General Dentist in Charlotte

General dentistry is the heart and soul of Dr. Charles Payet’s practice, even as he enjoys providing advanced, specialized procedures.  Day-to-day procedures include fillings, crowns, tooth extractions, emergency dental care, and more.  Here’s a brief overview of the many treatment options Dr. Payet provides at Smiles by Payet Dentistry.

General Dentistry Services

Check-ups, Cleanings, & Prevention

dental check-up and cleaning

From your first visit, Dr. Payet and his team focus on preventing dental problems and keeping you healthy.  Staying on a recommended 3-, 4-, or 6-month schedule of dental check-ups helps catch problems early, and heads off potential problems before they start.  Dr. Payet recommends the minimum number of dental x-rays needed to properly diagnose any problems, and no more.  Digital bitewing x-rays provide the necessary information at the lowest dosage, while panoramic or CBCT (3D) x-rays are used to check for anything unusual in your jaws.  Fluoride applications, including Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF), help harden and remineralize your teeth.

For more about prevention and best home dental hygiene practices, visit KnowYourTeeth.com.

Home Care Instruction

dental home care products

Your oral health is our top priority.  Our knowledgeable dental hygienists review the best products and techniques for your optimal oral health.  Dr. Payet’s team sets you on the path to preventing problems the right way. Water-piks, Sonicare electric toothbrushes, fluoride toothpastes, dental floss, and non-alcohol based fluoride mouthrinses are the foundation of dental health.

Periodontal Disease Treatment

If you suffer with periodontal (gum) disease, you need either a deep cleaning (scaling & root planing) or LANAP Laser Gum Therapy.  The caring and gentle hygienists at Smiles by Payet Dentistry will inform you about which is most appropriate.  Dr. Charles Payet has 10 years of experience providing LANAP to Charlotte periodontal patients, so he knows just how incredible it is.  Only the MDT Periolase MVP-7 laser has decades of clinical proof and the highest quality research supporting it.  The laser triggers your body’s natural healing response to rebuild bone and reattach your gums for optimal oral health.

Dental Fillings

Tooth-colored fillings general dentistry

Most patients today prefer tooth-colored, composite resin fillings.  With the advanced Fotona Lightwalker dental laser, many of Dr. Payet’s patients get pain-free fillings, with no shots or drills.  The precise laser beam conservatively removes only what’s needed, leaving healthy tooth untouched.  They blend into your teeth, looking and feeling completely natural, while the bonding process strengthens teeth.

Unlike some dentists, Dr. Charles Payet does not recommend removing all old silver fillings.  Dentists or hygienist, who try to scare you about the “dangers of mercury fillings,” aren’t being honest.  The science says they’re safe.  It’s true that they’re ugly, so if you want them replaced for esthetic reasons, that’s perfectly ok.

Root Canal Therapy

Root canal therapy and porcelain crown done in 1 dental visit by Charlotte dentist Dr. Payet

A tooth broken or decayed into the nerve, with a severe toothache or abscess, is treated with a root canal.  Dr. Payet uses laser dentistry, with the Fotona Lightwalker  Er:YAG dental laser, to quickly and painlessly clean the infected tooth before sealing.  Root canal treated teeth commonly need a crown to protect it.  Well-done root canals should preserve your teeth for many decades.  Dr. Payet is one of only 3 general dentists in the Charlotte region using dental microscopes for root canals, just as endodontists do.

Dental Crowns & Bridges

general dentistry charlotte nc

Modern ceramics, such as E.Max and Zirconia, are both incredibly strong and beautiful.  If you have one or more badly decayed or broken teeth, all-porcelain crowns rebuild them to look normal.  You can chew and smile with confidence; Dr. Payet’s expertise in cosmetic dentistry means no grey lines or mismatched teeth.  A dental bridge is really just several connected crowns, which replace 1 or more missing teeth, even though dental implants are a better option.

Teeth Whitening

Deep Bleaching Teeth Whitening

As part of optimal oral and dental health, we also offer teeth whitening products, both take-home trays and Deep Bleaching for incredible teeth whitening results!  A bright, beautiful smile improves your confidence and well-being, so ask the team at Smiles by Payet Dentistry about whitening your teeth!

Nightguards

A nightguard is an effective & affordable way to protect your teeth from bruxism.  Grinding your teeth damages your smile, leads to broken and painful teeth, and is expensive to restore.  For less than 50% of the fee of a single crown, a nightguard keeps your teeth strong & healthy.  Unlike bulky and uncomfortable, over-the-counter nightguards, the custom nightguards made by Dr. Charles Payet’s experienced team are small, comfortable, and effective. The NTI-tss nightguard not only protects your teeth, it’s FDA approved for treatment of migraines and chronic tension headaches.

Imagine if this patient had worn a nightguard early in life?  He wouldn’t have needed significant cosmetic dentistry to rebuild his smile.

a nightguard protects teeth

Convenient General Dentistry for the Whole Family

Family dentist Charlotte Pineville Matthews

We understand how hard it can be to get to the dentist.  This is especially true, if you need multiple types of treatment.  It isn’t easy taking time off from work, school, or activities.  By offering many advanced services, usually provided only by dental specialists, Smiles by Payet Dentistry makes dental care truly convenient.  Without having to coordinate with specialists (except when appropriate), you won’t have to take as much time off.

Lots of Treatment at Once, or Spread it Out Over Time – Your Choice

Dr. Payet strives to provide one convenient location for all aspects of general dentistry because of stories like this one:

“I’ll never forget meeting an anxious new patient many years ago.  She’d recently visited another dentist and been told she needed 10 visits to fix 10 cavities.  One filling per visit!  Needless to say, that was NOT convenient for her at all.  She wanted to know if we could do all of them at one time, because she couldn’t take that much time off from her job.  ‘Absolutely!’ we told her, and that’s what she did.  1 long visit just worked better for her.”

Not everyone wants this of course.  Some people need to spread treatment out over weeks, months, or years.  At Smiles by Payet Dentistry, they understand that dental treatment has to fit each patient’s schedule, budget, and goals.  We do our best to accommodate each patient and personalize their care, rather than force them into a “one-size-fits-all” schedule.  If you want to do 1 filling at a time, that’s cool.  Maybe 3-4 at a time?  Sure!  Or just get them all done at once, so all you need is regular checkups after that?  No problem.

Advanced General Dentistry & Specialty Procedures

Along with the many every-day general dentistry procedures available with Dr. Charles Payet, these are the more specialized treatments he and his team provide for your convenience:

People may tell you that no single dentist can do all of these things well, but they’re wrong.  It takes a tremendous commitment of time for Dr. Payet to stay current on all these skills, and that’s the commitment he makes for his patients every year.

Whatever your goals, budget, and needs may be, Dr. Payet and his team at Smiles by Payet Dentistry would like to welcome you to be part of their dental family.

Request an Appointment Online or call us today at 704-364-7069.

We look forward to meeting you soon!