Hello, I'm Dr. Dean Carlston. A dentist is a doctor who focuses on keeping your teeth, gums, and mouth healthy. We're not just here to fix problems but to help prevent them, too. I like to think of a dentist as a partner who enables you to protect one of the most critical parts of your overall health: your smile.

General dentistry covers most of the care you need to keep your mouth healthy — from cleanings, fillings, crowns, and even some orthodontics. As a general dentist, I also pay close attention to how your teeth fit together — called your ‘occlusion.' A sound bite affects not just your smile but your entire body, including your posture and even your breathing. While there are dental specialists — like orthodontists, periodontists, and oral surgeons — I'm proud that we can provide a wide range of care right here, where you already feel at home.

Yes! Dentists like me go through many years of schooling — first earning a college degree and then completing four more years of dental school to become a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD). We study everything from anatomy to pharmacology to hands-on techniques so we can safely and expertly care for your oral health.

At our heart, dentists help people stay healthy, comfortable, and confident. We take care of teeth — repairing, replacing, and protecting them — but we also watch out for signs of other health issues that appear in the mouth first. I work closely with our team to ensure your visits are gentle, thorough, and centered around what's best for your long-term health.

Absolutely! While cleanings are a big part of prevention, a dentist does so much more. At our office, we're proud of our incredible hygienists, Angela and Gita, who not only give professional cleanings but also take the time to teach you the best ways to brush, floss, and take care of your teeth at home. They each attended special education school and received training specific to tooth and gum health. In addition, I trained them personally to make sure our patients get more than a 'routine cleaning' — they get real education, encouragement, and personalized care.

Yes, dental procedures are very safe — especially when you're in caring, experienced hands. We take every precaution to make sure your treatment is comfortable, clean, and low-risk. Every procedure, from a simple filling to more advanced care, is performed with your safety and long-term health in mind. Our team also stays up to date on the latest advances and techniques, so you're getting the very best care every step of the way.

Most people have little to no side effects after dental work, especially when it's done carefully. Sometimes, you might feel a little sensitivity for a few days as your mouth adjusts, but it usually fades quickly. We take the time to precisely fit fillings, crowns, and restorations so that your bite stays balanced and your teeth stay strong. If anything ever feels off, we encourage you to call — we're always here to make sure you heal comfortably.

Most people need to visit us twice a year for cleanings and exams. However, if you have gum disease (what we call periodontal disease) or other dental concerns, I may recommend you come in more often — maybe three or four times a year — to keep everything on track. Of course, if you ever need additional work or have any concerns, we're here whenever you need us.

I know that dental care can be a big investment, especially without insurance. That's why we offer an in-house savings plan for our patients. It's designed to help you get the care you need without worrying about huge out-of-pocket expenses. We want to make it easier for you to stay healthy — not harder.

That's a wonderful question. At Carlston Dental Group, we treat every patient like family. We combine the best of old-fashioned care — really listening, really caring — with modern dentistry that's gentle, effective, and personalized. I've been practicing for over 40 years, and every day, I'm still excited to help people smile with confidence. Our team is experienced, compassionate, and truly dedicated to making your visits easy and even enjoyable. When you come here, you're not just a patient — you're part of our dental family.

Finding a good dentist is really about finding someone you trust — someone who takes the time to listen, cares about your comfort, and explains your options clearly. Look for experience, patient reviews, and above all, a feeling that the dentist truly has your best interest at heart. At Carlston Dental Group, we believe that building a relationship with you is just as important as the dentistry itself. We co-diagnose with you, meaning we work together to make a treatment plan that fits your needs, your lifestyle, and your goals.

Some of the most common dental procedures include cleanings, fillings, crowns, root canals, extractions, orthodontic treatments (like braces and retainers), and cosmetic dentistry like whitening. Every procedure we recommend has one goal: to keep your teeth healthy, strong, and beautiful — and whenever possible, we focus on preserving your natural teeth rather than removing them.

Dentists treat a wide variety of conditions — from simple cavities and gum disease to broken teeth, jaw pain (like TMJ disorders), infections, and even sleep apnea in some cases. In our practice, we look at your mouth as part of your whole body's health. Keeping your teeth and gums healthy supports your heart, your immune system, and even your ability to get a good night’s sleep.

Tooth pain can come from many sources — a deep cavity, a cracked tooth, or even an infection. First, I'll do a careful exam, often with digital X-rays, to determine exactly what's causing the pain. Depending on the cause, treatment might include a filling, a crown, a root canal, or sometimes just smoothing a small chip. The most important thing is to act quickly — waiting can make things worse and more painful

Dentistry goes far beyond just filling cavities. We help treat gum disease, correct bite problems (occlusion), create night guards to protect your teeth while you sleep, relieve jaw pain, and even help diagnose conditions that affect your overall health — like diabetes, acid reflux, or sleep apnea — which often show early signs in the mouth. We also work to help prevent small issues from becoming big ones — because prevention is always better (and easier!) than repair.

Yes, and it's very important to do so! Pregnancy changes the body in many ways, including your gums. Hormonal changes can make you more prone to gum disease, which, if left untreated, can affect your baby's health. We take extra precautions to keep you safe and comfortable. Routine cleanings and exams are not only safe during pregnancy but highly recommended. Keeping bacteria under control helps protect both you and your developing baby. During pregnancy, we don’t consider administering an anastatic unless a dental emergency exists, and then only with the permission of your doctor

TMJ (temporomandibular joint) issues can cause jaw pain, headaches, and even neck and shoulder tension. One of the best ways to protect your jaw and your teeth is by wearing a custom-made night guard, which I recommend for all my patients. For those with more significant TMJ problems, we also design special appliances to gently realign and relieve pressure on the joint — and if needed, I'll refer you to a trusted TMJ specialist. Your comfort matters to us.

Toothaches and nerve pain usually mean there's something deeper going on — like an infection or damage inside the tooth. We start by carefully diagnosing the cause, often using X-rays, and then decide the best course of action. Treatment might include a filling, a root canal (to remove infection while saving the tooth), or other options. The good news is that today's dentistry can relieve even severe pain quickly and comfortably — you don't have to suffer.

Gum disease (periodontal disease) is more common than people think — and it's important to treat it early. We start with deep cleanings, called scaling and root planing, to remove bacteria under the gums. In more advanced cases, we might recommend special rinses, laser treatments, or work alongside a periodontal specialist. Gum disease isn't just about your mouth — it's linked to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and more. Taking care of your gums is taking care of your whole body.

Dentists commonly treat pain caused by cavities, cracked or broken teeth, gum infections, exposed tooth roots, and jaw issues like TMJ. We also help relieve the discomfort caused by dental work from other offices that may not have healed properly. Pain is your body's way of saying something isn't right — and our job is to find the cause and fix it in a way that protects your smile for the long run.

Sometimes yes — but it depends on the cause. If your pain is from a small cavity, a single filling might solve the problem. If the pain is coming from a deeper infection, it might take a root canal or crown to fully heal it. The important thing is that we take the time to find the real cause — not just treat the symptoms. Our goal is lasting relief, not temporary fixes.

Yes — and in fact, I often recommend using over-the-counter whitening strips that you can buy at the pharmacy. They're gentler than the strong in-office solutions, which means less risk of irritating your gums or making your teeth too sensitive. Of course, every smile is different, so if you have concerns about the color of your teeth, we're happy to talk about the safest and most effective options for you.

Absolutely — and it's essential! Starting dental visits early helps children get comfortable with dental care, build healthy habits, and catch any issues before they become bigger problems. We also monitor how their teeth and jaws are developing — making sure the arch is wide enough, the tongue is in the right position, and the bite is healthy. Early care can often prevent the need for more complicated treatments later on.

Dentists complete four years of college followed by four years of dental school to earn either a Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree. Throughout my career, I've also pursued additional advanced training in orthodontics, cosmetic dentistry, TMJ therapy, and the relationship between oral health and systemic health. Dentistry is a lifetime of learning — and staying up to date is part of how I honor the trust my patients place in me.