PREVENTIVE SERVICES
Our digital x-ray system allows us to take x-rays in seconds to review with you on the computer monitor. The digital system uses 90% less radiation than conventional film. It allows us to read, explain and diagnose to you, immediately, any conditions existing on your teeth, gums and bone. This technology allows us to zoom into or out of a questionable area, colorize and clarify, to diagnose even the most difficult problem areas.
A complete set of x-rays is completed on your first visit and/or every three to five years dependant on your individual needs. This is the first step in a thorough dental examination. We use the x-rays to finc cavities in-between your teeth, tartar on the roots, worn-out filling, fractures, receding bone levels caused by periodontal disease and other conditions we can’t find with a clinical exam alone.
Bite-wing x-rays are usually taken once yearly on the back teeth and are a necessary part of regular check-ups. All x-rays give us very important information that we can’t get from other sources and allow us to treat your dental problems before they cause serious problems to your teeth and mouth.
We’ll take a panographic x-ray when we need to have a complete picture of your mouth. They produce an entire image of your mouth and jaw, so that we can detect receding bone levels, abcess, impacted wisdom teeth, sinus and jaw problems, tooth trauma, tooth eruption patterns and other conditions that we would not otherwise be able to detect.
The intraoral camera allows us to easily and painlessly photograph the inside of your mouth. The photographic image can be projected onto a color monitor. This magnification allows you, as the patient, along with us, to see your mouth more clearly in order to provide more comprehensive, informed dental care.
Routine cleanings in our office include scaling and polishing for the complete removal of plaque and tartar that exist on your teeth above your gum line.
Periodontal maintenance or recall visit follows active periodontal therapy. After treatment it will be individually determined to place you for ongoing periodic care. This individualized care will be with our dental hygienist and includes the removal of plaque from the surface of teeth above and deeper into your pockets below the gumline.
The goal of this visit and active home care is to:
- prevent recurrence of this destructive disease
- prevent progression of this disease
- avoid surgical intervention if at all possible
- avoid gum and/or tooth loss
- monitor gum tissue health
A complete dental examination should include the following:
(1) a soft tissue examination,
(2) a screening and examination for periodontal diseases, and
(3) a detailed charting of cavities, existing restorations (fillings and crowns), and other tooth conditions.
The purpose of the soft tissue examination is to detect pathological changes in the tissues that line the inside of the mouth. In an examination for periodontal diseases, your hygienist will use a periodontal probe to measure the band of gum tissue that surrounds the tooth. The purpose of this examination is to detect gum disease at the early stages when prevention is most effective.
The third aspect of a complete dental examination is the inspection of every tooth surface for the presence of new decay and the status of existing restorations.
Our office uses DIAGNOdent®, for early cavity detection. The Diagnodent is a gentle, safe and painless laser device that evaluates the tooth surface and gives a numeric scale record to let us know if decay is present. Early detection allows for early treatment by preventing more serious tooth destruction. Diagnodent is more than 90% accurate in diagnosing cavities.
The Ultrasonic scaler consists of a wand with a small scaling tip that produces a soft ultrasonic vibration. The small quick vibration in combination with a water flow increases the effectiveness of tartar removal, there is less need for hand scaling of stubborn deposits and there is more comfortable access to the root surfaces with the small tip. Ultrasonic scaling efficiently removes tartar and reduces the number of harmful bacteria below the gumline. It is an important tool in the prevention and treatment of gum disease.
The goal of root debriment therapy is to remove the source of periodontal infection from below the gumline on the surface of the roots.
Arestin is an antibiotic in powder form. Arestin, used in conjunction with deep scaling, may help to control periodontal disease and its destructive effects. It is inserted painlessly in the periodontal pocket, where it adheres to the infected gum tissue. The antibiotic is released in a controlled and steady flow.
Fluoride treatments help all teeth and help to prevent decay in both children and adults. Anyone who is at risk of dental decay is a good candidate for fluoride treatments. Factors that increase the risk of tooth decay include a history of cavities, infrequent dental visits, poor brushing habits and dietary factors, especially frequent snacking. Many common medications such as antihistamines and medications for high blood pressure, anxiety or depression can cause the mouth to be dry. Without enough saliva, tooth decay progresses quickly.
A dental sealant (also called a pit and fissure sealant) is a plastic, professionally-applied material that is put on the chewing surfaces of a child’s back teeth to prevent cavities. Sealants provide a physical barrier so that cavity-causing bacteria cannot invade the pits and fissures on the chewing surfaces of teeth.
First permanent molars erupt into the mouth at about age 6 years. Placing sealants on these teeth shortly after they erupt protects them from developing caries in areas of the teeth where food and bacteria collect. If sealants were applied routinely to susceptible tooth surfaces in conjunction with the appropriate use of fluoride, most tooth decay in children could be prevented.
Second permanent molars erupt into the mouth at about age 12 years. Pit and fissure surfaces of these teeth are as susceptible to dental caries as the first permanent molars of younger children. Therefore, young teens need to receive dental sealants shortly after the eruption of their second permanent molars.
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