We are a full service family dental practice serving Lawrenceville, Snellville, Lilburn, and Gwinnett.
We can take care of most of your family's dental needs under one roof. Our goal is to provide the highest
quality dental treatment while making you as comfortable as possible during
the process and with results that will make you smile.
Your comfort during treatment is extra important to us. With over 30 years of experience, we are able to make your visits as
pleasant as possible. With modern pain control techniques, including
nitrous oxide and conscious and IV sedation dentistry, fear of the dentist is
now a thing of the past.
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- Cosmetic Dentistry
- Sedation Dentistry
- Crowns and Bridges
- Dental Implants
- Root Canal Treatment
- Gum Treatment
- Oral Surgery
- Dentures
- Orthodontics
- Invisible Braces/Invisalign®
- Teeth Whitening
- Children's Dentistry
- Full Mouth Reconstruction
More About Our
Services
What Our
Patients Say About Us
What Does It Mean That My Dentist
Is Board Certified?
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You will be so happy that finding the right dentist for you and your family can be so easy!
For An Appointment Call:
770-923-3966
En Español
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Dr. Richard P. Gangwisch, D.D.S., M.A.G.D., A.B.G.D. Board Certified General Dentist
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- Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, Ohio State University
- Assistant Professor, Georgia Regents University College of Dental Medicine
- Former Dental Officer, U.S. Navy
- Former Clinical Instructor of Operative Dentistry, Emory University School of Dentistry
- Fellowship and Mastership, Academy of General Dentistry
- Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition award, Academy of General Dentistry
- Diplomate of American Board of General Dentistry (Board Certified General Dentist)
- Member, American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry
- Published Author, Journal of Cosmetic Dentistry
- Volunteer Dentist, Ben Massell Dental Clinic
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Dr. John D. Hulsey, D.M.D.
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- Doctor of Dental Medicine degree, Medical University of South Carolina
- General Practice Dental Residency, East Carolina University
- Volunteer Dentist, Ben Massell Dental Clinic
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- 03/10/15Read MoreFilling Children's Teeth (Part VII)In children, cavities tend to grow much quicker than they do in adults. This may be due to their immature immune systems not being able to keep the cavity producing germs at bay, the tendency toward a higher sugar content in their diet, and their lack of manual dexterity to properly clean their teeth. With the relatively rapid expansion of decay coupled with the small size of the baby teeth, it is not uncommon to see a cavity reach all of the way to the nerve. Once that happens, a decision has to be made on whether to restore the tooth or to extract it. If the tooth still has a healthy nerve, then it is usually best to save the tooth if it is restorable. Front teeth aren’t as important in maintaining space, so they can be removed without regret other than the cosmetic aspect. If the tooth does have to be extracted and it is a back baby tooth and it will still be more than a year before the permanent tooth is expected to erupt, then a space maintainer must be cemented in place to keep the permanent teeth from shifting.Read More
- 03/10/15Read MoreFilling Children's Teeth (Part V)Once a tooth is numb, the child should not experience any further discomfort. However, there are a lot of sights and sounds that can unnerve a child into thinking that what is happening is painful. Since a drill has to be used to clean out the decay and shape the inside of the tooth to hold a filling, the chatter of the drill’s bur, the water spray, and the high pitch sound can startle some children. At our office, we show the patient every step that we are about to take before we do it. For example, we take the high speed handpiece and hold their hand up to it and let them feel the water spray. We tell them that the water spray is going to clean out all the cavity bugs. With their fears allayed, most children will be still while the cavity is being drilled out. We tell them that the water spray will tickle their teeth, so the vibration of the drill is well tolerated. Taking the extra time to demonstrate what’s going to happen is well rewarded with a calm, cooperative child.Read More
- 03/01/15Read MoreFilling Children's Teeth (Part VI)Once a cavity has been cleaned out and the tooth prepared to accept the filling, now we have to decide what to fill it with. The two major choices are amalgam and composite. Amalgam is the material that has been used for over a century. It is an alloy of silver and mercury. Over the years, there has been a lot of negative media coverage on the use of mercury, however, once the silver and mercury are mixed together, the alloy becomes inert.
Since the material has been used since the 1800s and has been no population study that has shown any ill effects of using the mercury containing fillings, you need not worry if your dentist recommends using amalgam to fill your child’s teeth. In our office, we give the parent the choice of either the amalgam or tooth-colored filling material. The newer composite fillings have been shown to have a life span long enough to have the baby tooth come out naturally and are therefore a fine alternative.Read More
- 03/01/15Read MoreFilling Children's Teeth (Part IV)Filling cavities in baby teeth can be very important. Many people think that just because the baby teeth fall out eventually, you don’t need to be concerned about caring for them. Baby teeth are important to keep space open for the permanent teeth. If a baby tooth is lost too early, the teeth will crowd up making any subsequent orthodontics much more difficult. And if a cavity gets too deep, the tooth could abscess which can cause a lot of pain, not to mention the chance of serious infection. One of the worst parts of my job as a dentist is seeing a child writhing in pain with a toothache only to find out that this is their first trip to the dentist. It’s not too hard to imagine how much they will look forward their next trip to the dentist. It is also very hard to get profound numbness on an abscessed tooth which makes the experience that much worse. By pre-planning and catching things early, teeth can be filled painlessly on children.Read More
- 03/01/15Read MoreFilling Children's Teeth (Part III)When filling children’s teeth, I ALWAYS use local anesthetic on children. My practice includes a large segment of adult patients requiring sedation. The overwhelming reason for their extreme fear of the dentist is because their dentist didn’t use novocaine when they had their teeth filled as a kid. By numbing teeth ahead of time, a tooth can be drilled on without any pain whatsoever. Fear of the “shot” is a very common issue in children (not to mention many adults). We try to make that part of the visit as easy as possible for the patient. We start with a topical numbing gel that is placed on the gum at the injection site with a cotton swab. Once the gum is fully numb, the child is told that they will feel a little “pinch”. The anesthetic syringe is passed to the dentist out of sight of the patient. By quickly inserting the needle into the numbed gums and very slowly injecting the anesthetic solution, the child experiences little to no discomfort. It is such a heart-warming feeling to hear a child run out to the waiting room saying “Mommy, Mommy - I didn’t have to have a shot! He just pinched my gums.”Read More
- 03/01/15Read MoreFilling Children's Teeth (Part II)Getting a child comfortable and relaxed once seated in the dental chair is paramount in having a good experience with a filling appointment. We have TVs in the ceiling that can show cartoons or children’s programming which can get most kids at ease. For those who continue to have reservations, many times just taking the time to explain what is going to happen can be enough to allay their fears. If a child continues to be unruly, the next step is nitrous oxide (laughing gas). This “Happy Gas” can be the final calming factor for many children. Every once in a blue moon, we will come across a child who is so fearful that they cannot be safely controlled. We do not use papoose restraints in our office, so sedation is the only alternative in those cases. Sedation of children is best handled by pedodontists. They have special training in sedating children who have a very variable response to many of the medications that are used. About once in every five years, I refer a child to specialist care.Read More
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