewater Family Dental provide dental implants in a way that is comfortable and functional. We take the time to make sure that every aspect of the procedure is completed correctly the first time.

Once implants have been installed, they are extremely easy to care for. We hear patients throughout Hamilton ask questions that range from 'Do implants come out' to 'How do I brush my teeth'. Fortunately, the answers are not as complex as some people might believe. Since we install dental implants by creating a synthetic root system, they are durable and secure. The dental implants will not fall out or become loose. This means you can go play basketball, run in a 10k marathon, and wrestle with your kids without worrying about your tooth coming out.

In order to care for your implants, we advise patients to brush and floss their teeth throughout the day like normal. Additionally, it is important to schedule dental exams and cleanings with Dr. Schulte and Dr. Pavloff at least twice a year. The team at Bridgewater Family Dental will help to clean your teeth and ensure that they stay healthy. While dental implants cannot become infected themselves, the teeth around them can. If, in the future, you suffer from a severe case of gum disease or a dental abscess, the infection can spread into your jawbone. This puts your implants in jeopardy because in order to stay secure, the jawbone must be in good health. If it becomes infected, your dental implants and all of your teeth will be in jeopardy.

A. Generally, this is not a good idea. We find that it is generally much better not to attach implants to teeth. We frequently attach implants to each other, which can improve strength and works well. So in a case like this, although it may be more expensive in the short term to place two implants instead of one, the long-term success is likely to be much better with the two implants.

Q. I lost my upper back teeth on one side and have gone for years without doing anything about it. My sinuses always seem to bother me more on that side than on the side that I have back teeth. Could these problems be related to one another?

A. In a large majority of people who are missing their upper back teeth for a long period of time, is the increasing downward growth of the maxillary sinus. At birth, it is the size of a pea and progressively grows as the skull matures. This growth is at the expense of the surrounding bone. If you are considering replacing those upper back teeth with fixed teeth that stay in all the time, it may be necessary to perform a sinus elevation procedure to allow room for placement of dental implants into this area to support those teeth. This involves placement of bone and/or bone substitutes into an area which was previously occupied by the lower part of the maxillary sinus. Most importantly, this procedure increases the available bone use to place implants and restore the missing back teeth.

A. In most cases, with the new options available today in the field of dental implants, some form of treatment is possible. We encourage people to get help as soon as possible if they are already having some problems with their current situation. These problems include excessive use of denture adhesives, chewing only soft food, unable to taste some foods, constant mouth sores, unhappy with the appearance of one's teeth and bite position (in some cases the nose and chin getting closer together). The sooner we correct the problems with dental implants, the more choices one has available for treatment. If you have any or all of the above symptoms, implants can very well be the answer for you.

A. It is not necessary to have an implant for every tooth that is being replaced. The number of implants necessary to provide support depends on the type of implants used and the type of teeth (removable vs. non- removable) that will be attached to the implants. A thorough oral exam and panoramic x-ray is all that is necessary in most cases, to determine which implant can be used and how many must be used. Sometimes additional X-rays or CT scans are used in more complicated cases.

Q. I consulted a dentist several years ago about using implants to replace my lower denture and he told me that I did not have adequate bone available to place enough in-the-bone implants without danger of fracturing my now fragile jawbone. Are there any alternatives?

A. Because of the advances in the field of implantology, there are now more choices and techniques. It is rare for a person to not be able to receive an implant or a combination of implants. Today we have available many types of implants designed to accommodate multiple problems.

A. Teeth that have root canals can fracture more easily than other teeth because they are weaker and somewhat dehydrated. They can sometimes be as brittle as glass. In the past, the best available treatment was to remove the tooth and file down the adjacent teeth to make a bridge - caps on the adjacent teeth with an attached 'dummy' tooth between. Sometimes this still is the only way. However, in many cases an implant can replace the fractured tooth and we will not need to grind down a tooth to at all.

General dentists often recommend dental implants due to the range of benefits they offer. These benefits include a more natural appearance, more comfortable fit and unmatched durability. Understanding more about dental implants can help you decide if they are better than dentures or a fixed bridge for teeth replacement.Some patients have concerns when deciding if

If you are one of the millions of Americans who are missing one tooth or more, then you may be eligible for dental implants. Dental implants are advisable to prevent bone deterioration and are perhaps the most durable of all dental restorations. However, having a missing tooth is not the only factor to consider. In

What is a dental implant professional? This term is used to describe an oral surgeon, a periodontist, or a dentist who has been trained in how to place dental implants. These are the three main types of dental professionals who understand the process of how to place dental implants for missing teeth or to prepare

We can use dental implants to replace the root of a tooth. When a tooth falls out, you also lose the root, which plays a vital role in the overall function and appearance of the mouth. More importantly, for us, the root is the base on which a tooth gets its strength and stability. In

Bridgewater Family Dental provides a wide variety of dental services and procedures to address all of our patients' dental health needs. By combining quality patient care with up-to-date technology, we are able to treat patients of all ages in a comfortable and relaxing setting. Our dentist and highly trained team are trained to not only treat patients but to identify what caused the health concern in the first place. This approach sets patients of Bridgewater Family Dental on the road to recovery and long term oral health.

We offer a wide variety of services for patients throughout the Hamilton Ohio area. Our patients depend on Dr. Schulte and Dr. Pavloff to meet all of their oral healthcare needs. Whether you need preventative care, restorative solutions or a smile makeover, we can help.