Straight answers, before you ask.

Gentle Care Dentistry & Implants is at 3477 Canyon De Flores, Suite A, Sierra Vista, AZ 85650. The phone number is (520) 458-9460.

Monday 9am to 5pm, Tuesday 8am to 5pm, Wednesday 9am to 5pm and Thursday 8am to 4pm, Arizona time. The office is closed Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Dr. Kent Hales, DDS, a graduate of Indiana University School of Dentistry. He completed implant training at The Bicon Institute in Boston, was mentored by Dr. Victor Sendax, credited as the originator of the mini dental implant, and is a member of the American Dental Association and the Arizona Dental Association.

The practice works with many dental insurance plans, including MetLife, Delta Dental, Aetna PPO and GEHA. Call (520) 458-9460 with your plan details to confirm coverage before your visit.

Yes. Patients can finance treatment through CareCredit and Cherry, which offer monthly payment options for implants, Invisalign and other care.

Patients come from Sierra Vista, Fort Huachuca, Huachuca City, Whetstone, Hereford, Bisbee, Tombstone and the rest of Cochise County, Arizona.

Dental implants and implant-supported dentures, Invisalign clear aligners, porcelain veneers, teeth whitening, dental bonding, crowns, bridges, dentures, root canal therapy, preventive and family dentistry, and emergency dental care.

The office uses 3D digital X-rays, digital impressions and dental laser technology to diagnose and plan treatment.

Bring a photo ID, your dental insurance card if you have one, a list of the medications you take, and any recent dental X-rays from a previous dentist. Arriving about 15 minutes early helps with paperwork.

Yes. Many patients come to Gentle Care after a bad experience elsewhere. Tell the team when you book. Each step is explained before it happens, you can take breaks whenever you need, and treatment moves at your pace.

Yes. Gentle Care provides family dentistry for patients of all ages, including cleanings, fluoride treatments and sealants for children and teens.

Call (520) 458-9460 as early in the day as possible. For a knocked-out adult tooth, put it back in the socket or keep it in milk and call right away. For facial swelling that affects breathing or swallowing, uncontrolled bleeding or a jaw injury, go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.

The area is fully numbed during placement, so you should feel pressure but not pain. Afterward most people have a few days of soreness that over-the-counter pain relievers manage. Dr. Hales will tell you what to expect for your specific case before the appointment.

Most single implants take a few months from placement to the final crown, because the implant needs time to fuse with the jawbone. Cases that need a tooth removed or bone added first take longer. You will get a timeline at your consultation.

There is no upper age limit. What matters is your general health, the amount of bone in your jaw and whether you can keep the area clean. Many implant patients are in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

Cost depends on how many teeth are being replaced, whether you need an extraction or bone grafting, and what the implant will hold. Gentle Care gives you an itemized estimate at your consultation and offers financing through CareCredit and Cherry. Some dental insurance plans pay toward part of the treatment.

Yes. Two or more implants in the lower jaw can anchor a denture so it clicks in and stops sliding. For people who struggle with a loose lower denture, it can make a big difference in daily life.

With good home care and regular checkups, the implant post itself can last for decades. The crown on top may need replacing after many years of wear, just like any crown.

It depends on how much movement your teeth need. Minor spacing or crowding can take a matter of months, while more complex bite corrections take longer. Dr. Hales will give you an estimate after your digital scan.

Most people feel pressure or mild soreness for a day or two when they switch to a new set of aligners. That is a sign the teeth are moving. It usually fades quickly.

You take the aligners out to eat and drink anything other than plain water, then brush or rinse before putting them back in. That is why there are no food restrictions like there are with braces.

Invisalign is used by adults and by teens who are responsible about wearing their aligners. Wear time is the biggest factor in success at any age.

Yes. Teeth naturally drift back toward where they started, especially in the first year. A retainer, usually worn at night, protects the result.

Bonding is a tooth-colored resin sculpted directly onto the tooth in one visit. It is quick and affordable but can stain and chip over time. Porcelain veneers are thin custom shells made in a lab, more stain resistant and longer lasting, and usually take two visits.

Some people notice temporary sensitivity during or just after whitening. It usually fades within a day or two. Professional whitening lets the strength and timing be adjusted for sensitive teeth.

No. Whitening only lightens natural tooth enamel. If you have visible crowns or fillings, it is usually best to whiten first and then match any new restorations to your new shade.

With good care, porcelain veneers commonly last many years. Avoiding habits like chewing ice, biting fingernails and opening packages with your teeth helps them last longer, as does wearing a night guard if you grind.

Purely cosmetic treatment usually is not covered, but treatment that also repairs damage, such as bonding a chipped tooth, sometimes is. The team will check your plan and you can spread the cost with CareCredit or Cherry.

Most people need a few weeks to get comfortable speaking and eating with new dentures. Starting with soft foods cut into small pieces and reading aloud at home both help. Sore spots are normal early on and are fixed with quick adjustments.

The lower jaw has less surface area for suction than the upper jaw, and the tongue and cheeks constantly push against a lower denture. Bone also shrinks after teeth are lost. Two or more implants can anchor a lower denture so it snaps in and stays put.

Dentures wear down and the shape of your jaw slowly changes, so most dentures need a reline over time and eventual replacement. A loose or uncomfortable denture should be checked rather than held in with more adhesive.

Yes. Checkups let the dentist examine your gums and soft tissue, screen for oral cancer and make sure the denture still fits properly.

A filling works when enough healthy tooth remains to hold it. A crown is usually recommended when a tooth is cracked, has had a root canal, has a very large filling, or is badly worn, because the crown holds the tooth together and protects it from breaking.

An implant replaces a missing tooth without touching the neighboring teeth and helps preserve the jawbone. A bridge is faster and avoids surgery, but it relies on the teeth on either side. If those teeth already need crowns, a bridge can make sense. Dr. Hales will walk you through both.

The tooth is numbed before it is prepared, so you should feel pressure rather than pain. Some people have mild sensitivity for a few days afterward.

Crowns commonly last many years with good brushing, flossing and regular checkups. Grinding, chewing ice and gum disease around the crown are the most common reasons they fail early.

The procedure is done with the tooth fully numbed, and most people say it feels similar to having a filling. The pain people associate with root canals is usually the infection before treatment. Mild soreness for a few days afterward is common.

Lingering sensitivity to hot or cold, pain when biting, a tooth that has darkened, swelling or a pimple-like bump on the gum near a tooth, or a severe toothache. Sometimes there are no symptoms and the problem shows up on an X-ray.

Keeping your natural tooth is usually best for chewing and for the bone around it. If the tooth is pulled, it should be replaced with an implant, bridge or partial denture to stop the neighboring teeth from shifting, and that often costs more than saving it.

Back teeth almost always do, because they take heavy chewing force and become more brittle after treatment. Front teeth sometimes can be restored with a filling. Dr. Hales will tell you which applies.

About every six months works for most people. If you have a history of gum disease, a high cavity risk, dry mouth, or implants, more frequent cleanings may be recommended.

Digital dental X-rays use a very low dose of radiation, lower than traditional film X-rays. They are taken only when they are needed to diagnose problems that cannot be seen during an exam.

The American Dental Association recommends a child's first dental visit by age one or within six months of the first tooth coming in. Early visits are short and help kids get comfortable.

Sealants are thin protective coatings painted onto the chewing surfaces of back teeth, where deep grooves trap food and bacteria. They are quick, painless and help prevent cavities, especially in children and teens.

No. Many new patients have been away for a while for all kinds of reasons. The team's job is to help you get healthy from where you are now, at a pace that feels comfortable.

Severe or worsening tooth pain, a knocked-out or loosened adult tooth, a cracked or broken tooth, a lost crown or filling, swelling in the gum or face, and bleeding that will not stop. If you are unsure, call and describe it.

Pick it up by the crown, not the root. If it is dirty, rinse it briefly with milk or water without scrubbing. Try to place it back in the socket and bite gently on gauze. If you cannot, keep it in milk and call right away. The sooner the tooth is back in place, the better its chance of surviving.

Go to the emergency room or call 911 for facial swelling that spreads toward the eye or neck or makes it hard to breathe or swallow, a high fever with dental swelling, bleeding that will not stop with pressure, or a possible broken jaw.

The office is open Monday through Thursday. Outside those hours, call (520) 458-9460 as early as possible on the next office day and use the first-aid steps on our emergency dentist page in the meantime. For anything life threatening, go to the nearest emergency room. In Sierra Vista that is Canyon Vista Medical Center at 5700 E Highway 90.