Family & Preventive Dentistry
Maintaining Your Oral Health
Regular visits to the dentist have been proven to help prevent dental decay and periodontal (gum) disease. Our Dentists and our Hygiene Team work together to monitor your dental health and perform preventive treatments to help keep your smile healthy.
Our recommended Preventive Care Program includes:
Routine Cleanings & Checkups
We recommend that our patients visit our office every 3-6 months for routine checkups, cleanings and periodontal maintenance. At this visit, we will take necessary digital xrays, and the doctor will perform a thorough dental examination to evaluate the condition of your teeth and jaw joints. We may recommend fluoride treatments for your child to help prevent tooth decay.
At each checkup visit, we will measure your gums to look for signs of periodontal (gum) disease. If left untreated, periodontal disease can lead to tooth loss and infection. Read more about Periodontal Care.
Dental Sealants
A dental sealant is a plastic coating that is painted onto the chewing surface of a tooth to seal deep grooves that can sometimes be an entry point for decay-causing bacteria.
Dental Sealants create a smooth surface that is easier to keep clean and can last for many years. Sealants require no drilling or anesthetic and are a great preventive procedure for children to help protect permanent teeth.
Patient Education
The options in dentistry today are virtually unlimited, and we take our responsibility in informing you of your treatment options seriously. We make it a point to allow enough time at each appointment to fully address questions our patients may have about their oral health and any recommended services.
Contact Us today to schedule your preventive visit to keep your smile healthy!
Why do I need Dental Xrays?
Remember in the cartoons when super-heroes used their xray vision to see what was really going on to catch the villain? Like the super-heroes, dentists rely on dental xrays to help them see under the gums and between the teeth where the naked eye cannot view.
How Xrays Work: Xrays are designed to detect density. In a dental xray, thicker areas, like teeth, dental fillings and bone, appear white, or “radiopaque”. Less dense areas, such as gum tissue, nerves, ligaments and blood vessels, appear darker, or more “translucent”. Areas with very low density are nearly black.
What your Dental Team is looking for: Our Team use dental xrays to look for “shadows” that appear in the wrong places, such as:
- Tiny, dark areas between teeth on tooth or root surfaces that may be an indication of tooth decay,
- A decrease in jawbone levels surrounding teeth that may be a sign of periodontal (gum) disease that can eventually lead to tooth loss,
- Dark circles at the tip of tooth roots or in the jawbone. These are suspicious areas that may be a sign of an abscess or cyst.
Our office uses digital xray equipment, which requires less radiation than traditional film. Digital xrays allow us to view your xrays on a computer screen, giving us the ability to zoom and enlarge the images and share our findings with you.