Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Some patients come to us with anxiety related to a previous dental experience that left them feeling fearful or with vivid memories of painful procedures. We take a personal approach to dental care and offer a number of amenities to induce relaxation and promote calm.

The Little Comforts

Our team offers a few additional amenities to make your appointment fly by and feel tranquil. Neck pillows, blankets, and a selection of music all help our patients take their minds off of their treatment. Kick back, relax, and let us take care of you while you are with us.

Dr. Abbie McKnight and Dr. Megan Konz are gentle and have a kind and friendly chairside manner that immediately puts patients at ease and gives them the confidence to proceed with the treatments they need for a healthy smile.

Modern Technology for You

We also feature modern technology, including needless injections for periodontal treatments and digital impressions for your comfort and wellbeing. These small details make dental treatment more relaxing, and dare we say, enjoyable!

Contact our female-operated private dental office located in Leawood, KS to discover the ways that we make dentistry less stressful and gentler for the patients we serve.

Are you unhappy with the color of your teeth? There are options for you! First, we must establish if the stain is intrinsic or extrinsic. Extrinsic stains are easier to remove than intrinsic stains.

Extrinsic stain comes for outside of your body. This is common in avid coffee, tea, and wine drinkers. Common food culprits are popsicles, balsamic vinegar, and tomato sauces. These stains can be resolved through professional whitening. The best time to whiten your teeth is after your teeth are professionally cleaned. Make sure and tell us if your teeth are sensitive. We can help with sensitivity when you decide it is time to whiten your teeth.

Intrinsic stain is difficult to remove. It stems from certain antibiotics during pregnancy or development, trauma, and rare genetic disorders. Whitening is not a viable option in these cases. If you want whiter teeth a skilled cosmetic dentist can improve your smile with veneers or crowns. Veneers and crowns cover your teeth eliminating any internal stain from showing and allowing you to smile confidently.

ICON Procedure

Lastly, there is ICON. ICON is a minimally invasive procedure that allows rehydration of your tooth. White lesions created from braces or fluorosis when young can be corrected by ICON. Depending on how many teeth are affected it takes 30 mins to a couple of hours to complete. 

Daily dental home care consists of 2 responsibilities, brushing and flossing. We ask you to brush twice a day, after breakfast and before bed. For those wearing braces we recommend you brush after lunch as well. Believe it or not, there are right and wrong brushing techniques. In order to properly clean your teeth, tilt the head of your brush 45 degrees towards your gums. In a fluid motion pull the brush back and forth while lifting the toothbrush up and down. Make sure you are using a soft toothbrush. If you need a demonstration, ask your hygienist at your next cleaning appointment. Flossing should occur at least once a day. If food commonly gets stuck, pick up the floss more than once daily. There are other dental aids that keep your teeth clean such as proxy brushes and waterpiks. Ask your hygienist what routine is best for you.

The simple answer is no. We use varnish with kids and patients with high caries risk to help arrest caries development. It coats the teeth leaving them feeling sticky. For four hours after application restricts hot beverages and brushing. We do take precaution if you are pregnant or kids under 1 year old.

You should use whatever works best in your hands. Using a mechanical toothbrush is adequate, but for those that have limited dexterity, we find electric toothbrushes work better. They generate a higher oscillation that our hands cannot produce. Ask your hygienist for their recommendation.

Tooth sensitivity can arise for multiple reasons. The most common reason we see is due to root exposure. Throughout your mouths lifespan, you can lose supporting structures, bone and gums, around your tooth. As your bone and gums recede it exposes the roots of your teeth. Your roots are more porous allowing for sweet and hot/cold sensitivity to reach your nerve easier.

Preventing Teeth Sensitivity

You may be asking now “How can I prevent and treat tooth sensitivity?” First and foremost, regularly visit the dentist. Keep your professional cleanings to ensure healthy support of your teeth. Secondly, if you develop this pain start using a sensi-relief toothpaste. Sometimes applying a coating of fluoride helps clog those pores. Talk to your clinician about what products are best for you. It is important to consult with a dentist to rule out any underlying infection.

Brushing your teeth with the proper technique and for a full two minutes each day helps keep teeth and gums healthy. Flossing will clean in between teeth where your toothbrush cannot reach. 

Even with the most diligent home care, plaque still collects beneath the gumline and on the teeth where bristles and floss cannot reach. Without professional dental cleanings in our Leawood dental office, tartar develops and may cause gum irritation and periodontal disease that puts your overall health at risk.

Dental cleanings and exams are a small investment that pays off year-after-year as you maintain excellent oral health. Our hygienists are gentle and will tailor your dental cleanings to meet your needs as they change over the course of your lifetime. Using a combination of ultrasonic and hand instruments, our hygienists will remove tartar and surface stains for that clean, fresh feeling that only comes from a professional teeth cleaning.

When combined with regular dental exams, your dental cleanings will ensure that any issues are detected early when they are easier more affordable to treat.

If you have been putting off your dental exam and cleaning, our Leawood dentists are here to help you get back on track. 

Not if we have anything to say about it! Many people who are concerned about a painful procedure have had a negative experience in the dental office in the past. 

Both Dr. Abbie McKnight and Dr. Megan Konz are compassionate to the painful experiences our patients have had in the past and aim to provide pain-free dentistry that makes a trip to the dental office something you look forward to instead of something that gives you anxiety.

The most powerful anti-anxiety tool we have is our team. Their gentle and kind natures put even the most fearful patients at ease. 

When patients need some additional assistance, we also offer sedation dentistry in our Leawood dental office. Anxiety can make it difficult to get completely numb and makes dental appointments seem lengthy. Oral sedation induces a relaxed state making dental appointments fly by without stress or fear. Oral sedation requires a full medical history to determine if it is safe for you.

Opting for sedation is also popular among patients with a strong gag reflex or who have difficulty sitting still comfortably.

Are you unhappy with the color of your teeth? There are options for you! First, we must establish if the stain is intrinsic or extrinsic. Extrinsic stains are easier to remove than intrinsic stains.

Extrinsic stain comes for outside of your body. This is common in avid coffee, tea, and wine drinkers. Common food culprits are popsicles, balsamic vinegar, and tomato sauces. These stains can be resolved through professional whitening. The best time to whiten your teeth is after your teeth are professionally cleaned. Make sure and tell us if your teeth are sensitive. We can help with sensitivity when you decide it is time to whiten your teeth.

Intrinsic stain is difficult to remove. It stems from certain antibiotics during pregnancy or development, trauma, and rare genetic disorders. Whitening is not a viable option in these cases. If you want whiter teeth a skilled cosmetic dentist can improve your smile with veneers or crowns. Veneers and crowns cover your teeth eliminating any internal stain from showing and allowing you to smile confidently.

ICON Procedure

Lastly, there is ICON. ICON is a minimally invasive procedure that allows rehydration of your tooth. White lesions created from braces or fluorosis when young can be corrected by ICON. Depending on how many teeth are affected it takes 30 mins to a couple of hours to complete. 

If an implant is not an option for you, other viable options may include a partial or a bridge. The main difference between the two is that a bridge is permanently cemented in your mouth. Three or more crowns are connected and span from the tooth behind to the tooth in front. Whereas, a partial is an appliance that is taken in and out. When not in your mouth it should be stored in a case. There are many components to a partial. There is a frame that rests against your tissue. Clasps that sit against your teeth and help keep the parts in place. 

At McKnight Signature Dental, we recommend treatment based on your goals for your smile, so what will work best depends largely upon you. Dr. Abbie McKnight and Dr. Megan Konz see themselves as educators and guides. They will always go over all of your treatment options and their benefits, helping you make a choice that makes the most sense for your smile.

Here are some of our teeth replacement options.

Dental Implants

Dental implants have fast become one of the most popular tooth replacement options available today. Not only do they look completely natural, but they also fuse with the jawbone. They will not move or shift and assist in preventing bone loss due to a missing tooth.

Dental Bridges

For patients who want a non-surgical way to replace a missing tooth (or teeth), a dental bridge is a time-tested solution. While dental bridges do not have the same bone retention capabilities as dental implants, they do close the gap in the smile and keep teeth from shifting.

Dentures and Partial Dentures

If you have visions of your grandparents’ bulky dentures, erase that image from your mind. Today’s dentures look more natural and function better than ever. We can even place several implants to secure dentures in place, eliminating any slipping or falling when you laugh, eat, and speak.

If you have missing teeth and you are in the Leawood, Kansas City, MO, Overland Park, or Prairie Village area, contact our dental office to learn more about how to regain your smile.

Dental implants are an investment in the stability of your mouth. When you replace a missing tooth, you gain back esthetics and function. On average, the implant process takes 6-8 months. Although lengthy, it is an excellent option if your health allows. Steps are as follows: consult for implant, implant screw placement, healing evaluation, implant crown fabrication, and implant crown seat.

It is very important to maintain your normal routine hygiene visits with us during this process and after. Even though the implant crown will not decay surrounding teeth and bone can. Our biggest concern with neglecting care while having an implant is peri-implantitis. Peri-implantitis is a loss of supporting bone structure around the implant that eventually will cause the implant to fail.

Night Guards for Teeth Grinding

A night guard may be recommended to protect the new hardware in your mouth. Indications for a night guard would be clenching and grinding at night or your teeth show signs of severe wear or trauma. The guard separates your teeth and places a barrier between them. We know that an implant is an investment in both time and money, therefore, we want to ensure health and longevity.

Amalgam fillings are not placed at our office, but that doesn’t mean that the silver in your mouth isn’t healthy. We don’t replace silver fillings unless they are broken, structurally unsound or have recurrent decay. This material is not utilized at our office because it expands with moisture contamination putting unhealthy pressure on your tooth. This can show in the form of fracture lines, chipping or breaking. 

Fillings should not be painful. If you are having sensitivity around a filling there could be recurrent decay, leakage between composite and tooth, or your bite could be high. The filling cannot develop a cavity, but your remaining tooth can. If you have had fillings in the past you are at a higher risk to form decay in the future. For this reason, home care and routine professional cleanings are so important. A clinician may suggest a prescription-strength toothpaste to use at night to protect your teeth from needing future fillings. Another reason why you may be having discomfort is a leaky filling. Leakage usually occurs in patients that have higher acidic diets that break the seal between your filling and tooth. Lastly, you may need a modification to your bite. If are hitting your filling too hard it can cause an aching pain. Call your dentist to see if a bite adjustment is needed.  

You might be surprised with the versatile options available with modern cosmetic dentistry when performed under the keen eye of our Leawood general dentists, Dr. Abbie McKnight and Dr. Megan Konz. All procedures are performed comfortably and designed to help patients achieve their goals.

From small improvements to single teeth to full mouth reconstruction, cosmetic dentistry ranges from the simple to the dramatic.

Cosmetic Dentistry Options

Teeth whitening – brightens the smile with a unique formula called Boost designed to reduce sensitivity and provide superior results
Cosmetic bonding – repairs chips, gaps, and irregularly shaped teeth with a non-invasive tooth-colored treatment
Dental crowns – rebuild and repair teeth that are shortened or broken
Veneers – completely change the color, shape, and appearance of the smile resulting in a whole new look
Full mouth reconstruction – gives patients with severely worn or damaged smiles comfortable and gorgeous results
Dental implants – replace missing teeth with a fixed option that promotes healthy bone
Dentures and partials – replace many teeth at once with reliable, removable  prosthetics

Give us a call to book a cosmetic dentistry consultation in our Leawood dental practice and learn which treatments will give you the smile you deserve.

How often you see the dentist depends on the status of your oral health and your current needs. It is important to remember that even though you take care of your teeth at home, certain medical conditions, like diabetes and pregnancy, can have in impact on your oral health.

For most younger and healthy adult patients, dental visits that include a check-up and cleaning every six months will be sufficient to keep your smile looking and feeling its best.

For other patients, like those recovering from periodontal disease treatment, we may recommend additional dental cleanings, called periodontal maintenance appointments, will keep the infection at bay as the gums heal.

Customized Dental Treatments

At McKnight Signature Dental, we don’t make blanket recommendations for preventive dentistry. We explain any conditions that exist and recommend treatment based on your current needs and goals for your smile.

By following recommendations presented by your dentist, our patients often enjoy healthy, pain-free smiles that add confidence in every aspect of life and make it possible to enjoy a healthy, nutritious diet that supports overall health and wellness.

If you have any questions about how often you should visit the dentist or any recommendations from Drs. McKnight and Konz, give us a call. We will be happy to explain it to you.

We now have healthy alternatives to traditional brackets and wires. Invisalign is a clear aligner therapy that can be invisible to the naked eye. An evaluation must be provided by a clinician in order to confirm that no underlying disease is present before beginning. Selection is important in these cases because Invisalign is not the treatment for all.

What does an Invisalign visit entail? We gather records which consist of a digital scan and photographs. During record taking our technology can give a simulated outcome of where you could end up with Invisalign. The doctor and the Invisalign clinicians work together to develop a plan. Your next visit is a consult with the doctor where an explanation of timeline and movement will be provided. Our treatment coordinator will step in after to discuss finances and payment options.

Can Invisalign Change the Shape of Teeth?

Invisalign can align, but not change the shape of your teeth. If you want the shape of your teeth changed a better choice would be to restore your teeth with veneers or crowns.