Dental Hygiene/Periodontal Health
Regular professional dental cleanings are the most important step to maintaining your teeth next to daily brushing and flossing at home. We will taylor a cleaning schedule to your specific needs and monitor your gum health at each visit suggesting changes when necessary and helping you find a maintenance routine that works for you. Gingivitis is a condition where the gums become red and inflamed usually because food debris and bacteria are allowed to stay on or between teeth too long. The good news is that Gingivitis is a completely reversible condition...usually a thorough professional cleaning and maybe a tweak to the homecare routine is all that is needed. If Gingivitis is not treated, over time the inflamation can move beyond the gums and begin to erode or destroy the bone around the teeth. This condition is called Periodontal Disease. Although Periodontal Disease is not reversible like gingivitis, it can still be treated and with improved homecare and more frequent professional cleaning viists to stop it from progressing and causing further damage.
Oral Cancer Screening
During a dental exam, the doctor will check your neck and oral tissues for lumps, red or white patches or recurring sore areas. Smoking, especially combined with alcohol consumption, is the primary risk factor for oral cancer. In fact, this combination is estimated to be the most likely trigger in about 75 percent of oral cancers diagnosed in this country. Other lifestyle and environmental factors also may increase your risk of developing oral cancer. Screening for early changes in the oral tissue can help detect cancer at a stage when it can be more successfully treated.
Scaling & Root Planing
Scaling and root planing is a non-surgical procedure in which the hygienist removes plaque and tartar from below the gum line. Root surfaces are cleaned and smoothed with specially designed instruments. It is important to remove the plaque and tartar from the pockets, because aside from the bacterial toxins that irritate the gums, plaque and the rough surfaces of tartar make it easier for bacteria to gain a foothold.