When I am not at the office working, I enjoy reading all types of books and watching movies. In the early hours in the fall you can find me in a tree stand patiently waiting for the perfect shot. I also enjoy fishing in the summer. Health and fitness is very important to me. I enjoy swimming, biking, weight training, and other physical activities. My wife, Susan, and I have three sons, Christopher, Patrick, and Matthew.

I graduated in 1985 from IUSB dental hygiene school. I have been an employee of Coulter Family Dentistry since 2000. My happiest moments are spending time with my husband, three children, and 2 grand babies. I enjoy spinning, Notre Dame football, and the Chicago Cubs.

I joined the team at Coulter Family Dentistry in May 2020. I earned my Bachelor's of Science in Dental Hygiene from Indiana University South Bend in the spring of 2017. I like scary movies, listening to music/podcasts, and spending time with my dog and family.

Many people would like porcelain veneers on their teeth, but dont know what veneers are, or how effective they can be to cover stained, chipped of even broken teeth. So what are Cosmetic Porcelain Veneers? Dental Veneers are thin porcelain shells that are bonded to teeth to totally rejuvenate a smile. Porcelain Veneers are a safe, conservative and extremely effective technique to correct gaps, chips, stains and other imperfections. Dental Porcelain, which reflects light just like real teeth, is the ideal material for veneers.

Coulter Family Dentistryoffers you one the lowest radiation exposure dose possible in the greater South Bend Mishawaka area. At a routine dental visit, four bite-wingx-raysare performed which only produce 0.005 mSv, which is less than spending a day outside!

Do you ever wonder why dental professionals leave the room when they takex-rays? Dental teams may take hundreds ofx-raysper week, so most dentistry staff members limit the risk of exposure by moving away from thex-raybeam.

This being the case, the risk to patients from routinex-raysperformed atCoulter Family Dentistryis very small, as our patients are routinely covered by a lead apron to ensure the absolute lowest dosage possible.

TheDental Professionalsat Coulter Family Dentistry encourages patients to get routine x-rays as this helps diagnose any problem that is unseen in the mouth and helps both dentist and patient make informed decisions about treatment.

Should you elect to decline dentalx-rays, you could prevent your dentistry team from finding many diseases of the oral cavity. These can include tooth decay, infection, bone loss or gum diseases that cause a health problem that can become severe and very difficult to treat if not timely diagnosed. If you have concerns about your radiation exposure from dentalx-rays, feel free to ask eitherDr. Coulter or your Coulter Family Dentistry teammembers for guidance.

Flossingprevents tooth decay, tooth loss due to bone loss, heart disease, bad breath, premature labor, pain, bleeding and swelling of the gingiva. So cleaning between your teeth is an important step of yourdental hygieneroutine. Brushing alone does not rid the teeth and gums of bacteria. You can clean these areas between your teeth by flossing- either with dentalfloss,flosspicks, or a water pik.

Flossingremoves the sticky plaque from in-between surfaces of the tooth and root surfaces below the gingiva. This action prevents certain bacteria in the plaque from mixing with the sugars which produces harmful acids that cause decay. It also prevents other bacteria from living under the gumline. Bacteria changes when denied oxygen. This bacteria becomes an aerobic and release toxins into the tissue. These toxins cause inflammation, pain, and bleeding.

Lack offlossingcan ultimately cause perio infection. Periodontitis is a destructive inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues of the teeth caused by specific bacteria present in the mouth. The bacteria can enter the bloodstream and affect your organ systems cardiovascular, endocrine, reproductive, and respiratory health. Perio Disease can also affect a pregnant mother, by causing a low birth weight and premature labor.

When you visit the Coulter Family Dentistrydental offices, we check for periodontal disease by Perio-Charting. If you have questions about flossing orwhat we do at Coulter Family Dentistry, ask yourdental hygienistduring your next visit! Were pleased to serve patients throughout South Bend, Mishawaka, Granger and Elkhart.

This is the time of year many patients start asking about cosmetic dentistry, and especially, dental tooth whitening. Whether you had too much coffee over the cold winter months or would like to improve the over-all appearance of your smile, Coulter Family Dentistry offers great cosmetic dentistry options out there to brighten and whiten your teeth.

Youve no doubt heard commercial advertisements for whitening strips and teeth whitening kinds of toothpaste. These at-home solutions do offer affordable results but do not have the immediate results received from in-office whitening. Whitening toothpaste are an option, but the tooth whitening effect is very small due to the small exposure to the teeth when brushing. Whitening toothpaste also have abrasive qualities, making them more harmful to your teeth and gums than other whitening products. This would be the least recommended form of whitening if you are looking for dramatic differences in color.

Whitening strips are preferred to kinds of toothpaste because they stay on your teeth for an extended period of time, allowing the tooth whitening ingredients to do their job. The average user sees results after approximately seven days of using the treatment. This is ideal for wanting teeth whiter for a special event- if you want a result more dramatic or permanent, other options need to be considered.

We offer in-office whitening options. Although these are more costly, results are dramatic. The first option is to make custom at-home whitening trays. Bleach, sold in-office, is applied to the trays and worn anywhere from 1 hour to overnight. These trays can be used for many years, as long as you keep it away from your dog!