Dr. Peter Sciarrino moved to Charleston after completing a one year advanced training residency at a Veterans Hospital in Hampton, Virginia. Growing up and attending both undergraduate and dental school in Buffalo, NY, Dr Sciarrino wanted a change of pace. After graduating from the State University of New York at Buffalo Dental school in 2007 he headed south to Virginia for a one year General Practice Residency program. Through his residency program Dr. Sciarrino gained advanced training in all aspects of dentistry from root canal treatment to surgical extraction of teeth and aesthetic smile make over cases. After completion of this residency Dr Sciarrino made the choice to remain in the south moving to Charleston where he has some family.

Dr Sciarrino has always had a strong passion for helping people in dental need. Through his dental school he was part of a charity mission to the Dominican Republic to perform dental procedures on people with very limited, to no access to dental care.

After working as an Associate for several years in other dental offices, Dr Sciarrino decided it was time to branch out with his own dental practice. This decision led him to the establishment of Oak Family Dentistry on John's Island.

Dr. Sciarrino feels that patient education is a key factor in dental treatment. Not only will he fix any dental problems, he will also take the time to educate and tell you the best way to prevent these problems from occurring again down the road.

When Dr Sciarrino is not helping his patients he enjoys running, skiing, watching football, traveling, spending time with family and friends. He is also a car enthusiast and enjoys attending motorsport events.

We invite you to stop by and visit our office here on John's Island and to meet Dr. Sciarrino and staff. We strive to make your experience pleasant and comfortable from the moment you walk in the door to the moment you leave. Our goal is to establish a long term relationship with our patients here on John's Island!

Here at Oak Family Dentistry we understand that patients would like the best dental care possible but sometimes finances can inhibit you from proceeding with treatment. In an effort to provide for greater access to dental care, Dr. Sciarrino has implemented several payment options. Oak Family dentistry accepts all major credit cards, personal checks and cash. We also are providers for most major dental insurance plans.

We do our best to provide you as the patient with the most accurate dental quotes based on your insurance benefits so you can be confident in your understanding of all fees prior to the start of any procedure. Our goal is to provide the best dental services to you and your family. We pride ourselves on our patient's understanding why they need a procedure, what the procedure is, and how much their portion will be before starting any treatment.

Oak Family Dentistry is dedicated to providing comprehensive dental care for you and your family. Dental heath is very important starting at a young age and we wish to cultivate good dental habits from childhood through adulthood.

Here at Oak Family Dentistry we embrace the family approach to dental treatment. We wish to serve you and your family's dental needs from the young to the elderly. A common question asked by parents is when to start bringing their children to the dentist for a checkup. Dr Peter Sciarrino recommends that children first visit our office around the age of one year. The first visit is mainly to get your child acquainted with our friendly staff and to go over dental hygiene techniques to ensure your child has a clean healthy mouth. This visit will allow the dentist to assess your child's oral health and screen for problems commonly found in children at this age such as teething irritation, baby bottle tooth decay, and complications caused by prolonged thumb sucking. Dr Peter Sciarrino will be able to assess if your child has any problems and provide early preventative care.

Routine cleanings are a necessary part of maintaining a healthy mouth and smile. It is clearly understood that plaque accumulation on teeth and gums leads to decay and inflammation. Regular dental checkups allow for us to spot small problems before they turn into bigger issues.

At your checkup we can also assess the health of your gum tissue. Chronic inflammation of your gums, also called Gingivitis, can lead to Periodontal Disease which is defined by the loss of bone around your teeth. As this disease progresses you lose more and more bone until the teeth become loose and extractions or periodontal surgery is necessary.

When the pocketing between the tooth and gum becomes too deep, Scaling and Root Planing is required. This is a procedure where the Dental Hygienist numbs your gums and cleans below the gum line to remove the bacteria and hard deposits causing the progression of Periodontal Disease.

Direct restorative treatment involves removing cavities and replacing the removed tooth structure with a restoration. Resin or Amalgam fillings are options for restoration after removing the diseased tooth structure.

Resin Fillings are tooth colored fillings that are bonded to your teeth. This restoration material allows for the highest level of aesthetics for a directly placed restoration that blends with your natural tooth shade. Amalgam (or silver) fillings are used in areas where bonding of resin would be difficult to achieve.

Sealants also fall under direct preventive restoration. A sealant is placed on healthy posterior teeth with no cavities so drilling is not necessary. A sealant is a thin layer of fluoride releasing bonding that fills in deep grooves on top of posterior teeth. This bonding allows for less food collection in this area and thus fewer cavities on the top of the back teeth.

It is sometimes necessary to replace large fillings on broken or cracked teeth with a full coverage crown. Over time large fillings have a tendency to split and crack your tooth and create stress fractures in your remaining tooth structure. A crown is essentially a new outer shell for your tooth. Crowns will protect your remaining tooth structure from fracture and restore aesthetic when needed.

If you are missing any teeth you might be a candidate for dental implants. Dental implants replace the roots of the teeth and provide your dentist with a foundation to restore the empty space with a tooth. Dental implants are the restoration of choice for replacing teeth as they are most similar to your natural teeth in function.

Dentures are a good treatment choice for people missing multiple or all of their teeth. They restore the ability to chew and can improve a patients smile. Implants can also be combined with dentures to provide for more stability of the denture and more confident chewing.

When the dental pulp (or nerve) of the tooth becomes infected or traumatized it can cause the tooth to die. When this happens, your dentist must remove the damaged nerve tissue either by treating the tooth with a root canal or by extracting the whole tooth. Root canal treatment allows for the patient to keep their natural tooth structure while addressing the problems with the nerve. The canals are cleaned out and instrumented with the latest in rotary endodontic technology. Dr Sciarrino will restore your root canal treated tooth and allow for a long lasting, functional, and aesthetic solution to the problem without having to lose your tooth.

Extractions are removal of the tooth from the socket of bone. An extraction is necessary if a tooth is severely broken or damaged by decay and cannot be saved. Every effort is taken to ensure your experience is comfortable and as painless as possible.

TMD (or Tempero Mandibular Disorder) occurs in people who have a tendency to clench and grind their teeth. This usually happens at night and can be corrected with an occlusal night guard. Not only will this night guard protect your teeth from wear, it also will help with jaw joint pain, jaw muscle soreness, and headaches associated with overuse of this joint. The night guards are custom fit to your mouth to ensure an even distribution of forces when grinding.