Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Yes. Many of our new patients are sent to us by satisfied patients.

Becoming a patient in our Harlingen dental practice is an easy and relaxing experience. After contacting our office, our receptionist will determine your immediate needs. An initial exam appointment will be made for you. We always allow the proper amount of uninterrupted time to get to know you and formulate your custom treatment plan. Practicing in this manner allows us to perform the high quality dentistry you deserve and want.

Dr. Burkholder and Ramos have been trained to provide full mouth cosmetic and tooth replacement dentistry. This type of treatment requires time and expertise for planning and completing your case. So, whether you require only one tooth to have a filling, or an entire group of your teeth to have crowns or dental implants, we will devote complete attention to attaining your desires. Please contact our office for an appointment today by phoning 956-428-5566 in Harlingen, Texas. If you call after hours, please leave a message on voice mail.

Financial arrangements will be discussed with you after your treatment plan is determined. We always include your ideas in the decision making process of your treatment. We accept cash, checks, bankcards, and have financing available through a medical-dental health card company.

We promote Family Dentistry in our office. Dr. Burkholder and Dr. Ramos invite parents and children to have their dental needs met under one roof. We also encourage parents to accompany their children in the office so they have a relaxing and educational experience.

Not necessarily. The majority of us don’t have enough room in our mouth for wisdom teeth. If you have room for your wisdom teeth and you can keep them clean, great! If you don’t have room for your wisdom teeth, the result can be pain, infection and, even worse, mal-positioning of the other teeth. A simple x-ray can determine if you should have your wisdom teeth removed.

The type of anesthesia that is best for you is usually dependent on your mental state and the procedure that is required. For those patients that are not nervous and they require relatively non-traumatic procedures, local anesthesia is usually the anesthesia of choice. If the patient has slight apprehension, we can use local anesthesia as well as nitrous oxide. For patients that are emotionally unable or unwilling to cope with the thought of being alert during a dental procedure, we have other alternatives. Popularly known as sleep dentistry, enteral conscious sedation is the answer for many. This therapy consists of giving the patient an oral medication starting one hour before treatment. The patient will be given nitrous oxide as well as local anesthesia. The reason that it is called sleep dentistry is because most people sleep through most of the procedure.

Dr. Burkholder has provided the following links for your convenience and education:

Texas Dental Association- patient information about Texas dental issues

Valley Baptist Medical Center- information about our local hospital

People who have:

• High Fear
• Traumatic dental experiences
• Difficulty getting numb
• A bad gag reflex
• Very sensitive teeth
• Complex dental problems
• Limited time to complete dental care
• People who hate shots
• People who hate the noise and taste

A dental implant is a small “anchor” made of titanium that is inserted into the jawbone to take the place of the missing tooth root. After osseointegration (the process of the surrounding bone healing to the implant), a replacement tooth is secured to the top of the implant. This new tooth will function much like your natural tooth.

An implant is a replacement for the root of a tooth. Dental implants are a safe, medically proven, esthetic alternative to traditional crowns, bridgework and dentures. Because dental implant restorations look and feel more like natural teeth, they offer new levels of comfort, security and confidence over traditional treatments.

Comfort – Dental implants function very similar to your natural teeth.

Maintain Anatomy – If you have missing teeth, your bone will shrink. Bone loss can make your jaw line recede and change your facial structure. Dental implants help prevent deterioration of the jawbone so your face retains its natural shape and appearance.

Keep your healthy teeth – A better long term alternative to bridgework, dental implants eliminate the need to grind down healthy teeth when replacing one or more adjacent teeth. Your own natural teeth are not compromised.

Security – Securely anchored dental implants do not slip or move. This eliminates some of the key problems of dentures including poor fit, gum irritation and pain from nerve compression. The result is increased comfort and improved stability.

Cosmetic Dentistry is that field of dentistry that enhances your smile. We can change the length, width, contour, position and shade of your teeth. We can alter your gum line so that you don’t have a gummy smile. We can balance your teeth so that your smile is in harmony with your facial characteristics. We can replace missing teeth and we can place restorations with tooth colored materials. All this is possible because of the modern materials utilized in dentistry today. Cosmetic Dentistry creates a beautiful smile which is an integral part of a beautiful face.

Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth. They're made by a dental technician, usually in a dental lab, working from a model provided by the dentist. You should know that this is usually an irreversible process, because it's necessary to remove a small amount of enamel from your teeth to accommodate the shell.

By following some simple post whitening care instructions, your teeth will always be lighter than they were before. To keep your teeth looking their best, we recommend flossing, brushing twice daily with Zoom! Whitening Toothpaste, and occasional touch-ups with Zoom! take-home gel. These are professional formula products designed specifically to keep your teeth their brightest. They are available only through your dental professional.

There are many causes. The most common include aging and consumption of staining substances such as coffee, tea, colas, tobacco, red wine, etc. During tooth formation, consumption of tetracycline, certain antibiotics or excessive fluoride may also cause tooth discoloration.

Bleaching is a process to whiten your teeth. As we go through life, the enamel that covers the crown of our teeth gets more and more micro-fractures. Debris gets into these micro-fractures and results in the general darkening or yellowing of our teeth. Bleaching oxidizes the debris in the micro-fractures and results in whiter, brighter teeth. Bleaching does not damage the teeth but it might make the teeth sensitive to hot and cold for a short period of time. Bleaching may not correct all types of discoloration. For example, yellowish hued teeth will probably bleach well, brownish-colored teeth may bleach less well, and grayish-hued teeth may not bleach well at all. We now have Zoom bleaching which is an in-office light assisted procedure.

We’ve come a long way with x-rays. Although it is always wise to keep radiation exposure to a minimum, x-rays are a wonderful tool in dentistry. Modern x-ray machines are highly filtered, low output machines. You should not be concerned about dental radiation. The benefits provided by routine x-ray screening far outweigh any perceived hazard. Our office also uses digital x-rays which use one twentieth of the x-ray power to image your teeth.

The American Dental Association’s protocol for a healthy adult calls for routine cleaning and checkup every 6 months. We find it best to set a patient’s routine checkup based on his/her personal needs. The majority of our patients get a cleaning and checkup every 6 months. Those with a periodontal condition will often have their teeth cleaned more frequently while others that have never had decay of calculus buildup might be on a one year recall.

Yes. Bad breath is frequently related to dental disease or systemic disease. An oral examination is the first step to solving your problem.

Yes. The main cause of gum disease is plaque, that sticky film that forms on the teeth. Plaque is a compilation of dead cells from your mouth, protein from saliva, food particles and bacteria. Brushing does not remove all the plaque from between the teeth but flossing does. Flossing removes plaque from between the teeth as well as stimulates the gums, keeping the gums pink and healthy.

Not really. The best type of floss for you is the one that works best in your hands. Come by the office and we’ll give you a sample of each type (Glide Floss, waxed floss, un-waxed floss, dental tape) and you can try them all.

Yes! Healthy gums don’t bleed. Bleeding is usually a sign of gum disease (periodontal disease). If diagnosed early, periodontal disease can be successfully treated without surgery. The longer you wait, the more difficult the treatment and the less predictable the outcome. More important are the links between periodontal disease and systemic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, respiratory problems and others.

A root canal is a procedure to treat the diseased nerve within a tooth. In earlier years, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve you'd probably lose that tooth. Today, with root canal therapy you may save your tooth. Inside each tooth is the pulp which provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth, it runs like a thread down through the root. When the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies. Root canal therapy removes that infected or inflamed tissue, sterilizes the inside of the tooth then seals the canal chambers. A crown is subsequently placed to support the tooth. Most of the time a root canal is a relatively simple procedure, with little or no discomfort, involving one to three visits. Best of all, it can save your tooth and your smile!

Yes. As with most therapy, a thorough diagnosis is the starting point. Treatment varies greatly from patient to patient. Bruxism is often corrected by nothing more than minor adjustment to the occlusion (how the teeth fit together) and fabrication of a comfortable appliance for you to wear at night.

Bruxism is the habit of grinding your teeth while you sleep. Little is known about why we grind our teeth but we do know that it is quite common and very destructive. Bruxism can cause tooth mobility, periodontal disease, abfractions (a groove on the neck of the tooth next to the gum tissue), fractured teeth, Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction and muscle spasm of the muscles of mastication.