Weblog

It’s no secret: a person’s quality of life is better with a full smile. With a full set of teeth, you can smile with confidence and enjoy a more varied diet, among many other benefits. We want you to live life to the fullest, so Dr. Curtis offers custom dentures to restore your smile’s function and appearance. Modern dental materials and technology allow us to create dentures that look and feel like natural teeth.

Benefits of Prosthetic Teeth

• Support facial muscles for a youthful appearance
• Enhance quality of life
• Make chewing easier
• Improve speech difficulties (more…)

Are your teeth worn down? Does your bite feel off? Do you hide your smile because of stains, decay, or missing teeth? If you answered yes to these questions, talk with Dr. Curtis about full-mouth reconstruction.

Illness, injury, and daily living can take a toll on your smile. Designed to revitalize your appearance and oral health, full-mouth reconstruction will restore harmony in your mouth. The full-mouth reconstruction dentistry process combines cosmetic and restorative treatments to establish an ideal relationship between your teeth, bone tissue, gums, and related muscles. (more…)

As your general dentist, Dr. Curtis understands how important and confusing dental insurance can be. So our entire office staff is committed to explaining your benefit plan and making sure your claims are processed efficiently and correctly for you.

Preferred Provider:
Dr. Curtis is a preferred provider for Aetna, Delta, Guardian, Ameritus, United Concordia, Assurant, Anthem, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and many other dental insurance plans. And if Dr. Curtis is not in your dental network, you will still probably have benefit coverage as our patient. Simply call our Trumbull, CT, Bridgeport, CT dental office to find out how we work with your benefit plan.

Whatever benefits you have, we will always explain your coverage and provide you with your estimated financial portion before we perform any treatment. In addition, our office offers many dental payment plans to help you get the best care possible. Ask us for more information if you’d like financing options. (more…)

Do you have crooked teeth? Do you have crowding or spaces in your smile that you would like to correct? Dr. Curtis offers “invisible braces” that can straighten your smile in an average of only 6 months!

How it works:
This orthodontic solution consists of clear brackets and tooth colored wires to move teeth, so it’s much less obtrusive than traditional braces. And if you prefer Invisalign-type clear aligners, Dr. Curtis also offers these type of invisible braces. Here you would get a series of clear removable trays that fit intimately over your teeth to create the beautiful smile you deserve. (more…)

If you’re an athlete or the parent of an athlete, you know that appropriate protective gear is invaluable. Helmets, knee pads, and other safety measures come to mind immediately, but were you aware that up to 40 percent of sports injuries involve the face? A professionally-made mouthguard from Dr. Curtis’s office can effectively protect an athlete’s mouth and reduce the trauma that can occur from a blow to a jaw.

What is a mouthguard?
A sports mouthguard is a piece of protective gear that fits over your teeth and protects your smile as well as your lips, tongue, and jaw. A custom mouthguard is neither bulky nor uncomfortable, as store-bought mouthguards can be, and fits securely inside the mouth. Dr. Curtis’s custom mouthguards also won’t interfere with breathing or speaking during sports, so you can enjoy comfort and safety and even enhance your performance on the field. (more…)

Chipped, stained, or otherwise flawed teeth can put a damper on your smile. If you’re looking for a conservative and affordable dental treatment to improve your teeth’s appearance, Dr. Curtis can provide you with options such as cosmetic bonding or porcelain veneers.

What is cosmetic bonding?
The bonding process consists of composite resin that will match your natural tooth color (or lighter if you’d like to brighten your smile with bonding across all front teeth). Dr. Curtis will apply the material to your flawed tooth.  Then he’ll carefully and artistically sculpt your restoration. Bonding is easily completed in one visit and requires little to no alteration of existing tooth structures. Keep in mind that most patients will need their bonding work replaced within 5-7 years, so if you are looking for a more permanent solution, consider porcelain veneers. (more…)

Oral surgery requires specialized experience and skills. When choosing a dentist to perform a tooth extraction, gum graft, or dental implant procedure, you want someone with those qualifications and more. He should understand your concerns and be willing to explain procedures so you’re comfortable with the process. For 30 years, Dr. Michael Curtis has been performing oral surgeries with just such expertise and care.

Dr. Curtis completed two postgraduate residencies at Albert Einstein Medical Center and at Montifiore Medical Center in New York, where he specialized in oral surgery. Now, Bridgeport and Trumbull area patients benefit from his proficiency and personal attention when undergoing oral surgery procedures. (more…)

Are you missing teeth, but don’t know if there’s a conservative solution right for you? Valplast removable partials can put teeth replacement within your reach. Dr. Curtis offers this innovative flexible denture for patients who need a comfortable solution that fits their mouth and lifestyle. Producing high-quality prosthetic oral appliances since 1953, Valplast is a trusted name in the dental field. These custom partial dentures are a great way to regain total oral function while addressing aesthetic concerns.

You’ll enjoy Valplast flexible partials because they’re:

• Convenient
  The Valplast partial denture requires no metal clasps and no alteration to existing teeth.
• Comfortable
  Designed for comfort and aesthetic appeal, the soft, lightweight material provides a flexible fit.
• Inconspicuous
  With its translucent look, a Valplast partial denture will effectively blend into your mouth, so it won’t be obvious you’re wearing a prosthetic appliance.
• Affordable
  Partial dentures are much less expensive than some other tooth replacement options. Though Valplast flexible partials may cost slightly more than metal clasp-secured partials, patients usually find the beautiful results worth the investment.
• Non-Invasive
  Removable Valplast partials are a conservative, custom solution to missing teeth.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Valplast partials, call our office to schedule an appointment with Dr. Michael Curtis. He’ll evaluate your condition and determine the best way to restore the integrity of your mouth.

Every time you visit the dentist for a six-month checkup and cleaning, you hope that you don’t hear the dreaded word: cavity. You probably brush, floss, and keep regular dental appointments to avoid cavities, but occasionally they develop in spite of your best efforts. The good news is that if a cavity forms, Dr. Curtis is equipped to detect it early. If it’s small, he may repair it with air abrasion rather than a dental drill. This means you may not even need a numbing shot!

How does air abrasion work?

During a treatment, the air abrasion instrument sprays a fine stream of particles at your tooth’s decay. It functions like a tiny (and comfortable) sandblaster. An air abrasion tool, powered by compressed air or gas, propels silica, aluminum oxide, or baking soda particles at the decay on your tooth’s surface. Air abrasion is more effective at targeting the unhealthy area, so it’s minimally invasive. That means less disruption to the surrounding healthy tooth. (more…)

Have you been told that you snore, or even that you stop breathing at certain times during the night? Do you wake up groggy and stay that way? You may have sleep apnea, a potentially dangerous condition in which breathing repeatedly lapses for 10 seconds or more. At our Bridgeport, Trumbull practice, Dr. Curtis provides comprehensive general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry to address all of your oral healthcare concerns, including those that relate to snoring and mild sleep apnea. Dr. Curtis can prescribe customized nightguards, or oral appliances, to regulate the breathing of patients with sleep apnea. Oral appliances position your jaw so the soft tissues normally prone to collapsing and impeding your breathing are kept open throughout the night.

You will be able to sleep soundly and awaken refreshed.  Left untreated, sleep apnea leaves you vulnerable to a greater risk of heart disease, stroke, and premature death. Once sleep apnea is under control with the use of an oral appliance, these serious risks are minimized . That’s a relief for you and your loved ones. (more…)