Dental cleanings are performed by our gentle and skilled hygienists. They remove hard mineral deposits and the soft sticky plaque with a combination of ultrasonic cleaning and hand instruments. Teeth are flossed and polished. They may also provide you with a fluoride treatment if your teeth are at higher risk for cavities.

The recommendation from the ADA and our office is every 6 months. There are some individuals who only need to come in once a year and some who need (or prefer) to come in every 3 or 4 months. It really depends on the individual’s risk type and oral hygiene.

A dental hygienist can clean all the areas of the teeth where you cannot reach effectively with a toothbrush. Many stains and discolorations will be removed with a dental cleaning. The dental hygienist is trained to spot signs of gum disease, oral pathology, and cavities. This type of early intervention can save your teeth and prevent future dental work.

X-rays are part of a thorough and comprehensive exam. All dentists will look at your mouth with their eyes, feel your teeth with an explorer instrument, and look at the x-rays. Together, these three basic diagnostic methods are the most effective at diagnosing decay, infection, developmental abnormalities, and lesions in the teeth and jaws. Without all three methods, we cannot sign off with confidence any diagnosis or prognosis for you. X-rays are a standard of dental care that all dentists uphold. The Board of Dentistry expects this of us, the insurance companies expect this of us, and our patients expect this of us.

Fluoride strengthens teeth and protects them from the acidic plaque that bacteria produce. For people who want to have strong healthy teeth for the rest of their lives, fluoride is an important partner (along with a healthy diet, brushing, and flossing) in preventive dental care.

When a dentist grabs your tongue and turns it side to side, you should count yourself lucky! This little tongue maneuver is how we screen for oral cancer and any other weird things that could be going on in your mouth. We look at the inside of your cheeks, your gums, the roof of your mouth, your throat, your tonsils, the sides of your tongue, and the floor of your mouth.

Dentists are probably the only health care provider that people see two times a year, whether you’re sick or healthy. That’s why we screen for hypertension (high blood pressure) and for airway issues. In the case of high blood pressure, we inform you of your elevated reading and recommend you discuss it with your medical doctor. It might just be the coffee you had coming in that affected the reading, but maybe it isn’t.

With airway issues, dentists are uniquely poised to help out because they already examine the head, throat, and mouth. Many people are walking around today and suffering from sleep apnea or another form of airway disorder. This lack of quality sleep will affect children and adults significantly with real health and emotional consequences. In children, this can be in the form of altered dento-facial development, learning difficulties, asthma, allergies, hyperactive behavior, or listlessness. In adults, it includes chronic fatigue, disrupted hormone levels, TMJ pain, and increased morbidity.

Patients are identified as possibly having airway issues through a questionnaire and exam. For many cases, patients are referred to an ENT. Some airways issues can be managed through orthodontics, oral surgery, or the use of an oral appliance. Sleep and airway disorders are most successfully managed with the collaboration of your ENT and dentist.