Preventive Care
The best form of dental treatment is prevention. Our Oral Hygiene briefs are the most important part of preventive dental care. Emphasis on discussing home care needs, flossing and brushing, help monitor periodontal conditions Should an emergency arise, call the office early so that we can make every effort to accommodate you the same day. In most cases, our professional office staff can help you with your questions.
Dental Hygiene
Our endeavor is to make your appointment as comfortable as possible
We would like to know all about you so we can treat you better and make you more comfortable during the course of your treatment
Your fears : Many people have fears of the dentist that go back to childhood. Pain control and treatment techniques change constantly. The things you fear most may not exist any longer, or there may be new and improved ways of dealing with them. If you fear you have a particular disease or condition, let us dentist know. Often, just talking about your fears will take some of the edge off
Your overall health :Tell us if you've been diagnosed with any diseases or are taking any new medicines. It is important to let us know about all medicines you take. This includes prescriptions and over-the-counter medicines. Even diseases that seem to be unrelated to the mouth may require a different approach to dental treatments or prevention
Your dental health :
Before the examination starts, tell us if
1) You think you have a new cavity
2) Your teeth have become sensitive
3) You feel lumps inside your mouth
The Comprehensive Examination
During a comprehensive examination, we will look at much more than just your teeth.
Head and neck : We will generally evaluate your temporomandibular (jaw) joint, salivary glands and lymph nodes in your neck area
Soft tissue : The soft tissues of the mouth include the tongue, the inside of the lips and cheeks, and the floor and roof of the mouth. We will check for spots, cuts, swellings, growths or other abnormal areas that may indicate problems with oral health
Periodontal( Gums) : A periodontal examination involves checking the gums and supporting structures of the teeth. First, we will look at the gums for signs of redness or puffiness. These symptoms may indicate gum disease. Your dentist may use a special probe to measure the depth of the pockets between your teeth and your gums. Pockets deeper than 3 millimeters often indicate periodontal disease. If we determines that you have periodontal disease, you may be referred you to a periodontist. This is a specialist who treats diseases of the gums.
Occlusion : We may check your bite to make sure that you don’t have a bite related problem that has gone unnoticed . This is a very important step as sometimes bite related problems lead people to suffer from migranes, soreness of the jaw, clenching, back related problems and other symptoms that can actually be linked to the teeth and need to be corrected to avoid long term chronic damage (link to tooth and other related problems)
Clinical examination of teeth : We will check for decay by looking at every tooth surface (using a mirror to see the back sides of teeth). At this stage we may use advanced aids to make a more thorough diagnosis like magnification loupes,intraoral cameras and digital imaging (LINK TO HI TECH DENTISTRY) If you have fillings, permanent bridges, crowns or other restorations, WE will check to make sure that they remain intact and are in sound dental health
X-rays : X-rays, also called radiographs, will be taken to help us look for decay (cavities) or other oral health problems that cannot be seen during the clinical exam. X-rays also provide the best way for us to see a need for root canal treatment, or bone loss that may indicate advanced gum disease.
Minimally Invasive Dentistry
The focus in our office is on preventive dentistry and we perform different procedures for minimally invasive dental work so that we can preserve as much tooth structure as possible with a minimal amount of destruction
Checkups and Follow- ups
Your dental health is our responsibility ,which is why all our patients are scheduled for 3 monthly or 6 monthly dental follow up visits depending on their oral condition after evaluation. We typically will check your gums and teeth, clean and polish your teeth, and talk to you about caring for your teeth and gums properly at home. We will also do a clinical examination, diagnose problems and recommend treatments. Here's what to expect:
Cleaning : The purpose of a professional dental cleaning is to remove the hard calculus (also called tartar) from above and just below the gum line. Brushing and flossing at home removes plaque. Only dental instruments can remove calculus. We use ultrasonic instruments to blast away the larger chunks of tartar.
Polishing : After the calculus is removed, the teeth will be polished to remove plaque and surface stains. Typically, but not always, an abrasive substance is applied to the teeth with a small rotating rubber cup or brush. This helps to scrub away stains..
Prevention : Our staff will offer instructions for oral care at home based on the results of the exam. They will demonstrate how to brush and floss properly. Sometimes, we will disclosing agent to test your brushing ability. A disclosing agent is a red solution or tablet that is applied to the teeth or chewed. The agent attaches to plaque and colors it to make it visible. Then you brush your teeth. You'll be able to see any plaque that you missed.
Treatment recommendations : If we find any problems, that needs special attention then our office will set up an appointment with the concerned (such as a periodontist or orthodontist). You also may need further tests for diagnosis.