A: We are in the Bonita Professional Center at the Bonita Crossings off of the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) just South of Bonita Beach Road. We are on the Second floor of Building B, Suite 13, just to the left of the elevator. Our address is 28331 S. Tamiami Tr., Suite 13, Bonita Springs, FL 34134.
Bonita Crossings is along the east side of US 41. To get to the Bonita Professional Center you will turn in the entrance off of US 41 (Between the Car Wash and the shopping center with Radio Shack on the corner), drive straight ahead to a parking lot on the left, Building B is at the back of that parking lot, where you can see Dr. Kaiser’s sign along the building.
Q: What are your office hours?
A: For the convenience of our patients and their busy lives, we now offer both early morning and evening hours during the work week. Our current schedule is as follows:
Monday - 8AM to 5PM
Tuesday - 8AM to 5PM
Wednesday - 8AM to 5PM
Thursday - 8AM to 5PM
Friday - 8AM to 2PM
Closed on weekends
Q: What type of Dentistry does Dr. Kaiser practice?
A: Our office provides comprehensive dental care for adults and their families including preventative cleanings and maintenance. Dr. Kaiser is available for general, cosmetic, restorative and implant dentistry including laser technology, digital radiography, in-office teeth whitening, bite realignment, extractions, fillings, crowns, bridges, full and partial dentures, porcelain veneers and gum recontouring.
Q: What can I expect when I visit Dr. Kaiser’s office?
A: You will be welcomed by our friendly and informed staff who will initialize you into the office and explain our procedures and any paperwork. While you wait in the lobby you can relax on our comfortable couch, read the Bonita Daily News or a current magazine, enjoy a refrigerated bottle of water or hot cup of coffee, and watch your favorite TV programs from our Satellite connection. We work hard to keep you on-time, and once you are taken back to meet the dentist or hygienist you will notice that each treatment suite has wall-mounted viewing to give you clear views of inside your mouth from the comfort of the chair. Or, during treatment, you can enjoy DVDs from a wide selection of movies, watch TV, or listen to your choice from satellite radio.
Q: Are my children welcome?
A: Dr. Kaiser takes pride in her office being a Family Practice, we would love take care of the dental needs of your youngsters, and they can even take a prize from the Dentist’s hidden “Treasure Chest” before they leave!
Q: Do you offer a referral program?
A: Yes! We love referrals and are always looking for new patients. We can offer current patients a discount from their dental services when they refer a patient who comes into the practice. Please don’t be shy about asking us! Remember to check the front page of our website for a link to our current specials that we do offer for our patients.
Q: Do you accept Dental Insurance?
A: Yes, most major Dental insurances are accepted at our practice, including Principal, MetLife, Guardian, Cigna, Delta Dental and others. Please let us know if you have insurance when you make your appointment so that we can contact your insurance company in advance and get a list of benefits available to you and set up payment arrangements.
Q: Will I be charged if I need to cancel an appointment?
A: Dr. Kaiser operates as a full-service Dentist and makes herself available to her patients with a variety of scheduling options for their busy lives. In consideration, please cancel or reschedule any appointments with our office with at least 48 hours of notice for Dr Kaiser and her staff, or let us know by Friday morning if you are going to cancel an appointment for the following Monday. Accordingly, patients that fail to show up for their appointments, or cancel with less than 48 hour notice, will be charged a service fee proportional to the originally scheduled treatment.
Q: What is gum disease?
A: Gum disease or periodontal disease is a chronic inflammation and infection of the gums and surrounding tissue. It is the major cause of about seventy percent of adult tooth loss, affecting three out of four persons at some point of their life. It is caused by bacterial plaque, a sticky, colorless film that forms on the teeth. Toxins released by these bacteria irritate the gums and cause the breakdown of the fibers that hold the gums tightly to the teeth, creating periodontal pockets, which fill with more toxins and bacteria. As the disease progresses, pockets extend deeper and the bacteria moves down until the bone that holds the tooth in place is destroyed.
Q: Are bleeding gums a problem?
A: Bleeding gums are a sign of periodontal disease. Healthy gum tissue does not bleed from normal brushing and flossing. Gum disease, if left untreated, can escalate and do irreparable damage to your teeth.
Q: Why do I need my teeth cleaned so often?
A: Different periodontal (gum) conditions require different intervals between cleanings. Healthy teeth usually require cleaning every six months. The more gum pockets you have the more places you have for bacteria to hide and the harder it is for you to maintain healthy gums. It is not unusual for us to recommend a three or four month interval between cleanings in order to prevent further periodontal damage.
Q: Why do I need to floss?
A: Floss is the only tool that gets to the areas between the teeth where the teeth touch. Floss also reaches the gums between the teeth. Floss disturbs the bacteria in the gum pockets around your teeth and helps prevent gum disease.
Q: Are x-rays really needed?
A: X-rays are the best diagnostic tools available for the dentist to see below the gumline, see between the teeth and be able to diagnose unseen decay and bone loss. Our office utilizes the digital method of taking x-rays which reduces the amount of radiation necessary and allows the x-ray to be viewed immediately on the computer screen.
Q: What can be done to improve the color of my teeth?
A: We offer two bleaching methods that will get your smile its whitest. In-office bleaching is completed in less than hour. This process jump starts the bleaching process and we make custom bleaching trays for you to take home to complete the process, and then we touch up your color as needed through appointments at your leisure. A more economical way, though slower, is at-home bleaching. You wear custom-made splints (formed to your teeth) that hold a bleaching gel. It usually takes two to four weeks to achieve the desired color.
Q: What are veneers?
A: Veneers are ultra-thin form-fitted shells that are bonded to the fronts of teeth. They allow the dentist to change the color and/or shape of the teeth. Veneers can solve a variety of problems including chipped, gapped, stained and misaligned teeth.
Q: What about white fillings?
A: White, or tooth colored, fillings are made of a composite resin. They are more pleasing to the eye than amalgam, or silver, fillings.
Q: What about silver fillings?
A: Silver, or amalgam fillings, have become very controversial in recent years. There has been research to indicate that they can cause health issues to allergenic patients. We do not place amalgam restorations in our office. We only do tooth colored restorations. Our office is very sensitive to the needs of the allergenic patient.
Q: Why do I need a crown?
A: Crowns or "caps" are used to strengthen or improve the appearance of a tooth and to restore the tooth back to its normal size and shape. This may be necessary due to many reasons including:
To support a large filling where there is little tooth remaining
To protect weak teeth from fracturing, especially teeth that have had root canal treatment
To restore fractured teeth
To cover badly shaped or discolored teeth
To attach a bridge
To cover a dental implant
Q: What is a dental implant?
A: A dental implant is an artificial tooth root (synthetic material) that is surgically anchored into your jaw to hold a replacement tooth or bridge in place. The benefit of using implants is that they don't rely on neighboring teeth for support, they are “permanent” and stable. Implants are a good solution to tooth loss because they look and feel like natural teeth.
Q: Am I a candidate?
A: Discuss this with Dr. Kaiser. You must be in good health and have the proper bone structure and healthy gums. If you suffer from chronic problems such as clenching or grinding, or systemic diseases, such as diabetes, the success rate for implants decreases dramatically. People who smoke or drink alcohol excessively may not be good candidates.
Q: How long will it take?
A: The process may take up to nine months to complete. Each patient heals differently. After the implants are placed surgically the healing process takes anywhere from two to six six months. The fitting of replacement teeth usually takes about two to three weeks.
Q: When should I bring my children in for the first time?
A: We recommend that children two and a half to three years old visit the dental office to become acquainted with Dr. Kaiser and develop a trusting relationship.
Q: Why is fluoride important for my child's teeth?
A: Fluoride can help prevent tooth decay when ingested systemically in tablet or drop form or applied to the teeth topically. Some of the benefits of fluoride are remineralization - a process that can reverse the beginnings of tooth decay, and strengthening of the tooth's surface, making it more resistant to decay.
Q: What are sealants?
A: Sealants are a plastic material that is applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth - premolars and molars. This plastic resin bonds in the grooves (pits and fissures) of the chewing surfaces of the back teeth and acts as a barrier to protect the enamel from plaque and acids.
Q: How old should I be before I have braces?
A: Children should be assessed as early as age seven. Sometimes, early interceptive therapy can eliminate or reduce the amount of orthodontics required in the future.
Q: Can adults have braces?
A: It's never too late to straighten out your smile. Some cosmetic problems can ONLY be treated this way, and usually have long-lasting benefits not only for your smile but also for your bite and jaw.
Q: What is TMJ Syndrome?
A: The lower jaw is attached to the skull by a joint on either side of the face, called the temporomandibular joint. We refer to it as the TMJ. Any number of problems associated with the chewing muscles, ligaments, bones, or the joints can prevent the TMJ from functioning properly. Common signs and symptoms are headache, especially in the morning, tenderness of the jaw muscles, pain in or around the ear, clicking, popping, or grating sounds, pain or difficulty in chewing, yawning, or opening wide, earache, and dizziness.
TMJ difficulties can be caused by unconscious habits like teeth clenching or teeth grinding. Another cause may be the way the teeth fit together. This can stress your chewing muscles, leading to spasm and pain.
Q: What can be done?
A: Breaking the cycle of pain is important in treating TMJ disorder. A clear plastic appliance which fits over the teeth (splint) is constructed. This helps you stop clenching or grinding and reduces muscle tension. Once your jaw is stabilized, these improvements can be made permanent. Sometimes teeth are reshaped, replaced, or reconstructed to eliminate bite disharmony.
Bonita Professional Center, 28331 S. Tamiami Trail, Suite 13, Bonita Springs FL 34134 Phone: 239.949.8220
