Preventative Dentistry
Helping our patients maintain a healthy mouth and smile is the main goal of general dentistry. We prefer to provide more minor, preventive care than to see patients suffer with more intensive treatments from a problem that was not managed in time. We want to ensure that your oral health is in its optimal state and positively contributing to the health of your entire body. We are here to brighten your smile and pave the way for a brighter life.
Preventative Dentistry
It is important to brush your teeth at least twice daily to help remove plaque and food particles that get stuck to your teeth. It is recommended that you brush your teeth for two minutes (or longer), though most people rush through this time. You need to make sure that you reach every side of each tooth, including the inside and outside. To help keep your breath fresh, you should also brush your tongue. Then, you can begin flossing.
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Dental Exam & Routine Cleanings
Having a dental practice perform a checkup and regular cleaning gives a preventive approach to dental care. These general dentistry treatments help prevent problems with your teeth, gums and jaw bones, or they catch and manage problems before they worsen. During your visit, our doctors will take a picture of the current standing of your dental health and what would be needed to keep your oral hygiene in its best state.
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Root Canals
Root canals are needed when decay and bacteria spread for too long without treatment. At a certain point, this decay makes it to the pulp inside the tooth. This pulp includes nerves, therefore infection generally causes a lot of pain. Since this is happening on the inside of the tooth, you won’t necessarily see the damage. Instead, you could feel it through pain and notice other signs that include bleeding, swelling and bad breath.
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Dental Sealants
When we apply a dental sealant, we paint a plastic coating on top of your teeth. This makes your teeth smooth getting rid of the rough edges, depressions, and grooves that are commonly found on teeth. It is essentially a protective coating against tooth decay and cavities.
The most common place to paint sealants is on back teeth since they are often irregular. They can also be very hard to reach, even if you brush your teeth regularly. We use it more on children though we do perform sealants on adults too!
Fluoride Treatment
Silver Diamine Fluoride is an FDA-approved antibiotic topical solution that is clinically applied to control active dental caries and prevent further progression of disease. While the traditional way to treat tooth decay is by removing the decay and placing a restoration, this alternative fluoride treatment allows us to stop decay in it’s tracks by noninvasive methods.
Silver Diamine Fluoride is composed of two primary components: silver and fluoride. The Silver acts as an anti-microbial agent that kills the bacteria that break down tooth surfaces while also working to strengthen the underlying protective layer of your teeth called dentin. Fluoride is the active ingredient that halts the tooth decay, helps prevent additional decay from appearing, as well as keeps the bacteria from spreading to the other teeth.
Treatment with Silver Diamine Fluoride will not eliminate the need for restorative dentistry to repair function or aesthetics, but has been highly effective at prevention of further decay and damage. SDF is a safe, painless alternative to traditional cavity drilling procedures.
Laser Gum Treatment
LANAP is a form of laser gum disease treatment used for patients suffering from periodontal disease. The LANAP process is the only FDA-approved laser treatment used to treat gum disease.
Who can benefit from LANAP laser treatments? Ideal candidates experience the following symptoms:
- Red and swollen gums
- Bleeding gums
- Loose teeth
- Receding gum line
- Bone Loss
The highly advanced laser allows for precise handling from your dentist which makes for a minimally invasive treatment requiring no cuts or incisions. The LANAP laser also provides patients with a quicker recovery time, little to no postoperative pain, and the stimulation of tissue regeneration. This process has even been known to reverse gum disease and eliminate unwanted pockets.