A KIND AND COMPASSIONATE DENTISTDr. Harding has a chair side manner that patients love. He takes the time to truly listen to you and to explain things in a way that makes you comfortable and part of the process.

NATURAL TALENT COMBINED WITH ADVANCED TRAININGAfter dental school, Dr. Harding took the discipline and focus he learned as a former ski racer into his pursuit of post graduate dental education to learn the new field of comprehensive dentistry from the prestigious Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI) where he was one of the first graduates. Just as in his skiing career, Dr. Harding excelled and has received many accolades including being voted Vail Valleys Best Dentist by readers of the Vail Daily. The training has not stopped, Dr. Harding and his team regularly train with the finest instructors to learn the latest techniques and cutting edge methodologies.

AN AVERAGE OF 200 CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS PER YEAR Current dentistry skill and up-to-date knowledge is of the highest priority for Dr. Harding, who earns an average of 200 Continuing Education credits a year, well beyond professional requirements.

A HEALTHY APPROACH TO DENTISTRYYou will appreciate Dr. Hardings approach to dentistry that takes into account the relationship of your oral health to your overall physical health. Diabetes, heart health and more have now been linked to oral health in ongoing studies. Dr. Harding helps you understand that a healthy smile is a healthy person.

BEAUTIFUL RESULTS FROM A TRAINED ARTISTIC EYEBeing a good dentist goes beyond learning functional dentistry and now involves how your teeth look and compliment your lifestyle and overall facial proportions. Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci used the golden ratio, as have countless other artists. Now dentistry uses this same science to create the most attractive smile possible, designed just for you. This is made possible by Dr. Harding's advanced training in cosmetic dentistry and helps ensure that your results are indeed as beautiful as they are functional.

TEAM DENTIST TO THE U.S. SKI AND SNOWBOARDING TEAMSDr. Harding serves as the team dentist to the Vail Ski & Snowboarding Club and is an Official Medical Provider to both the U.S. Ski and U.S. Snowboarding teams. Keeping world-class athletes in top oral health requires a wide range of talent from mouth guards, to slope-side emergencies,to creating camera ready smiles for social media and the press.

ONE OF ONLY ONE HUNDRED DENTISTS PERFORMING FULL MOUTH RECONSTRUCTIONSA full mouth reconstruction restores a patient's smile to its ideal natural form, by correcting crooked or missing teeth, gaps, discoloration, alignment and tooth decay. Currently, fewer than 100 professional dentists in the country can perform these procedures. Patients travel from across the nation to engage Dr. Hardings dental restoration services, whether medically necessary or elective.

SUPPORTED BY THE LATEST TECHNOLOGYInvestments in dental technology also keep Dr. Hardings practice ahead of the rest. While many dentists send patients to other professionals for various procedures, Dr. Hardings team can perform the full spectrum of dental treatments and restorations, right here in their Alamosa and South Fork offices.

CLINICAL INSTRUCTOR TO DENTISTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD AT LVIDr. Harding is a highly-regarded Clinical Instructor at LVI and has taught dentistrys most advanced procedures to dentists around the world, including:

PUBLISHED AUTHOR AND DENTAL SPEAKERDr. Harding regularly shares his expertise in publications,dental treatment blogs, and presentations on a wide range of topics; from modern-day nutrition and the growing need for orthodontics, to oral cancer screening and dental remedies for sleep apnea.

FROM SKI RACER TO OWNING HIS FIRST PRACTICE AT 25Dr. Harding originally hails from the Southeast, where he competed as a ski racer before attending the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry on a full scholarship. Upon graduation, he set up his first dental practice at the age of 25.

FAMILY MAN AND OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTOutside the office, Dr. Harding enjoys the high-energy Colorado lifestyle, skiing, hiking and biking with friends and family. Currently Dr. Harding and his wife are most actively involved in supporting their two energetic daughters in their many school activities and sporting events. And for those who wonder if the Harding clan are cat or dog lovers - it's a dog!

The US Ski and Snowboard Teams have chosen Dr.Harding as the dental care provider for their athletes and families. They expect a level of professionalism and advanced techniques to keep their athletes healthy, and those same skills are available to you as a patient of Harding Dental Group.

At Harding Dental Group, our team of dental professionals are up-to-date with the latest advances in dental care and comprehensive restorative dentistry. The state-of-the-art equipment necessary to protect, repair, improve and enhance your healthy mouth is available to you right here in South Fork and Alamosa,Colorado.

As we age, our dental needs become more complex, from fillings to restorative dentistry such as implants, and treatments for gum disease. James Harding, DDS can assist with all kinds of dental problems such as sleep apnea,teeth grinding and TMJ.

Harding Dental Group offers a full continuum of care for your changing dental needs, from the mechanics of a single tooth to the healthy functioning of your entire mouth and benefit from our cosmetic approach to making all our work as beautiful as it is functional.

A healthy smile is connected to your overall health and well-being. With proper teeth you can chew better, improving your nutritional choices.Healthy gums reduce your chances of developing certain illnesses. Attractive teeth can improve your self-confidence.

You may have never considered issues such as how nutrition affects the shape of your palate, how sleep apnea can be corrected through dental remedies, or why headaches might stem from grinding your teeth. We educate you on these and other issues so that together we can work to maintain your healthy mouth.

Continuing education is our top priority. In fact, Dr. Harding earns an average of 200 continuing education credits each year by participating in and teaching courses in advanced dentistry to other dentists around the world.

The Harding Dental Group also offers state-of-the-art dental equipment such as digital radiographs and intra-oral cameras. This equipment enables our highly-trained staff to perform the latest dental procedures in-office, every day, keeping our patients one step ahead in their oral health.

June has often been called The Mayor of Del Norte in jest by Dr. Harding because she apparently knows most everyone that comes in the door of Harding Dental Group! She is a native of Southern Colorado, growing up in Del Norte. In 1988, June graduated from Colorado College of Medical and Dental Careers in Denver, where she received her Certified Dental Assistant Certification. Dental Assisting is her passion. She loves every patient, whether they are young or old!

June is a single mother of two daughters. She loves spending time with them, along with her 3 dogs and one cat. Her oldest daughter, Alycia, is 24 and attends University of New Mexico, and her youngest daughter, Joy, is a graduate of Del Norte High School now living in Indiana. Life keeps June busy and she is particularly looking forward to the birth of her first grandchild. For relaxation June enjoys spending time with family and friends and riding her Harley.

Bonnie has been a hygienist for 20+ years. She grew up in the Texas panhandle where she received her hygiene degree from Amarillo College. Bonnie worked for 12 years with the same two dentists in Texas before moving to Colorado to pursue the Colorado lifestyle in the San Luis Valley. Bonnie worked for a few dentists here in the valley before finding her home at the Harding Dental Group.

Growing up, she had always wanted to be a dentist. Now, she has taken another step towards that dream by taking some of the prerequisitescourses for dental school, and joining the team at Harding Dental Group to get a taste of what the dental fieldwould look like before she makes any decisions to further her education and has loved it!

Liana brings a positive attitude and fun to the Harding Dental Group team and also great determination and potential. She can't wait to keep learning from Dr. Harding and her colleagues and master new skills everyday.

Cara Taylor, is our wonderful Administrative Assistant, and the friendly voice you hear on the phone when you call! Cara grew up in the SLV, and is married with six energetic kids (three boys and three girls).

Molly Cavett, our new Dental Assistant, is a life long resident of the San Luis Valley and is also completing a dental assistant degree at State College in Alamosa with one more semester to go. Molly was drawn to Harding Dental Group having heard about the great environment for both team members and patients. She is one of six sisters, which she says always makes for an exciting family life. In her spare time, Molly can be found hiking, doing outdoor activities, and reading mysteries. With her philosophy of 'never give up, always keep trying', we know Molly will fit in perfectly and you will love meeting her. Welcome, Molly!

Dentists and patients should both be alert to new developments in medicine and dentistry that affect the mouth and the body. Every few years the dental landscape changes dramatically, with new techniques, technologies and materials to improve and restore dental health.

At Harding Dental Group, we are strongly committed to continuing our education, always staying up-to-date on important developments in dental care and most importantly sharing that information with you our patients.

Bleeding gums and bad breath are not healthy. If your gums bleed easily, are red, swollen or tender, or have pulled away from your teeth, you likely have some level of gum disease, or periodontitis. If you have bad breath, loose teeth, or your teeth now fit together differently, you may have advanced periodontal disease. Though it starts in the gums, periodontitis infects the teeth, and may lead to loss of teeth or of jaw bone. Find out more about our gum disease treatment.

Clenching, grinding and bruxing teeth can cause a variety of dental problems, damaging the gums and wearing down the teeth, or even breaking them. Over time, bruxism changes the aesthetics of the teeth and smile. Dr. Harding can treat grinding and help prevent further damage by fashioning custom mouth guards for patients to wear at night.

Chronic neuromuscular problems and TMJ/ TMD is caused by misalignment of the joints on either side of the face, the ones that attach the jaw to the skull. This misalignment causes pain in the head, face, neck, and shoulders. Successful treatment requires finding the proper position for the jaw, and then crafting a mouth guard to maintain the proper position. Dr. Harding has the complex equipment and training needed to treat TMJ.

Dental implants are comfortable and long-lasting replacements for damaged teeth. Compared to bridges and dentures, fitting and implanting these restorations is a lengthy process involving specialized equipment. Unlike other dentists, James Harding DDS has all the equipment needed for most dental implant procedures right in our South Fork and Alamosa offices.

Dentures are a time-tested restorative solution for patients missing all or most teeth. Todays attractive dentures are made from sturdy acrylic, enabling patients to smile, chew and talk within a comparatively short time. Dentures must be removed from the mouth every night, and they require some additional cleaning to prevent discomfort in the mouth.

For some patients missing only a few teeth, implants may not be possible because of health or time considerations. Such patients may prefer a bridge, which is natural-looking false tooth fused between two porcelain crowns. Bridges remain in the mouth 24 hours a day. The gum surface around a bridge requires a little extra care to remain healthy.