Preventative Care
Professional Care
Why Professional Cleaning?
- Necessary even for those with the best oral home care
- Saliva mineralizes plaque that forms throughout day causing calculus to form
- Calculus harbors bacteria that causes gingivitis and periodontal disease
- Calculus can only be removed by a dental professional
Yearly Radiographs (X-Rays)
- Bitewing X-Rays are recommended once a year and give the doctor very valuable information.
- Show cavities (tooth decay) between teeth; without x-rays, decay between teeth has to be very large to be diagnosable within the mouth at which point the tooth may require root canal therapy and crown or extraction.
- Show bone levels to determine periodontal health
- Without bitewing x-rays, the doctor can only see about 50% or less of what needs to be seen to properly complete an exam
Panoramic Radiograph
- Panoramic radiographs are taken every 3-5 years
- Show all teeth and their entire root structures
- Show infection, abscesses, lesions, tumors and other abnormalities that would otherwise not be found with small bitetab style radiographs
- Show sinuses, the TMJ (temporomandibular joint), and wisdom teeth
- Show bone levels and nerve placement for such procedures as dental implants and extractions
- Monitor eruption pattern in pediatric patients
Exam Every 6 Months
- Allows for early diagnosis of gingivitis, periodontal disease, tooth decay (cavities), and fractures so that they can be addressed while still easier and simpler to treat.
- Allows for the most conservative dentistry possible
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