Comfortable care, personalized service, and a commitment to deliver top-of-the-line dentistry. These are the standards that guide us. We know that you have choices when it comes to dental care, and we believe that the best choice for your smile is Holly Dental Associates. Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, Dr. Brink, and our entire team possess a passion for quality and a devotion to providing an exceptional dental care experience. We treat patients like family and enjoy getting to know everyone who walks through our door.

Our services include children’s dentistry, cosmetic dentistry solutions, and replacement teeth. The dentists focus on prevention to give patients healthy smiles that last a lifetime. You’ll experience prompt, friendly service and a consideration of your unique needs and preferences. Our team genuinely cares about you and your smile. We appreciate the trust our patients place in us, and we honor that confidence by consistently exceeding expectations.

• Red, tender, or swollen gums
• Bleeding when you brush or floss
• Gums that pull away from your teeth
• A bad taste in your mouth
• Loose teeth
• Changes in the way your top and bottom teeth fit together
• Changes in the feel of your dentures or other prosthetic
• Tooth sensitivity to heat and cold
• Pus along the gum line

Your smile is an invaluable asset. The dentists at Holly Dental Associates encourage you to prioritize oral healthcare and keep your smile strong for a lifetime. We provide comprehensive general dentistry services to help achieve this goal.

Attending regular checkups and cleanings gives us the opportunity to monitor your oral health and prevent dental problems. Tooth decay, gum disease, and oral cancer start small but create significant damage if left untreated. At your exam, Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, or Dr. Brink will conduct a thorough evaluation of your teeth, soft tissues, and jaw. They will provide recommendations to treat existing concerns and prevent potential problems.

If you snore or experience chronic headaches, including migraines, let us know. Snoring is often a symptom of sleep apnea, and headaches may signal problems with the TMJ joints. The dentists provide non-surgical, general dentistry treatments to alleviate these conditions and restore good oral and overall health.

We look forward to seeing you at your initial exam or regular checkup. We are also available for any emergencies.  Call our office immediately if you experience any of the following symptoms, as these may indicate serious conditions that may require prompt attention.

Call our Centennial dental office immediately, though, if you experience any of the following symptoms, as these may indicate serious conditions that require prompt attention:

• Our cosmetic dentistry services include:

  • All-ceramic crowns
  • Cosmetic bonding
  • Natural-looking replacement teeth
  • Porcelain veneers
  • Smile makeovers
  • White fillings
  • Teeth whitening

Are you pleased with your smile? Do you like the image that you project? With cosmetic dentistry solutions from Holly Dental Associates, you can achieve a life-changing smile – one that makes you look and feel fantastic!

Our dentists offer modern and innovative treatments to eliminate flaws and transform smiles. No more chips, gaps, stains, or misshapen teeth. Instead, you’ll enjoy a beautiful smile that makes you proud. Some treatments take a single visit to complete. Others, like smile makeovers, require additional time. Regardless of the treatments you choose, you’ll love the results. Take a look at our Smile Gallery to see some of the amazing smiles created by Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, and Dr. Brink.

We Make Dental Visits Fun!

Our team approaches children’s dentistry from your child’s point of view. Many of our young patients look forward to regular dental appointments. By instilling good habits now, we hope to forge lifelong practices that promote happy, healthy smiles for life.

There’s nothing more precious than a child’s smile, and we want to give your children a firm foundation for a lifetime of good oral health. Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, and Dr. Brink are great with kids! Our entire team loves working with children and showing them that dental care is important and fun.

In our children’s dentistry program, we see kids as early as age two. The hygienist will clean your child’s teeth and provide instruction on proper brushing and flossing. Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, or Dr. Brink will conduct a gentle exam to check for tooth decay and make sure that dental development is on track. We know that it’s sometimes hard to get kids to brush and floss their teeth at home, so we give parents tips to make daily oral care less challenging!

Proven Cavity Fighters

To keep your little one’s teeth strong and healthy, the dentist may recommend dental sealants or fluoride treatment. Sealants fill grooves in back teeth to smooth crevices and make brushing more effective. Applying fluoride strengthens teeth and deters decay. These affordable preventive measures safeguard children’s smile and may cut down on costly dental treatments in later years.

Why should I consider dental implants?

In addition to providing a long-lasting and natural-looking replacement tooth option, dental implants deliver the following benefits:

• • A more youthful appearance
  • Existing teeth stay where they belong – no drifting
  • No need for messy adhesives to hold teeth in place
  • No loss of bone mass – implants encourage jawbone retention
  • Renewed self-esteem
  • No diet restrictions based on limited function

Dental implants are an extremely popular and long-lasting option to replace missing teeth. With proper care, dental implants can last a lifetime. The dentists at Holly Dental Associates not only restore dental implants, but also place the implants to give patients with missing teeth an improved smile and a new lease on life!

Do dental implants look natural?

Yes! Implants look and feel completely natural. A titanium post inserted in the jawbone functions as a tooth root, securing a custom crown or prosthetic. The dentists often recommend dental implants to replace one or more missing teeth and to secure dentures, partials, and bridges.

Am I a candidate for dental implants?

A comprehensive exam will determine your candidacy. Most patients with missing teeth qualify for dental implants. Ideal candidates have good oral health and sufficient jawbone mass to anchor the small implant posts. An oral surgeon can perform procedures to shore up the bone mass of patients with insufficient structure.

The implant process – what happens?

Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, or Dr. Brink inserts the implants in your jawbone. Also, Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, or Dr. Brink manages the process and oversees all aspects of your care as well. Once your jawbone heals, we attach your custom-made crowns or prosthetic.

What’s the success rate?

Dental implants boast a 95 to 98% success rate. With those odds, you can’t afford not to learn more about this dynamic restorative solution!

Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, and Dr. Brink often recommend crowns for teeth that are:

• Badly decayed
• Broken
• Cracked
• Malformed
• Severely worn

Problem: You’ve got a painful tooth that makes eating uncomfortable and smiling a chore.

Solution: A custom-made crown from Holly Dental Associates.

A crown, sometimes called a cap, is a tooth-shaped shell made from porcelain, metal, or porcelain fused to metal. It fits over a compromised or flawed tooth to restore shape and function. Crowns also provide protection against further damage. 

Porcelain crowns look like natural teeth and preserve the integrity of an all-white smile. The dentist will consider tooth location and stressors to determine the appropriate material for your crown. Custom-made crowns take about three visits to design and place. They last for years to keep smiles in top form!

Custom made crowns take two visits to design and place.  They are far less likely to fracture than one visit crowns and are made by professional laboratory technicians.

Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, and Dr. Brink advocate conservative care to keep smiles in tip-top shape. A root canal preserves an internally damaged tooth to prevent extraction. The dentists use advanced techniques and modern analgesics to make root canal therapy a comfortable, successful experience.

Tooth pain or pressure often indicates damage in the canals that lead from the pulp, or nerve, of a tooth. A tooth fracture, deep cavity, or other trauma can compromise the canals and allow infection to set in. Left untreated, pain worsens and the pulp may die.

A root canal removes early-stage infection to prolong the life of a tooth. Once the infected material is removed, the dentist inserts a biocompatible filler, then mounts a custom crown atop the tooth. Root canals remove the nerve but preserve the hard structures of the tooth.  Pain and pressure are relieved, and patients preserve complete, healthy smiles.

Many people know nitrous oxide as laughing gas. In our Centennial office, we administer nitrous oxide to enhance patient comfort and relieve anxiety for patients of all ages. After you’re comfortably seated in the dental chair, you’ll inhale the gas (a nitrous oxide and oxygen mixture) through a face mask. We will control the amount of nitrous you receive to ensure your safety. You will feel relaxed and comfortable as the dentist performs your dental service. The effects of nitrous oxide subside once we remove your mask, so if nitrous is the only anesthesia you receive, you will be capable of driving yourself home following the visit and can continue your daily activities as normal.

Why choose oral sedation?

In general, patients choose oral sedation if they:

• experience severe anxiety and fear when faced with dental instruments
• put off important dental treatment because of fear
• have a sensitive gag reflex
• have trouble feeling numb after receiving local anesthetic
• cannot rest comfortably in a dentist’s exam chair due to neck or back problems

What risks and side effects are associated with oral sedation?

The anti-anxiety medications used to achieve oral sedation have been prescribed and studied for years, so potential side effects are widely documented. These drugs are generally safe for most patients and have a low incidence of side effects, which tend to be minor.

Among the most common phobias, visiting the dentist causes many people severe anxiety and stress. Often, fearful patients forego necessary dental care to avoid a visit to their dentist. If you find yourself feeling alarmed at the thought of having your teeth worked on, you should know that a safe, comfortable relaxation method exists. Oral sedation alleviates anxiety, so you can face dental appointments with confidence.

What exactly does oral sedation entail?

If you fear dental appointments, call a dentist to determine if oral sedation is available for you based on your medical history and current medications. If you’re a good candidate for oral sedation, the dentist will select an appropriate anti-anxiety or sedative drug for you to take at a pre-determined time before your appointment. These safe, widely-prescribed drugs diminish anxiety and help patients relax.

Your anxiety level will help the dentist determine dosage, which in turn determines your consciousness level during the appointment. Throughout your appointment, we will closely monitor your vital signs to ensure your safety. When you choose oral sedation, you must have a responsible adult who can drive you to and from your appointment and spend some time with you after the appointment until the sedative wears off completely.

Typically, patients who receive oral sedation experience:

• Retrograde amnesia, in which they recall little to nothing about the dental procedure
• Decreased post-operative soreness
• Dry mouth

A very small percentage of patients may temporarily have hiccups after using oral sedation drugs.

Wow! What a smile! Be prepared for the compliments to pour in after you transform your smile with porcelain veneers Centennial, CO from Holly Dental Associates. Custom veneers look and feel natural. They deliver spectacular results for smiles that get noticed. The dentists design veneers to address each patient’s distinctive needs and dramatically enhance image and self-esteem.

Candidates for porcelain veneers include patients with chipped, stained, or awkwardly shaped teeth. Porcelain veneers change the size, shape, and color of teeth to completely revamp your appearance. They can even close gaps to prevent lengthy orthodontic treatment.

The design process ensures that your porcelain veneers will suit your facial shape and skin tone. Veneers are handcrafted in a dental lab by skilled artisans. The porcelain never stains, and it looks like real tooth enamel. No one will know that your beautiful smile is courtesy of Holly Dental Associates and not Mother Nature.

Expect about three visits to design and place your veneers. You’ll wear temporaries during the fabrication process for a preview of the final version. Once your custom creations are completed, the dentist will permanently bond them to your teeth for a life-changing smile!

Do I have sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea sufferers experience repeated lapses in breathing, with each stoppage lasting 10 seconds or longer. When the brain senses a lack of oxygen, it tells the body to wake up and breathe. Some patients enter a lighter sleep stage; others awaken completely. The resulting daytime drowsiness and fatigue impacts daily living, including workplace performance. Sufferers may also feel stressed and have trouble concentrating. Your health can suffer, too. Studies show a link between sleep apnea experience and an increased risk of heart problems, high blood pressure, and stroke.

What causes snoring and sleep apnea?

Sleep apnea often occurs as a result of narrowed air passageways, airways that relax and collapse during sleep, or a tongue that falls back to block the throat. Obesity and genetic factors may play roles, as well. As air tries to force through narrow or blocked passages, tissues vibrate and emit the sound we call snoring.

Diagnosis & Treatment

The dentist will perform a comprehensive evaluation and talk to you about your symptoms. Consultation with a sleep specialist and close communication with your medical Doctor are necessary with these forms of dental treatment.  He may refer you to a medical doctor for a sleep study to confirm the diagnosis of sleep apnea. To combat snoring and sleep apnea, Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, and Dr. Brink have achieved great success with oral appliance therapy. A custom-made device similar to an athletic mouthguard holds your jaw forward to open airways and allow the free flow of oxygen. The device is easy to use and comfortable. We invite you to reserve your consultation today and join the millions of Americans who have found relief from snoring and sleep apnea with personalized, non-invasive therapy.

Professional teeth whitening brightens smiles up to eight shades. The fast, efficient process delivers dramatic results for smiles that look younger and more beautiful. If you want a non-surgical way to improve your appearance and boost your self-esteem, consider teeth whitening.

What types of whitening do you offer?

The dentists at Holly Dental Associates make it easy to achieve a stunningly white smile. Brighten in our office for whiter teeth in about an hour. For gradual teeth whitening over a period of ten days to two weeks, consider a take-home bleaching kit. In-office and take-home whitening use ingredients proven safe and effective to eliminate dental staining caused by foods, beverages, tobacco, and aging.

Are any problems associated with teeth whitening?

Some patients experience mild, short-term tooth sensitivity following the bleaching process. In addition, some patients simply aren’t candidates for teeth whitening because of the nature of their dental staining. Gray discolorations caused by some medications, including tetracycline, don’t bleach well. In these instances, the dentist may recommend cosmetic bonding or porcelain veneers to deliver a bright, white smile.

This list below represents some of the most common symptoms of a condition that originates with the jaw joints. TMJ disorder causes pain that radiates throughout the body and negatively impacts healthy function. At Holly Dental Associates, Dr. Scholes, Dr. Nielsen, and Dr. Brink perform personalized bite assessments to determine the cause of TMJ-related pain, then prescribe non-surgical treatment to alleviate distress.

• Chronic headaches, including migraines
• Unexplained facial, neck, shoulder, or jaw pain
• Tingling in the fingers
• Teeth grinding (bruxism)
• Chronic earaches

Jaw Anatomy 101

Your jaw attaches in front of your ears with the help of two small, triangular-shaped joints – the TMJ joints. When working properly, the jaw moves smoothly with no discomfort. However, physical or emotional stress, injury, bite misalignment, and many other factors can throw the joints out of alignment. The resulting discomfort ranges from mild to debilitating.

Personalized Analysis & Customized TMJ Therapy 

The dentists at Holly Dental Associates utilize their advanced skill and experience to renew TMJ function. They use leading-edge technology to perform comprehensive examinations of teeth and jaws. Once the dentists isolate the source of trouble, they often recommend non-surgical treatment in the form of a nightguard. Custom-fitted for each patient, a nightguard holds the jaw in proper alignment to reduce stress on the joints and promote harmonious function. This personalized regimen of TMJ therapy works fast – often in three months or less – to make TMJ pain a thing of the past.

The Advantages of Laser Dentistry Include

• Can often be performed without anesthesia shots
• Gum surgery can be performed quickly
• Post operative discomfort is reduced
• Healing occurs more rapidly and with less discomfort
• Lasers thoroughly disinfect soft tissue

What Can Laser Dentistry Do For Me?

• Lasers are often used to assist in the following procedures.
• Gum surgery
• Sulcus decontamination (removing inflamed gum tissue and bacteria from periodontal (gum) pockets.
• Removal of oral lesions
• Minor biopsies
• Frenectomy correcting speech problems caused by “tongue tied” tissue attachments
• Uncover wisdom teeth
• Manage gum tissue when taking an impression for a crown
• Diagnosing cavities

How does the laser work and is it safe?

The laser uses special and highly focused beams of light energy to perform dental procedures on teeth and gums. Laser dentistry is extremely safe and has been approved by the American Dental Association for many dental procedures.

Lasers are being used by dentists all over the world. Laser use in dentistry has increased dramatically since the 1990’s and continues to grow. The CO2 laser is absorbed by water and only penetrates to .1mm. The transmitted energy will not go beyond 1.mm.

Laser Assisted Sulcus Decontamination
One of the most exciting procedures possible with laser dentistry is laser gum therapy or laser assisted sulcus decontamination. The American Dental Association estimates that by age 36, 70% of adults will develop some form of periodontal gum disease.

Even more alarming is the link in recent studies between periodontal disease and heart disease, stroke, and other body ailments. Typical gum surgery involves cutting the gum, peeling it off the bone, and suturing it back after cleaning and scraping the area. Many times the discomfort from conventional gum surgery and financial considerations deter individuals for seeking the recommended gum treatment.

In contrast, laser gum therapy uses light energy to remove infected tissues and bacteria with accuracy and without the need to peel the gum off the bone. In many instances this is accomplished without injections (needles or shots)!

Patients can proceed with gum treatment and benefit from:

• Less need for conventional cut and peel gum surgery
• Increased bone healing
• Less time in the dental chair
• Less noise
• Reduced infection
• Less post operative bleeding and pain
• Faster healing
• Less expense
• Ask the doctors or hygienists if laser gum therapy is right for you!