Preventive Dental CareThe Key to Healthy Teeth and Gums

Our office provides preventive care for the entire family, including teeth cleanings, oral exams and oral cancer screenings. We strongly emphasize patient education during your hygiene visit. Intra-oral and extra-oral cameras allow us to project an image of an individual tooth or area of concern to enhance a patient's understanding of their individual needs. We also place a great deal of emphasis on home care, as we believe it is the key to maintaining oral health.

Our goal as dental healthcare providers is not only focusing on your oral health, but also teaching you about the good overall health habits associated with maintaining excellent dental health.

During your examination, we use the latest technology to help diagnose any problems that might exist. Early detection of conditions such as gum disease, tooth decay and oral cancer is one of the best ways to minimize the severity of these problems.

Important Factors in Preventive Dental Care

Proper Brushing and Flossing

You can control your oral health by simply establishing a solid habit of brushing twice daily with a soft toothbrush, using the proper technique and quality fluoride toothpaste, as well as flossing carefully twice daily. These days there are a host of advanced toothpastes, rinses and electric toothbrushes that can help you do a much more thorough job than was possible in the past.

Although most people are aware of the necessity of proper daily tooth brushing and flossing, few people realize that clean teeth and healthy gums can protect against a wide variety of serious health problems.

When you don't brush and floss effectively or frequently enough, your mouth's normal population of bacteria multiplies on your teeth and gums, depositing a sticky substance called plaque. These colonies of germs then cause a series of destructive changes that damage your teeth, gums and jawbone. In addition to getting cavities, gum disease, pain and infection, the bacterial invasion enters your blood stream and increases your risk for a whole host of systemic problems like heart disease, stroke, respiratory illness, diabetes complications and pregnancy complications. So, make sure to brush and floss your teeth!

Regular Hygiene Visits

Maintaining your smile and oral health by seeing our hygienist on a regular basis — at least twice per year — will help prevent periodontal disease, cavities and other issues. It has been shown that gingivitis and periodontitis have been linked to heart disease, stroke, and other serious systemic illnesses. Dental disease is also much easier and more cost effective to treat in the early stages, so be sure to keep your appointments for cleanings. Plus, clean and healthy teeth and gums look and feel great!

Periodontal (Gum) Disease

Periodontal disease is an infection of the gums, and/or the bone that surrounds the teeth. It is the leading cause of adult tooth loss.

Stopping this condition begins with a thorough diagnosis. To identify periodontal disease, we perform a comprehensive examination including periodontal charting and x-rays. If we detect periodontal disease, we will explain your treatment options. Additionally, a homecare program will be individually designed to your specific areas of concern.

Oral Cancer Screening

Performing an oral cancer screen at all new patient and hygiene recall appointments is key for early detection of potentially devastating disease. Read more about oral cancer screening.

Tobacco Use

If you're ready to quit, we would like to help! A nasal inhaler (available by prescription only) helps patients beat cigarette or chewing tobacco cravings one at a time by providing just enough nicotine to reduce cravings.

Bad Breath

Bad breath, or halitosis, is a very common problem, which is likely to affect eight out of ten people at some point during their lives. The condition can cause embarrassment and loss of self-confidence, although some sufferers will be completely unaware that they actually suffer from halitosis. We can help if you are concerned about mouth odor. BreathRx is a system of alcohol free oral hygiene products such as mouth rinse, toothpaste, and mouth spray that are available to purchase at our office. Read more about Breath Rx for treatment of bad breath, also known as halitosis.

Snoring

Snoring cannot only be unpleasant to those around us, but it has been linked directly back to many serious health hazards, including sleep apnea, hypertension, and high blood pressure. Snore guards can drastically reduce or eliminate snoring.