Preventative Dental Services
Prevention of Disease is Far Less Expensive, Time Consuming & Uncomfortable.
Types of Preventative Dental Cleaning
There are many benefits to regularly scheduled cleanings, ranging from preventing bad breath, to early detection of a problem, to maintaining your overall good physical health. Yes, a regular oral hygiene plan can do all of those things for you and your family!
There are two basic types of procedures to remove plaque and bacteria from teeth, and treat the areas above and below the gum line: Prophy and Periodontal Maintenance. The type and frequency of procedure you need depends on your dentist’s diagnosis.
Prophy
American Dental Association code 1110
Patients diagnosed with a healthy mouth condition (healthy gums) receive a prophylaxis. This is the “regular”cleaning. By definition this procedure has the dental hygienist scale (scrape) to remove plaque and polish the tooth structure only ABOVE the gum line. Many offices allow 40 minutes for this type of service. We set aside a full hour to spend with our patients. Treatment is typically required every 6 months and may include:
Periodontal Maintenance
American Dental Association code 4910
Patients diagnosed with periodontal disease will receive a periodontal maintenance cleaning during their hygiene visits. It is not really considered PREVENTATIVE dentistry – its maintenance. Patients that fall under this category have had scaling and root planing in the past, they could have bone loss, bleeding gums, tooth mobility, and gum recession.
This in NOT a healthy mouth cleaning. It is a disease fighting cleaning. These patients are actively fighting periodontal disease and gum inflammation with a strict home care regimen and 3-4 month recall visits with our hygienists. We give our hygiene team a generous 70 minutes to spend with this group of patients. Dr. Glaser and his hygiene team take periodontal disease VERY seriously. Research has also shown that periodontal disease is associated with other chronic inflammatory diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
During this visit patients can expect to have:
Full Mouth Debridement
Patients diagnosed with gingivitis, a reversible form of periodontal disease, typically require a full mouth debridement to remove build-up on the teeth so a full assessment can be conducted.
Afterward, many patients return to a healthy mouth condition. Treatment may be limited to one time if regular dental appointments and home care are maintained following the procedure. Treatment may include:
Sealants
Sealants are an easy way to help prevent tooth decay for children and adults. With a simple application that takes only minutes per tooth, sealants are a painted-on plastic material that is applied to the grooves of molars and premolars as a barrier between plaque and food and the enamel of teeth. This proactive step can help your teeth stay healthy.
While brushing and flossing are still the best ways to prevent cavities, it’s not always easy to clean every nook and cranny of your teeth. Sealants can keep cavities from forming and may even stop early stages of decay from developing into a full-blown cavity.
In fact, sealants have been shown to reduce the risk of decay by nearly 80% in molars. This is especially important when it comes to your child’s dental health. In October 2016, the Centers for Disease Control released a report on the importance of sealants for school-aged children, of which only 43% of children ages 6-11 have. According to the CDC, “school-age children without sealants have almost three times more cavities than children with sealants.”
For more information on the benefits of sealants visit the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research website.
Fluoride Treatment
Dr. Glaser will use fluoride treatments to restore minerals to tooth surfaces where bacteria may have eroded the enamel. It can also inhibit the growth of harmful oral bacteria and further prevent cavities.
Fluoride is especially helpful if you’re at high risk of developing cavities. Cavities occur when bacteria build up on teeth and gums and form a sticky layer of plaque. Plaque produces an acid that erodes teeth and gum tissue. If the plaque breaks down the enamel layer, bacteria can infect and harm the nerves and blood at the core of the tooth.
While fluoride cannot remove decay, it can create a stronger outer surface to your teeth to help stop decay from penetrating deeper into the teeth.
According to the ADA, it’s best to get fluoride both topically – from brushing your teeth twice daily with toothpaste, and systemically – with regular six month visits to Glaser Dental.
Regular Exams
A regular dental check up is important because it helps keep your teeth and gums healthy. You should have a regular dental visit at least every 6 months or as recommended by Dr. Glaser.
What happens at a visit to Glaser Dental?
During your dental visit one of our hygienists will perform a cleaning and Dr. Glaser will perform a check up, or examination.
The cleaning will remove plaque, a clear, sticky layer of bacteria and tartar. If plaque and tartar are allowed to build up on your teeth, they may cause oral diseases. Dr. Glaser will then check for cavities and exam your gums. X-rays might be taken to detect cavities between your teeth.
While brushing and flossing help clean the plaque from your teeth, you can’t remove tartar at home. During the cleaning, a Glaser hygienist or Dr. Glaser will use special tools to remove tartar. This is called scaling. Scaling removes plaque and tartar.
After your teeth are scaled, they may be polished. In most cases, a gritty paste is used for this. It helps to remove any surface stains on your teeth.The final step is flossing to make sure the areas between your teeth are clean.
Next, Dr. Glaser will perform a wellness or re-care exam at least once a year. This important exam includes:
- Thorough medical and dental review
- Digital radiographs of your teeth and supporting structure if needed
- Periodontal screening of your gum health
Using Loupes (SPECIAL GLASSES) Dr. Glaser will:
- Inspect your current restorations for viability and defects
- Look for unusual physical attributes on the surface of your teeth such as cavities
- Study your gums for signs of periodontal disease using a dental explorer or sickle probe instrument
- Perform a head and neck exam for signs of oral cancer
- Cancer screening – A complete oral soft tissue examination to analyze the inside of your mouth and tongue for abnormal coloration and cell structure
What you should do between visits: