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PREVENTIVE
CARE
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Prevention
is always better than treatment. By actively preventing disease and decay
through regular home care, professional dental cleanings and regular
exams, you will maintain a healthy, beautiful smile. In addition,
effective prevention can help you avoid costly treatments in the future to
remove decay, restore teeth and treat gum disease. Regular prevention is
truly your best investment.
Oral Hygiene:
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Although
twice-daily brushings and regular flossing are excellent for maintenance
between office visits, regular examinations and cleanings are an absolute
necessity if you are to maintain a healthy mouth. We will help you keep
your teeth and gums strong and disease-free.
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Professional
Cleanings:
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Professional
cleanings (dental prophylaxis) performed by a certified dental hygienist
form the foundation for preventing gum disease and tooth decay. In a
professional cleaning, our hygienist will:
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Remove
plaque from the teeth -- Plaque is a sticky substance that forms in the
mouth from food, saliva and bacteria. Plaque sticks to teeth and causes
tooth decay and gum disease.
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Remove
calculus (tarter) above the gum line -- Calculus is plaque that has
hardened on the tooth surface and is difficult to remove. (Calculus below
the gum line indicates gum disease and requires a different procedure to
remove it.)
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Polish
and remove stains from teeth
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Cancer
Screening:
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A
thorough screening is conducted during routing checkups for oral
cancer. If in the examination, a suspicious looking red or white
spot is found, we may administer a new, painless brush biopsy test to
determine if there are any potentially pre-cancerous or cancerous cells
present or suggest another appropriate treatment option. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, early detection is key to
increasing the survival rate for oral cancer and plays a significant role
in patients' success in fighting the disease.
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Fluoride
Treatment:
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If
needed, professionally
administered topical fluorides such as gels or varnishes are applied by the
dentist and left on for about four minutes, usually during a cleaning
treatment. For patients with a high risk of dental caries, the dentist may
prescribe a special gel for daily home use to be applied with or without a
mouth tray for up to six weeks.
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Sealants:
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Sealants
help protect the chewing surfaces of back teeth from decaying. Normal pits
and grooves on the chewing surfaces of back teeth can trap food that can't
be removed by brushing or washed out by water or saliva. A sealant is a
tough, plastic material designed to bond (stick) to tooth enamel. These
clear or tooth colored sealants are painted onto the tooth surface to
"seal" the pits and grooves and protect against decay. They are
generally applied to children's first permanent back teeth. They can also be
useful for adults in certain situations. Sealants are an excellent way to
protect chewing surfaces of teeth from decay. They are a much better
financial investment than treating decay after it has started. Sealants are
not permanent. They generally last about five years with normal wear, but
can wear off or chip off earlier in certain instances. Also, sealants do not
prevent decay between teeth or the onset of gum disease, so regular home
care and dental visits are important.
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Athletic Guards:
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All
mouth guards are not created equal. Depending upon the design and materials
used, mouthpieces will vary in fit, protection, ease of maintenance and
longevity. We offer custom-made mouth guards. Formed from a cast model of
your teeth, these custom-made guards are designed to cover all the teeth and
are shown in the literature to be the best type of protection. These mouth
guards can cushion falls and blows to the chin. Custom-made mouth guards may
be slightly more expensive than commercially produced mouthpieces, but they
offer the best possible fit and protection and are the most comfortable.
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Night
Guards:
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Clenching
your teeth while you sleep and during the day is the result of some of the
strongest muscles in your body tensing-up (up to 6 to 20 time more intensely
then non-sufferers), which can cause morning and tension headaches and even
damage surrounding joints, teeth and other muscles. A custom made
night guard can relieve that stress on your teeth and joints.
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