Welcome To

Ellen B. Folbe DDS, PC & Associates

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS!

Ellen Folbe, DDS and her colleagues are dedicated dentists providing comprehensive dental services to your entire family in a comfortable and positive atmosphere.

From routine cleanings and dental exams to crowns, bridges, cosmetic dentistry and much more, our team takes pride in providing you and your family with careful, professional dental work. Our dentist offices are conveniently located Auburn Hills and Warren, MI. and serve the surrounding communities. Let our family protect your family's dental health with gentle, detail-oriented care and help you develop a regimen of oral health to last a lifetime!

Your Auburn Hills and Warren Michigan Dentist

Our offices provide comprehensive cosmetic and general dentistry services, including teeth cleaning, teeth whitening, veneers, dental implant restorations, periodontal maintenance and much more. Good dental health is a key factor in one's overall sense of well-being, and our goal is help you establish a regimen that will optimize your oral health.

Conveniently Located in Auburn Hills and Warren, MI

Even a subtle change in your smile helps you to project an image of self-confidence and high personal esteem. When you feel good about yourself, it shows in your appearance. Today's advanced techniques and materials can make a real difference, and the skill, experience and commitment of our practice — using a unique combination of science and artistry — can literally redesign your smile.

Our Dentist in Warren Michigan and our Dentist in Auburn Hills Michigan office can now correct a wide variety of so-called "permanent" dental problems:

• Missing teeth, gaps between teeth, general bite dysfunction
• Chipped, cracked or worn teeth
• Unsightly, stained, or washed-out fillings
• Permanently stained or discolored teeth
• Crooked or crowded teeth

DENTIST SERVICES IN Auburn Hills and Warren Michigan

We're here to provide a full range of dental services and help you get the care you need. At Folbe DDS in Auburn Hills and Warren Michigan, we are committed to treating patients with the compassion and respect they deserve. We believe in providing comprehensive treatment and skilled dental services that address both your short- and long-term dental care needs in an honest, judgment-free environment where it all comes down to great care.

Root Canal Therapy Can Save Your Tooth

Your teeth are meant to last a lifetime. Years ago, diseased or injured teeth were usually pulled. But today, a tooth can often be saved through root canal therapy. endodontics (en-do-DON-tics) is the branch of dentistry that specializes in treating diseases or injuries to the dental pulp. endodontists are dentists that specialize in treating diseases of, or injuries to, dental pulp. Your dentist may refer you to an endodontist to perform your root canal procedure.

Treatment is needed for infected or inflamed pulp

The pulp is soft tissue inside the tooth that contains blood vessels and nerves. When the pulp becomes infected or inflamed, treatment is needed. Pulp infection and inflammation most often occur if you have:

• a cracked or chipped tooth
• a deep cavity or filling
• other serious injury to the tooth

All of these can allow bacteria to enter the pulp and cause infection and/or inflammation.

Problems from infected or inflamed pulp

The infection or inflammation in the pulp can spread to the tissues around the root of the tooth. This can cause pain and swelling, but even if there is no pain, bacteria from the infection can damage the bone that holds the tooth in you jaw. Without a root canal, the infection and damage will continue and your tooth most likely will need to be removed.

Removing but not replacing a tooth can create problems

When a tooth is removed and not replaced, the teeth around it may shift. This can make it hard to bite, chew and clean your teeth. Areas in your mouth that are not cleaned well are more likely to have problems like decay or gum disease. Root canal therapy can prevent these problems by saving your natural tooth. Also, root canal therapy is usually less expensive than a replacement tooth.

General steps of root canal therapy

Root canal therapy may involve one or more dental visits. When you come to our clinic, our dentist performs the necessary steps to save your tooth:

Your tooth is numbed for your comfort. A thin, flexible sheet of latex or non-latex material called a rubber dam is placed over your tooth to keep it dry. An opening is made through the crown of the tooth into the pulp chamber.

Your tooth’s nerve or pulp is removed from the pulp chamber and the canal of each root of the tooth. each root canal is cleaned, shaped and disinfected so that it can be filled.

The dentist may place medicine in the pulp chamber and root canal(s) to help treat the infection. The treated root canals are filled with a rubber-like material to seal them.

A temporary filling is placed in your tooth to prevent infection of the root canals. You may be given antibiotics if the infection has spread beyond the end of the root(s). Finally, the dentist removes the temporary filling and restores the tooth with a crown or a permanent filling to strengthen it and improve the way it looks. After all these, we will set up follow-up appointments for you.

How long will the restored tooth last?

When properly restored and maintained, a tooth with a root canal filling can last for many years. But, like any other tooth, it can become decayed or fractured or the tissue around it can get gum disease. Professional cleanings and regular dental exams will help keep your mouth healthy — whether you’ve had root canal therapy or not. If you are in Auburn Hills or Warren Michigan and want to set up an appointment with Folbe DDS, call us 248 332-5400.

Your Single Tooth Implant

If you are missing a tooth, there are many reasons to replace it: Missing teeth may affect the way you speak and chew. If a missing tooth is not replaced, the teeth around it can move. This can affect your bite and place more stress on your teeth and jaw joints. Teeth that have tipped or drifted are also harder to clean. This puts them at a higher risk for tooth decay and gum disease. Bone loss can occur around the missing tooth. You may not like the way a missing tooth affects your looks.

A dental implant is the next best thing to the real thing.

Nothing replaces your natural teeth, but dental implants can come close. Implants have been used for many years. They are man-made “anchors” that look like screws and are made of titanium and other materials that are compatible with the human body. The single tooth implant is placed by surgery in the upper or lower jaw, where it replaces your missing tooth’s root(s).

An implant looks and acts like a natural tooth. It fits securely even when you chew and speak. A single tooth implant does not involve treatment to your other teeth. Plus, it may also help you keep a good level of bone around your teeth.

Steps of placing an implant

The way implants are placed depends on your anatomy or bone structure, the type of implant, and the tooth being replaced. Some implants require 2 or 3 appointments and can take up to a year to complete. Other implants can have a temporary crown placed on the same day. When you come in, we can discuss which type is best for you. Most implants involve 3 or 4 basic steps:

Placement of the implant

The dentist surgically places the implant into your jawbone. There may be some swelling and/or0 tenderness after the surgery, so pain medication may be prescribed to ease the discomfort. The dentist may recommend a diet of soft foods during the healing process.

The healing process

What makes an implant so strong is that the bone actually grows around it and holds it in place. This process is called osseointegration (OSS-eo-in-tee-GRAY-shun) and takes time. Some people might need to wait until the implant is completely integrated before a permanent replacement tooth can be attached to the implant. This can take several months. Other people can have the implant and a temporary replacement tooth placed all in one visit. The length of the healing process depends on location of the replacement tooth and the type of implant being used.

Replacing your missing tooth

For a single tooth implant, your dentist custom-makes a new tooth for you, called a dental crown. It is based on a size, shape, and color that will blend with your other teeth. Once completed, the man-made tooth is attached to the implant post or abutment.

Are you a good candidate for an implant?

When you come in, our specialists can help you decide if you can get a dental implant. In most cases, you are a good candidate if: you are in good general health. Some chronic illnesses may slow healing after surgery and prevent successful placement of an implant. you have a jawbone that can support an implant. If you have lost bone in your jaw you may still get an implant. Sometimes bone must be added by a special process known as bone grafting. you don’t use tobacco in any form. Smoking or chewing tobacco may be linked to a higher rate of implant failure.

Good oral hygiene is very important to the success of your implant. You’ll need to make sure the area around the implant is especially clean. The dentist may recommend that you use a special toothbrush, called an interproximal brush, or a mouthrinse to help prevent gum problems.

You should also choose oral care products with the American Dental Association Seal of Acceptance. A product that displays the ADA Seal is your assurance that it has met ADA standards for safety and effectiveness. All of these accepted products will help ensure the area around your implant remains healthy.