Preventive Dentistry

You know that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Actually, in dental care, it’s more like an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. Unlike skin, muscle, and even bone, the body has limited mechanisms for healing your teeth. And no restorative materials can match the properties of your natural dental structures. So preventing damage to your teeth and gums is of paramount importance in general dentistry.

That’s why we offer many preventive treatments, including regular checkups, dental cleanings, dental sealants, and fluoride treatments.

The Value of Checkups and Cleanings

Dollar for dollar, no procedure will do more for your oral health than your regular checkups and cleaning appointments. At your regular checkups, we will:

• Evaluate your oral health
• Evaluate the state of your restorations
• Clean your teeth
• Recommend procedures and/or changes to oral hygiene

As we evaluate your oral health, we will look at the health of your teeth and gums. We will look for signs of cavities and gum disease. For early cavity detection, we use DiagnoDent laser detection. This can identify cavities that are developing under the surface or in otherwise hidden places. We will also perform an oral cancer screening, if appropriate. The sooner we can detect oral health problems, the more effective–and less expensive–treatment will be.

Dental restorations can be very long-lasting, but they don’t last forever. We want to know if decay is developing around restorations or if the restoration is loose or cracked.

Hopefully, you’re cleaning your teeth every day to remove dental plaque. But professional cleanings can help remove material that you can’t get. Dental plaque is a combination of food debris and oral bacteria that accumulates on your teeth. This can be removed with brushing, but if it’s not removed completely or soon enough, it can get infused with minerals from your saliva and harden into a substance called tartar or dental calculus. This is basically a rock that forms on your teeth. We have the general dentistry tools and techniques to remove tartar safely and effectively.

Based on the presence of tartar, gum disease, and cavities, we may recommend changes to your oral hygiene. This may include different toothbrushes, toothpastes, or rinses. Or it may include a basic refresher on the proper brushing and/or flossing techniques.

Restorative Dentistry

Restorative dentistry is used when your teeth or gums are damaged. The type of restoration necessary depends on the amount of damage. Common restorative procedures include:

• White composite fillings
• Inlays and onlays
• Dental crowns
• Root canal therapy
• Dental bridges
• Dentures
• Dental implants

Tooth-colored fillings are used when you have small cavities. This stops the cavities from getting larger. Composite fillings are quick and inexpensive. Dental inlays and onlays can add strength to damaged teeth if the cavities are a little larger.

Dental crowns can be used if the tooth is badly damaged by decay and needs to be protected. A dental crown completely covers the visible surface of your tooth.

If a cavity grows large enough, it can reach the living part of a tooth, called the pulp or nerve. This requires root canal therapy to treat. Although people fear root canals, the truth is that modern root canals primarily relieve pain.

If you have lost one or more teeth, we have three options for replacing them: dentures, bridges, and implants. Dentures are the oldest and least expensive replacement option, but they’re also the least functional. Dental bridges are more functional and can be a good treatment option, but they depend on your natural teeth for support, which may not be good for them. Dental implants look and function like natural teeth and can last a lifetime.

During your consultation, we can talk about your restorative dentistry options and recommend the right one for you.