Request Request Appointment Patient Portal Patient Portal Contact Offices

Your Silver Lake dentist, Michel Dental, strives for your whole-mouth health

May 10, 2015

Whole-mouth health keeps your whole body on track. Your Silver Lake, KS, dentist, Michael E. Michel DDS, takes care of your dental cleanings, exams, cosmetic procedures and restorations to ensure you look and feel your best.

What’s the point of a good-looking smile if your gums and bone structure are compromised? The best of modern general dentistry aims for whole-mouth health in an attractive smile that lasts a lifetime.

Michael E. Michel DDS PA, your Silver Lake family dentist, and his hard-working, friendly team aim for the best of modern general dentistry. From routine dental exams, x-rays and cleanings to cosmetic improvement with teeth whitening to TMJ and sleep apnea therapies, Michel Dental builds a healthy mouth for a healthy you.

  The foundation of a great smile is regular dental care.

Daily brushing and flossing are critical to dental health, but your Silver Lake family dentist, Dr. Michel, also emphasizes the semi-annual oral exam and cleaning. Comfortable in Michel Dental’s bright and efficient atmosphere, patients get thorough check-ups that:

  • look for tooth decay
  • examine the health of gums and other soft tissues of the mouth with gentle periodontal probing
  • assess jaw alignment and how teeth bite together
  • visualize bone and root structure with periodic x-rays
  • inspect hidden areas of the mouth with innovative intraoral camera imaging

Hygienic cleanings remove plaque and tartar from between teeth and at the gumline, avoiding the bacterial infections and gum disease that cause bone and tooth loss and impact other body systems. Prevention is a hallmark of care by your Silver Lake, KS, family dentist.

Dental problems are addressed with skill and compassion.

When dental issues arise, Dr. Michel’s extensive education, skill and experience can address them quickly and correctly. His restorative dental services include:

  • tooth colored fillings
  • natural-looking white crowns, onlays and inlays (partial crowns)
  • endodontics or root canal therapy
  • fixed bridgework
  • periodontics ( root scaling and instillation with antibiotics)

In addition, Dr. MIchel offers innovative diagnostic testing and non-surgical treatment for TMJ (temporomandibular joint ) dysfunction and sleep apnea, both of which impact overall health. Quick and objective Joint Vibration Analysis detects any friction in teeth, jaw joints and muscles which cause classic jaw clicking, headaches and other symptoms of this jaw issue. For sleep apnea, Dr. Michel has the OASYS sleep device which helps eliminate the sleepless nights, interrupted breathing, snoring and systemic effects individuals can experience.

You can be confident in your smile, too.

Dr. Michel offers many outstanding cosmetic services for the healthy smile that just needs a little aesthetic improvement. These procedures include:

  • Invisalign® clear braces for teens and adults
  • teeth whitening for a noticeably brighter smile
  • porcelain veneers to correct color, shape and size

You and your dentist in the Silver Lake community will discuss your goals for an outstanding, confident smile.

Get your oral health on track.

Best of all, this award-winning member of the Kansas Dental Association is committed to listening to and addressing the concerns of all his patients. He values continuing education for himself, his staff and for his patients, too.

Why not call Michel Dentist  for a consultation? Great whole-mouth health can begin today! Phone (785) 273-7350.  We serve adults and children in Silver Lake and  Topeka, KS, as well as from the surrounding areas of Emporia, Lawrence and Manhattan.

Invisalign for Straight Teeth in Topeka, KS

April 25, 2015

If you’re an adult and you think you’re stuck with the smile you have, then think again. At Michel Dental in Topeka, KS, we have changed—and by changed we mean improved—the smiles of many adults. One common complaint is crooked teeth. But as an adult you may not want to be bothered by the appearance or the feeling of having a mouthful of metal in your mouth. Fortunately, Dr. Michael Michel offers Invisalign®. With this orthodontic treatment, you can have braces that almost no one will notice.

Invisalign, as the name suggests, straightens teeth practically invisibly. This system uses clear BPA-free plastic aligners to gradually straighten your teeth. The plastic is smooth and comfortable, not like the brackets and wires of traditional braces that can cause gum and soft tissue abrasions. In addition, these clear aligners are removable, so you can eat and drink the foods you love and brush and floss your teeth as you normally would. And with Invisalign, fewer appointments in the office are required, so you don’t need to adjust your busy schedule all that much in order to have a straight smile.

The Invisalign Treatment

The path to straight teeth begins with impressions, photos and x-rays of your existing smile. From these, the Invisalign lab creates a 3-D representation of your teeth, which Dr. Michel uses to create a treatment plan. This plan shows you how your teeth will move and shows the Invisalign lab how to produce your aligners. These will arrive in our office in a series of sets. You’ll wear each set for approximately two weeks and then move on to the next. As time passes, your teeth will move into their proper position and your smile will become straighter and straighter. After 12 to 18 months, you’ll have the straight smile you didn’t think you’d ever have.

Call Our Office Today

To find out if Invisalign is right for you, call Michel Dental and schedule a consultation. We serve adults and children in Topeka, KS, as well as from the surrounding areas of Emporia, Lawrence and Manhattan.

Porcelain Veneers from Dr. Michael Michel in Topeka, KS

April 10, 2015

Spring has sprung and thoughts turn to love. If you’d love to enhance your smile, then Dr. Michael Michel at Michel Dental in Topeka, KS, has the right cosmetic dentistry treatment for you. With porcelain veneers, Dr. Michel can correct the flaws in your smile and give you one to fall in love with.

If you tend to cover your mouth every time you smile or laugh, then you should really consider permanently covering your smile with porcelain veneers. Made of thin layers of dental porcelain, veneers are adhesively bonded to the front side of the teeth in your smile zone. They can correct a number of smile imperfections, including:

  • Teeth with chips
  • Teeth that are slightly cracked
  • Somewhat misaligned teeth
  • Stained or discolored teeth that have not responded to whitening
  • Teeth with gaps in between them
  • Uneven teeth
  • Teeth that are unusually worn

The Porcelain Veneer Process

Once Dr. Michel determines that you are a good candidate for porcelain veneers, then you are probably only two appointments away from having a smile that is certain to put a spring in your step. At your first visit, you and Dr. Michel will discuss your smile goals while always keeping in mind that you want your veneers to be appropriate for your mouth, your face and even your complexion. A treatment plan will be devised, so you can see what your smile will look like when your veneers are placed.

Then, Dr. Michel will prepare your teeth and take a molded impression, which is sent to our reliable dental lab. While your permanent veneers are being fabricated, you’ll wear temporaries to protect your teeth. When your custom veneers arrive, you’ll return to our office for Dr. Michel to cement them on to your teeth. Each will be trimmed and polished as needed for a perfect fit.

Schedule an Appointment Today

To learn more about how porcelain veneers can enhance your smile, call Michel Dental. We serve adults and children in Topeka, KS, as well as from the surrounding areas of Emporia, Lawrence and Manhattan.

For a White Smile, Choose Tooth-colored Fillings from Michel Dental

March 10, 2015

You do your best to care for your teeth at home by brushing at least twice every day and flossing at least once a day. At Michel Dental in Topeka, KS, we certainly do our best to care for your teeth, too, when you come to our office for your regular dental checkups. Yet, despite our best efforts and yours, you now find yourself with a cavity. Don’t worry—it happens to a lot of people. Fortunately, Dr. Michael Michel can now repair that cavity with a tooth-colored filling, so you don’t have to contend with a dark spot in your otherwise white smile.

For many years, cavities were filled with an amalgam of metals. Although this material is strong and durable, it is not very “visually appealing.” And for some people, the metal in amalgam fillings causes tooth sensitivity.

The Advantages of Tooth-colored Fillings

In addition to having a more pleasing appearance in your smile and in your mouth, tooth-colored fillings offer other advantages, too. Made of composite resin or dental porcelain, tooth-colored fillings have become much stronger and more durable as manufacturers have improved the components of these filling compounds. In fact, these fillings are strong enough to hold up against the pressure of chewing and biting that your molars must withstand.

Furthermore, tooth-colored fillings made of composite materials necessitate less tooth preparation—that is, less drilling—and may not weaken the affected tooth as much as amalgam fillings, which often require more extensive tooth preparation. Dr. Michel subscribes to conservative dentistry, meaning that the more natural tooth structure you keep, the healthier your teeth will likely be in the future.

Finally, the strong bond between your tooth and the composite resin material actually supports the remaining tooth structure, thereby deterring breakage and insulating it against temperature changes.

Call Our Office Today

If you would like to have your amalgam fillings replaced with tooth-colored fillings made of composite materials, then schedule an appointment with Dr. Michel. We serve patients from Topeka, KS, as well as from Emporia, Lawrence and Manhattan and surrounding areas.

Nutrition Tips for Dental Health from Dr. Michael Michel

February 25, 2015

Did you know that eating right isn’t only important to your general health and wellbeing, it’s also important to your oral health, too? The foods and beverages you choose to consume directly—and we mean directly—affect the health of your teeth and gums. Obviously, your mouth is the point of entry for everything you eat and drink, so it should come as no surprise that your diet affects your oral health. With this in mind, Dr. Michael Michel and his staff in Topeka, KS, would like to offer some advice on how you can eat well and maintain your oral health, too.

What Foods Should You Eat?

Let’s begin by focusing on the foods that are helpful to your teeth and gums. First, dairy products such as cheese, milk and plain yogurt, along with calcium-fortified tofu, leafy greens and almonds, are foods that benefit dental health. These foods are high in calcium, which strengthens teeth just as it does bones. Protein-rich foods such as meat, poultry, fish, milk and eggs are good sources of phosphorus. Both calcium and phosphorus fortify and rebuild tooth enamel.

Even though fresh fruits and vegetables contain some sugars, they balance that out with fiber and water to clean your teeth, making them a healthy diet choice. Fruits and vegetables also stimulate saliva production to rinse decay-causing acids and food particles away from teeth and gums. Plus, many contain vitamin C, which promotes healthy gums, and vitamin A, another nutrient that builds tooth enamel.

What Foods and Drinks Should You Avoid?

The foods and drinks you try to avoid in order to maintain a healthy diet and healthy weight are essentially the same foods you should avoid for the sake of your dental health. Sweet treats—candy (especially hard or sticky candy), cookies, cakes, muffins—all contain sugars that stick to your teeth. The bacteria in your mouth thrive on these sugars and release acids that cause tooth decay. Likewise starchy foods, such as potato chips and crackers, have the same effect.

Sodas, juices, sweetened teas and coffee, some sports drinks, lemonade and limeade literally bathe your teeth in sugar, which causes tooth decay. Choose water instead, and occasionally choose tap water, which is fluoridated.

Call Our Office Today

In conjunction with a healthy diet, regular dental checkups are a must for maintaining oral health. So, schedule an appointment with Dr. Michel in Topeka, KS. We also conveniently serve patients in Emporia, Lawrence and Manhattan and surrounding areas.

Heal an Infected Tooth with Endodontics from Dr. Michael Michel in Topeka, KS

January 10, 2015

Although most people are inclined to pay closer attention to the outside of their teeth—their color, shape and position—if a toothache happens, then chances are it’s time to pay attention to the inside of that tooth. More often than not, a toothache is a sign of infection in the tooth’s pulp, the soft tissue inside your tooth. Endodontics is the branch of dentistry that focuses on the health of your internal tooth structure, or the pulp. If you have a tooth with internal infection or damage, then Dr. Michael Michel in Topeka, KS, will likely recommend a root canal to save the tooth from extraction.

Get to the Root of the Problem with Endodontics

Despite a bad reputation, a root canal is not a painful procedure thanks to anesthesia and modern dental techniques. In fact, a root canal is meant to relieve the pain of a tooth with internal infection or damage. The inside of each tooth is made up of nerve tissue, lymph tissue and blood vessels. If this dental pulp is traumatized, whether by decay-causing bacteria, a severe fracture or a hard blow to the face, then the tooth begins to die. A root canal can eliminate the infection and save the tooth, thereby preventing the need for extraction.

The Root Canal Procedure

Once your tooth is anesthetized, Dr. Michel will gently work to remove the infected tissue and any ensuing debris from canals inside the tooth’s roots. Then, the canals are filled with a biocompatible material. Finally, your tooth will be prepared for a crown that will Dr. Michel will place on the tooth to protect it from any further damage.

Call Our Office Today

If you are experiencing the pain of a toothache, then please schedule an appointment as soon as possible with Dr. Michael Michel in Topeka, KS, to determine whether or not a root canal is needed. Our endodontics services are also available to patients in Topeka, Emporia, Lawrence and Manhattan and surrounding areas.

Get a Quick Tooth Fix with Cosmetic Bonding

November 24, 2014

If you could change one little thing about your smile, what would it be? Perhaps a slightly chipped or cracked tooth. Or maybe you have one or two teeth that are misaligned. Is there a gap between your front teeth that you’ve always wanted to close? Well then, cosmetic bonding may be the solution. With cosmetic bonding and one appointment Dr. Michael Michel in Topeka, KS, can repair your smile.

Today, cosmetic bonding is a common dental procedure in which a tooth-colored material—usually a sturdy plastic material—is applied to the tooth and hardened with a special light. Cosmetic bonding is not only used to repair a host of cosmetic concerns—chips, cracks, discolored teeth, misaligned or misshapen teeth—but now these same tooth colored materials are used to fill cavities.

The Process of Cosmetic Bonding

For cosmetic bonding, Dr. Michel will carefully examine the tooth or teeth that need repair to determine whether or not cosmetic bonding is the correct treatment. If so, then he will prepare the surface of the tooth and smooth on the liquid bonding material. After the material is molded, an ultraviolet light hardens the material. Dr. Michel will then further sculpt and trim the bonding for a finish that blends seamlessly with your other teeth.
In most cases, cosmetic bonding is used to repair front teeth. So in order to preserve the strength of the bonding, Dr. Michel recommends not biting on hard foods, such as carrots or apples. Otherwise, teeth that have had cosmetic bonding require no special treatment. Simply brush and floss as you would your other teeth and your new smile will give you pleasure for years to come.

Call Our Office Today

If you would like to learn more about cosmetic bonding, or to schedule an appointment with Dr. Michel, call the office today. We proudly serve patients in Topeka, KS, Emporia, Lawrence and Manhattan and the surrounding areas.

How Gum Disease Can Affect Your Heart

May 22, 2014

It is no surprise that something that affects one area of your body has the potential to affect another area. Though it may seem odd to some, our bodies are connected and weaved together, so our systems do not work independently of each other. This cause-and-effect relationship our body has can be wonderful, but depending on what is going on, it can also be detrimental. There have been many studies that support the idea that periodontal disease (gum disease) has been linked to heart disease, and the reasons how they are connected may surprise you.

Bacteria from the mouth can enter the blood stream, making a beeline for your heart. The bacteria in your mouth can be found in your arteries, slowly clogging them while simultaneously lessening the blood flow to your heart. Also, because your body is filled with natural defense mechanisms, such as swelling, the bacteria from your mouth has the possibility to cause your blood cells to sweet, narrowing an artery and increasing your risk of clots. With blockages such as these, it is not too difficult to connect the health of your mouth with the health of your heart.

One of the ways you can keep the bacteria in your mouth at a minimum is by flossing and brushing every day, preferably after every meal. The longer bacteria are able to sit in your mouth, the better the chance of it entering your bloodstream and making its way to your heart. With simple preventative measures, your mouth, as well as your heart, can be happy and healthy.

At Michel Dental, we offer quality dental care for a distinctive smile. Our Topeka dental office serves patients from Emporia, Lawrence, Manhattan, and surrounding areas. Call us today to schedule your appointment.

How Green Tea Can Protect Your Body

May 8, 2014

There are so many types of teas out there, the choices can be overwhelming! From black to white, ginger to spearmint, tea has been around for thousands of years, and has been proven to have many beneficial to the body in so many ways. One of the most beneficial teas the world has to offer is green tea. Being able to be a super food for many areas of your body, some people may not know about the amazing contributions a cup of green tea can make!
One of the amazing advantages to drinking green tea is the fact that it helps with your brain and your heart. Green tea is full of catechin, which are antioxidant that fight off, and have the ability to prevent, cell damage. Studies have proven that drinking green tea is directly linked to having a larger amount of activity in the working memory part of your brain. Also, drinking green tea has been shown to block the development of plaques that have been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
For those with diabetes, green tea helps been the blood sugar level stable! If you are over worked and very stressed, green tea has an amino acid called theanine, something that can have a calming effect on people. For those trying to lose some weight, green tea can help increase your metabolism, helping you burn more fat calories! There are so many amazing advantages to having a cup of delicious green tea, and you should definitely experience it for yourself!
At Michel Dental, we offer quality dental care for a distinctive smile. Our Topeka dental office serves patients from Emporia, Lawrence, Manhattan, and surrounding areas. Call us today to schedule your appointment.

Let Porcelain Veneers Transform Your Smile

February 20, 2014

Minor chips, cracks, and misalignments in your smile can be a difficult thing to live with. Your teeth go through life’s hard knocks, and can become discolored and damaged. Many people consider a smile is a first impression, and if you do not feel confident about your smile, it can really have a negative effect on how you see yourself. Luckily, Dr. Michael Michel is able to transform your smile with the help of porcelain veneers.

The process of porcelain veneers begins with a consultation with Dr. Michel. There, he will be able to get a good look at your smile, and ask you about your long-term goals. Also, during the consultation, you will be able to express any questions or concerns you may have regarding the procedure. When it comes time to apply your porcelain veneers, Dr. Michel will prepare your natural tooth by removing a small amount of enamel. Your custom-made veneers will be applied, and made permanent with dental resin cement. At the end, you are left with a beautiful, flawless smile!

One of the benefits of porcelain veneers is that they are stain resistant. You won’t have to worry about having that extra cup of coffee or glass of red wine, as your smile will always be dazzling. Also, with proper care and maintenance, your porcelain veneers can last up to ten years! If you have any questions on how Dr. Michel can help with your journey to porcelain veneers, make an appointment and we’d be glad to help!

At Michel Dental, we offer quality dental care for a distinctive smile. Our Topeka dental office serves patients from Emporia, Lawrence, Manhattan, and surrounding areas. Call us today to schedule your appointment.

« Newer PostsOlder Posts »