Cleaning & Prevention
Grant Family Dentistry’s cleaning and prevention services set the stage for optimal oral health across posterity. Visit our office for an appointment and we will clean your teeth while proactively preventing oral health problems down the line. This is the high standard of oral health care you need and deserve. Aside from a professional cleaning performed every six months at the dentist’s office, you can do your part to prevent dental problems down the line by brushing and flossing your teeth at least two times per day.
Our dentist’s insight and guidance in regard to oral health problem prevention is invaluable. Listen closely as the dentist details which foods and beverages sabotage oral health. Return to our office for a comprehensive oral cleaning every six months and you will find the chances of tooth decay and gum disease are significantly lower. Our preventative dentistry services also encompass oral health exams, cancer screenings and X-rays. Furthermore, we perform deep cleanings with specialized dental instruments you cannot use on your own. This is the deep cleaning necessary to eliminate tartar from the teeth that cannot be cleaned with a regular toothbrush or floss.
Teeth Cleaning
A professional teeth cleaning is significantly different from that of a cleaning performed on your own at home. Flossing, brushing and rinsing with mouthwash will not suffice. Though such proactive DIY cleanings are certainly helpful, everyone needs a truly in-depth cleaning performed at least once every six months at the dentist’s office. Tartar, which is hardened plaque, will gradually build up on your teeth. Tartar cannot be cleaned with a toothbrush. You need a truly in-depth cleaning performed at Grant Family Dentistry to eliminate tartar from your teeth. The dentist will scrape off the tartar with specialized dental instruments so your teeth are perfectly clean.
Our teeth cleaning process starts with an inspection of your teeth. A diminutive dental mirror is used to pinpoint areas of the mouth with tartar and plaque. These are the sections we zero in on when performing oral cleanings. If necessary, ultrasonic vibrations will be used to loosen up the tartar and plaque. The dentist scrapes off the plaque and tartar from both the teeth and the gums. A scaler might also be used to smoothen the teeth.
A rinse is then performed to wash out tartar that remains after the scraping. Professional flossing and brushing are then performed with a mildly abrasive toothpaste. The cleaning is completed with a fluoride treatment added to the teeth. This treatment remains in place for a minute to destroy any leftover germs on the teeth and stop tartar and plaque from forming.
Periodontal Therapy
Gum disease has the potential to lead to periodontitis that wreaks havoc on your oral health. Bacteria within plaque forces the gums to recede, ultimately pulling away from your lovely teeth, setting the stage for bacteria to destroy tissue. This bacteria even has the potential to erode the supportive bone below teeth, causing teeth to fall out. Though gum disease can be prevented, it is quite common. The last thing you want is for periodontitis to send bacteria into the bloodstream, heightening the chance of heart disease, stroke or diabetes.
Periodontal therapy is performed to help patients who have developed gum disease. This term refers to several different treatments meant to restore the health of the gums and the teeth, helping to prevent tooth loss. Grant Family Dentistry is here to help you determine whether non-surgical or surgical treatments are optimal to treat your gum disease. The nuances of your unique oral health will be factored in when determining the details of your periodontal therapy. If possible, surgery will be avoided.
If your case is mild or moderate, treatment can be performed with scaling and root planning in which plaque is cleaned form the surfaces of the teeth roots and below the gums. The dentist might also smooth the root’s surface, preventing bacteria from clinging to the surface and also preventing infections. Additional periodontal therapy treatments include gum grafting, dental implants, crown lengthening surgery, periodontal laser treatment and periodontal plastic surgery.
Home Care
Six-month visits to Grant Family Dentistry are certainly important yet you can also do some work on your own. Dental home care is the process performed by patients on their own at home in a DIY (do it yourself) manner to care for teeth and achieve optimal oral hygiene. Perform DIY cleanings at home with a dental health home care regimen and you will find your oral health greatly improves. Floss and brush your teeth after each meal. At a bare minimum, you should floss, brush and rinse with mouthwash two times per day.
Maintain your home care regimen and you will find you have fewer tooth aches and less tooth decay. Furthermore, you will be less likely to suffer from halitosis as a result of a truly comprehensive home care oral health regimen. Be sure to listen closely as our dentist explains exactly what you can do to preserve the integrity of your teeth and keep them as clean as possible with an in-depth home care cleaning regimen. Aside from brushing, flossing and rinsing with mouthwash, diet will prove essential to your oral health. Eat foods that are rich in calcium and phosphorus to enhance the strength of your teeth. Finally, home care involves drinking water following meals to eliminate food particles within tooth corners and other parts of the mouth.