Heritage Dentistry Greenville, SC
A General, Cosmetic & Family Dental Practice
WE HAVE A PASSION FOR DENTAL EXCELLENCE
Beginning in 1910, and continuing today, the Hamrick family has been providing compassionate dental care in Greenville, SC. Dr. Preston Hamrick is proud to be the 4th generation in his family to practice dentistry. Many patients have had less than ideal experiences at the dentist. Our goal is to spend time with our patients to get to know them, listen to their past experiences and help them develop a plan to best take care of any needs they may have.
Visiting a greenville for the first time can be a little nerve-racking if you do not know what to expect. When you make your initial appointment, the office may ask for the name of your previous dentist in order to obtain records of your dental care. If you are visiting a dentist for the first time, they will establish care and determine what treatment you may require.
At this first visit, they will likely take x-rays of your entire mouth so that they are able to see what is going on inside of your teeth and under the gumline, including your jawbone structure. Your first visit may also include a preventative cleaning but if you require a more intense cleaning, you may be asked to come back for another visit. Patients with periodontal disease may need a scaling and root planing which usually takes place over two visits. During a scaling and root planing, your gums will be numbed so that the hygienist can reach well below the gum line to remove any plaque buildup.
It has probably been ingrained in you that you should see your dentist in greenville sc twice per year but that is the insurance industry standard and does not necessarily pertain to each individual’s personal needs. Everyone is different so what may work for one may not necessarily be best for another. Genetics, medication, and home care all come into play when understanding how often you should actually visit your dentist for preventative maintenance.
Prevention is the key to a healthy mouth so at your routine visits, your dentist will check the visible surfaces of your teeth and gums as well as use x-rays to see inside and between teeth. It is possible to have decay and not even realize it! Decay does not cause pain when it starts and if it is caught early at one of your routine visits, your dentist will be able to repair it with minimal effort and cost! If you have a toothache, then the decay has set in and caused damage below the surface and will require a more invasive treatment which will also be more costly. This is why it is so important to see your dentist as recommended for you.
A few things to note when looking for your dentist is to be sure that they are accepting new patients and that they are appropriate for your age range. A family dentist is a great option for parents who can see their dentist and have their child see a pediatric dentist in the same practice.
You will also want to make sure that the office is easily accessible to you and your family. If you rely on public transportation, make sure that you can easily get to the office from your transit service. If you drive, ask about parking around the office and if they validate for any particular parking lot or garage. Every office has different hours of business so make sure that the office hours will align with your personal scheduling needs. It is also important to make sure that the office provides after-hours emergency contact information.
A few things to note when looking for your dentist greenville is to be sure that they are accepting new patients and that they are appropriate for your age range. A family dentist is a great option for parents who can see their dentist and have their child see a pediatric dentist in the same practice.
You will also want to make sure that the office is easily accessible to you and your family. If you rely on public transportation, make sure that you can easily get to the office from your transit service. If you drive, ask about parking around the office and if they validate for any particular parking lot or garage. Every office has different hours of business so make sure that the office hours will align with your personal scheduling needs. It is also important to make sure that the office provides after-hours emergency contact information.
More About Finding The Right Dentist For You and Your Family >
A Dentist is your first line of defense against oral diseases! They are a medical doctor specializing in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of conditions involving the teeth, gums, jawbone and even some facial structure. Your dental professional team helps you keep your mouth healthy and in good working order. Patients that are at a higher risk for developing gum disease or cavities will benefit from more frequent routine cleanings though most patients can stick to a schedule of every six months.
Dental care is important to your overall health. Prevention is the best way to keep everything healthy but dental emergencies can occur and when they do, your dental office likely has an emergency contact number for you to call after hours. Most hospitals have a dentist on staff so if you find yourself with a dental emergency and you cannot get to your dentist, you can be cared for by the staff at the emergency room.
Holistic dentistry is a method of using natural therapies to prevent, detect, and treat oral diseases all while taking into consideration the mental and emotional well-being of the patient. Patients often do not realize how dentistry can affect the body as a whole and traditional dentists are not trained to consider the entire body. For example, periodontal disease is proven to have negative effects on heart health so it is important that your doctor knows your entire health history and that they are able to take it into account.
Meet The Heritage Dentistry Team of Dental Professionals
Shannon League
Shannon joined the practice in September 2017. Travelers Rest has been home for her and her husband, Blake. However, they have lived in several states during Blake's Navy career. Shannon received her dental assistant training in upstate New York and continued her education in Ohio and Georgia. A few specialty areas she has received training for are: teeth whitening, dental implants, fabricating crowns and dentures. Shannon is quick to make patients feel at ease by building confidence, trust and friendships with each patient. Her caring nature makes it easy for patients to feel comfortable. Her favorite thing about dentistry is helping patients have a healthy smile that they can share with everyone. Shannon and her family all enjoy the outdoors and spending time together along with their 2 dogs, Sammy and Max.
Shannon League
Shannon joined the practice in September 2017. Travelers Rest has been home for her and her husband, Blake. However, they have lived in several states during Blake's Navy career. Shannon received her dental assistant training in upstate New York and continued her education in Ohio and Georgia. A few specialty areas she has received training for are: teeth whitening, dental implants, fabricating crowns and dentures. Shannon is quick to make patients feel at ease by building confidence, trust and friendships with each patient. Her caring nature makes it easy for patients to feel comfortable. Her favorite thing about dentistry is helping patients have a healthy smile that they can share with everyone. Shannon and her family all enjoy the outdoors and spending time together along with their 2 dogs, Sammy and Max.
Shannon League
Shannon joined the practice in September 2017. Travelers Rest has been home for her and her husband, Blake. However, they have lived in several states during Blake's Navy career. Shannon received her dental assistant training in upstate New York and continued her education in Ohio and Georgia. A few specialty areas she has received training for are: teeth whitening, dental implants, fabricating crowns and dentures. Shannon is quick to make patients feel at ease by building confidence, trust and friendships with each patient. Her caring nature makes it easy for patients to feel comfortable. Her favorite thing about dentistry is helping patients have a healthy smile that they can share with everyone. Shannon and her family all enjoy the outdoors and spending time together along with their 2 dogs, Sammy and Max.
Kim Meadows
Kim Meadows, the woman who keeps our office running. Kim loves to spend time on the weekend playing with her grandchildren and her favorite part about working at Heritage Dentistry is getting to know all of our great patients. Kim is an avid reader. Her favorite book is Redeeming Love and the last book she read was A Lineage of Grace, both written by Francine Rivers. Whenever you call us you have the pleasure of speaking with Kim, so call us today to make your next appointment!
Kim Meadows
Kim Meadows, the woman who keeps our office running. Kim loves to spend time on the weekend playing with her grandchildren and her favorite part about working at Heritage Dentistry is getting to know all of our great patients. Kim is an avid reader. Her favorite book is Redeeming Love and the last book she read was A Lineage of Grace, both written by Francine Rivers. Whenever you call us you have the pleasure of speaking with Kim, so call us today to make your next appointment!
Kim Meadows
Kim Meadows, the woman who keeps our office running. Kim loves to spend time on the weekend playing with her grandchildren and her favorite part about working at Heritage Dentistry is getting to know all of our great patients. Kim is an avid reader. Her favorite book is Redeeming Love and the last book she read was A Lineage of Grace, both written by Francine Rivers. Whenever you call us you have the pleasure of speaking with Kim, so call us today to make your next appointment!
Caitlin Ragan
Caitlin is our newest team member. Caitlin is a Greenville, South Carolina native and attended The University of South Carolina and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Art Studio. She is excited to be able to apply her art degree to the field of dentistry by color matching, making temporaries, models and clear liners. Caitlin has completed on the job training since April 2019 and also works for an Oral Surgeon once a week. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys to spend time with her boyfriend, Will, go on long runs, spend time with her niece Navey and nephew Fitz and spend time in Charleston as much as possible.
Caitlin Ragan
Caitlin is our newest team member. Caitlin is a Greenville, South Carolina native and attended The University of South Carolina and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Art Studio. She is excited to be able to apply her art degree to the field of dentistry by color matching, making temporaries, models and clear liners. Caitlin has completed on the job training since April 2019 and also works for an Oral Surgeon once a week. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys to spend time with her boyfriend, Will, go on long runs, spend time with her niece Navey and nephew Fitz and spend time in Charleston as much as possible.
Caitlin Ragan
Caitlin is our newest team member. Caitlin is a Greenville, South Carolina native and attended The University of South Carolina and graduated in 2014 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Art Studio. She is excited to be able to apply her art degree to the field of dentistry by color matching, making temporaries, models and clear liners. Caitlin has completed on the job training since April 2019 and also works for an Oral Surgeon once a week. In her free time, Caitlin enjoys to spend time with her boyfriend, Will, go on long runs, spend time with her niece Navey and nephew Fitz and spend time in Charleston as much as possible.
Tracy Scruggs
Meet Tracy Scruggs, one of Heritage Dentistry’s registered dental hygienists. With 31 years of clinical experience in the greater Greenville area, Tracy has provided top-notch dental care to a vast array of patients with varying needs. Tracy began working closely with Dr. Hamrick in 2013 at the start of his career, and with his encouragement received her license to administer local anesthesia in 2016. Every day, Tracy strives to provide gentle and comprehensive care to each and every patient by encouraging the conversation between dental health and overall health. When not spending time with her husband and son, Tracy enjoys spending her time alone with a good book and a piece of blueberry pound cake.
Tracy Scruggs
Meet Tracy Scruggs, one of Heritage Dentistry’s registered dental hygienists. With 31 years of clinical experience in the greater Greenville area, Tracy has provided top-notch dental care to a vast array of patients with varying needs. Tracy began working closely with Dr. Hamrick in 2013 at the start of his career, and with his encouragement received her license to administer local anesthesia in 2016. Every day, Tracy strives to provide gentle and comprehensive care to each and every patient by encouraging the conversation between dental health and overall health. When not spending time with her husband and son, Tracy enjoys spending her time alone with a good book and a piece of blueberry pound cake.
Tracy Scruggs
Meet Tracy Scruggs, one of Heritage Dentistry’s registered dental hygienists. With 31 years of clinical experience in the greater Greenville area, Tracy has provided top-notch dental care to a vast array of patients with varying needs. Tracy began working closely with Dr. Hamrick in 2013 at the start of his career, and with his encouragement received her license to administer local anesthesia in 2016. Every day, Tracy strives to provide gentle and comprehensive care to each and every patient by encouraging the conversation between dental health and overall health. When not spending time with her husband and son, Tracy enjoys spending her time alone with a good book and a piece of blueberry pound cake.
Our General & Restorative Dental Services in Greenville SC
Dental Cleaning
During your dental cleaning, plaque and tartar are removed around your gumline, after which we will clean and polish your teeth with a gritty toothpaste and power toothbrush. Following this, we will professionally floss your teeth and offer a fluoride treatment.
Children's Dentistry
Following the emergence of your child’s first tooth is a good time to schedule your first appointment with Dr. Hamrick, who can perform a general evaluation to ensure that your child’s teeth are developing properly and answer any questions you may have about how to provide your child proper oral care at home.
Dental Exam & Checkup
One of the most common issues identified during dental exams is gum disease. Although no one wants to be told that they have gum disease, identifying this issue is a good thing, because it means you can take steps to correct it and avoid experiencing the negative effects of advanced gum disease.
Dental Fillings
When a tooth experiences enough decay, small holes can develop that can be corrected with dental fillings. Dental fillings can also be used following physical trauma to fill in the fractures or cracks that may have resulted in order to prevent an infection from developing and spreading and avoid decay.
Dentures
Because they do not function like natural teeth are held in place by dental adhesive and suction, it can take some time to get used to wearing dentures. As such, we often encourage our patients who are new to dentures to practice eating with them at home to learn how to comfortably chew and bite food.
Emergency Dentist
Dental emergencies can happen at any time and often take people completely by surprise. One minute you are eating from a bag of popcorn in a movie theater and the next you bite down on an un-popped kernel and suddenly feel a sharp pain shoot through your jaw.
Periodontal Therapy
Although no one wants to be diagnosed with gum disease, there are several treatment options our office offers to help halt, reverse, and address issues caused by gum disease, some of which are detailed below.
Root Canal Therapy
When a tooth is cracked or has a serious cavity, the connective tissue inside that tooth (the pulp) is at an increased risk of becoming infected. Once the pulp becomes damaged or infected, a person will begin to experience significant pain.
Deep Teeth Cleaning
The first line of defense in halting the progression of gum disease is a scale and root planing procedure. The scale and root planing procedure begins with administration of a local anesthetic to reduce your sensitivity.
Teeth Whitening
If it is determined that teeth whitening is right for you, the process will begin with Dr. Hamrick cleaning and preparing your teeth. Once they are ready, a special solution is painted to your gums to provide protection from the peroxide compounds.
TMJ/TMD and Bruxism
When you experience pain in the joint that connects your jaw to your skull, this is classified as TMJ disorder. It can be difficult to identify the underlying cause of TMJ, but possible underlying causes of TMJ include arthritis, malocclusion, injury to the joint, or excessive stress placed on the jaw muscles
Tooth Extraction
With the exception of wisdom teeth removal, which is recommended to reduce your risk of developing additional oral health issues, we will do everything we can to ensure you keep all your natural teeth.
SMILE WITH CONFIDENCE. CALL TODAY.
(864) 292-5125
Our Cosmetic & Asthetic Dental Services
Cosmetic Dentistry
Regardless of what your cosmetic issue is, be it a chipped tooth, a smile that is crooked, teeth that are yellow, or a gummy smile, we can provide you with the support you need to achieve the smile you have always wanted.
Dental Bonding
Although orthodontics are the traditional method for correcting misaligned teeth, there are also several different cosmetic procedures that can also be effective in straightening teeth or correcting gaps in your smile.
Dental Crowns
If you are interested in getting a dental crown placed for cosmetic purposes, Dr. Hamrick will ask you to share your concerns and treatment goals and offer his opinion on whether dental crowns will provide you with the results you desire.
Gummy Smile
Although having a gummy smile may not match your ideal of what a perfect smile should look like, it is important to be aware that a gummy smile is often not indicative of an underlying health condition.
Invisalign®
The Invisalign process will straighten your teeth with a series of custom aligner trays that are designed to move your teeth approximately .25mm per day. These thin, removable trays gradually increase in size until your teeth are properly aligned.
Porcelain Veneers
Porcelain veneers are an effective treatment option for people who want to improve the size shape and color of their teeth or who want to straighten their teeth without orthodontics.
Patient Financing
Find out More about our Patient Financing Options to make your advanced care more affordable
Our Specialized Greenville Dental Services
All on 4 Dental Implants
All-on-4 dental implants provide you with a permanent solution that will restore your smile back to its full functionality and aesthetically pleasing appearance.
Dental Implants
If you are missing a tooth or teeth, you may be a good candidate for a dental implant. Dental implants are the closest you will get to replacing your natural tooth and are comprised of three parts
Full Mouth Dental Implants
Following the loss of a tooth or multiple teeth, it is common for individuals to experience feelings of self-conscious and diminished self-worth.
Implant Supported Dentures
When considering implant supported dentures, it is important to understand that the process of getting a dental implant(s) is just that: a process, one that will require multiple appointments stretched out over several months, or even up to one year.
Sedation Dentistry
One of the ways we can ensure that your experience at our clinic will be as painless and stress free as possible is with our dental sedation offerings.
Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a condition that occurs while sleeping and is characterized by loud snoring or waking up in the middle of the night gasping for air.