Dr. Douglas Schulz, DDS Claimed

Since his graduation from dental school in 1980, Dr. Douglas Schulz has spent thousands of hours training in advanced dental techniques and procedures. He was one of the first dentists in the Kansas City area to offer the breakthrough CEREC 3D technology, a tooth restoration system that allows a dentist to provide permanent, all ceramic crowns in a single office visit. Dr. Schulz is so proficient in the use of this technology that he routinely trains other dentists in the technique.

A true humanitarian, Dr. Schulz has contributed his dental skills to the Pacific Partnership, a charitable mission with the U.S. Navy to bring medical and dental care to those in need across the entire Pacific region. He was the first to bring CEREC technology to Vietnam.

Dedicated to his craft

A graduate of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Dr. Douglas Schulz has been providing hi-tech general and cosmetic dentistry to the Kansas City area since 1982. He’s fulfilled a lifelong goal by building a traditional dental practice built on personal relationships, one where he can focus on quality and not quantity, and one where he can deliver cutting edge technology.

Douglas Schulz was raised in a small town in Northwest Iowa by parents who taught him he could achieve any goal to which set his mind. At age 5, Douglas decided that he wanted to be a dentist – because he really liked his own dentist, an overall ‘neat guy’ who loved to hunt and fish and had great dogs.

His first class in dental school assured him that he was right — he has both a love of dentistry and a skill in practicing it that have combined into a lifelong passion.

Practicing in Kansas City for more than 30 years

After graduating from dental school in 1980, Dr. Schulz taught part-time in the University’s dental program, while he researched where he wanted to start his dental practice. Kansas City, with its metropolitan, cosmopolitan, small town feel, won.

In 1982, Dr. Schulz purchased his current practice from Dr. Hall, the dentist who also introduced him to the L.D. Pankey Institute in Miami. The Pankey Institute is known for its “comprehensive dental education which narrows the gap between what is scientifically and clinically known and what is actively practiced.” The curriculum emphasizes quality care and restorative dentistry, and the Institute enjoys a respected reputation nationally and internationally. Dr. Schulz continues pursuing the best in “post-graduate” dental education and has spent thousands of hours advancing his knowledge in order to deliver the best dental care possible.

Providing the best in friendly, personal and high-quality dental care

Dr. Schulz delights in having pediatric and octogenarian patients, and treating generations within a family. Building on the initial rapport established in 1982 and the quality of care that Dr. Schulz provides to his patients, many of Dr. Hall’s patients remain with him today. It’s important to Dr. Schulz that when he sees any patient outside his office, he knows them by name. He understands by building good relationships with his patients, he earns their trust; and that trust translates into more relaxed patients who maintain good dental care and are not afraid to visit the dentist.

An experienced instructor in dental restoration techniques

Dr. Schulz was one of the first dentists in the Kansas City area to offer the breakthrough CEREC 3D technology, a tooth restoration system that allows a dentist to provide permanent, all ceramic crowns, veneers and other tooth restorations in one office visit. This means fewer injections, less drilling, and less time; coupled with natural strength, beauty, and function.

Dr. Schulz’s proficiency with the CEREC software combined with his love of teaching makes him a valued trainer on this advanced technology for dentists across the country!

Providing advanced dental care to those in need

In 2008, Dr. Schulz joined the Pacific Partnership, a humanitarian mission with the U.S. Navy to bring medical and dental care to those in need across the entire Pacific region.

Dr. Schulz was on board for 3 weeks of its 168 day mission – the longest he had ever been away from his practice, and, as he puts it, “the most rewarding experience” of his dental career. He spent 13 days in Vietnam, doing preliminary exams and treatments off the ship, and then returning to the ship to use the technologies that they brought with them.

During the trip Dr. Schulz introduced CEREC technology to Vietnam – the first dentist to do so.

In 2009, Dr. Schulz participated in another humanitarian mission with the Navy, the USNS Comfort Continuing Promise 2009. On this mission he traveled to Central and South America, again bringing hi-tech dental care to those who couldn’t afford even basic services.

What are dental implants?

A dental implant is a tooth that feels and functions like a natural tooth. It is used where there are missing teeth. It is commonly composed of a titanium metal screw and a ceramic crown. Not only does a dental implant fill unsightly gaps in a smile, it is also important to deter bone loss.

At Corporate Lakes Dental, we use advanced technology to examine your jaw and bite before our oral surgeon places the titanium post, making sure that when your implant is finished, your bite will be natural and the tooth will feel like your own. The tooth portion of the implant is made here in our one-hour CEREC milling laboratory, enabling Dr. Schulz to perfectly fit and color-match your new tooth while you wait.

Long-lasting, beautiful ceramic implants

The tooth restoration part of the dental implant is made in Dr. Schulz’s office using breakthrough CEREC 3D technology (high-quality ceramic restorations) to create a tooth that matches your other teeth in shape and color.

CEREC restorations are milled from a single block of high-quality ceramic, a substance which is particularly compatible with the body and has the same characteristics as normal, healthy dental enamel.

Dr. Schulz is an expert in CEREC technology and trains other dentists in the use of ceramic for restorations. Additionally, he has an aesthetic sense of proportion and color, which is vital when crafting natural looking tooth restorations or replacements.

Advantages of Dental Implants

Dental implants are a better alternative to dentures or bridges because

• Your mouth will be restored as closely as possible to its natural state
• Permanently fixed & won’t loosen
• Long-lasting
• Keeps you looking younger by preventing shrinkage of jaw bone
• Deter further tooth loss
• No nightly care & adhesives
• Allow you to eat all foods
• Don’t need to cut down adjacent teeth as in bridges

Fixed bridges and removable dentures are not the perfect solution to missing teeth and often bring with them a number of other problems. Removable dentures may slip or cause embarrassing clicking sounds while eating or speaking. Of even greater concern, fixed bridges often require the cutting down of adjacent healthy teeth, and removable dentures may lead to bone loss in the area where the tooth or teeth are missing.

Recurrent decay, periodontal (gum) disease and other factors often doom fixed bridgework to early failure. For these reasons, fixed bridges and removable dentures usually need to be replaced every seven to 15 years, compared to an up to 25-year life span for dental implants.

Who are candidates for dental implants?

The ideal candidate for a dental implant is in good general and oral health. Adequate bone in your jaw is needed to support the implant. Some people who have lost bone in their jaw still can get implants, but first the bone must be rebuilt using special bone-grafting procedures.

People how are currently wearing partial or full dentures can replace these with dental implants, or use implants to stabilize and secure the denture, making it much more comfortable.

People who are not good candidates for dental implants include:

• Young patient whose jawbones have not fully developed.
• Pregnant women
• People with existing medical conditions. If you can have routine dental treatment, you can generally have an implant placed. While precautions are advisable for certain conditions, patients with such chronic diseases as high blood pressure and diabetes are usually successful candidates for dental implant treatment.
• Patients who take certain medications such as steroids or drugs that suppress the immune system.

Dr. Schulz can let you know if you are a candidate for dental implants during a Complimentary Consultation.