COMPREHENSIVE EXAM & CLEANINGS:
A preventive program is a cooperative effort by the patient, dentist, and dental staff to preserve your teeth and supporting structures by preventing the onset, progress, and recurrence of dental diseases and conditions. Preventing dental disease starts at home with good oral hygiene and a balanced diet. It is continued in the dental office by the efforts of your dentist to promote, restore, and maintain your oral health. Prevention also includes regular dental exams, cleanings, and x-rays. Prevention helps avoid serious and costly dental problems and is the key to having a healthy and beautiful smile.
Dental Exam
A comprehensive dental exam will be performed by Dr. Elaine Gonzales at your initial dental visit. At regular check-up exams will include the following:
- Examination of diagnostic x-rays (radiographs): Essential for detection of decay, tumors, cysts, and bone loss. X-rays also help determine tooth and root positions.
- Oral cancer screening: Check the face, neck, lips, tongue, throat, tissues, and gums for any signs of oral cancer.
- Gum disease evaluation: Check the gums and bone around the teeth for any signs of periodontal disease.
- Examination of tooth decay: All tooth surfaces will be checked for decay with special dental instruments.
- Examination of existing restorations: Check current fillings, crowns, etc...
Professional Dental Cleaning
Professional dental cleanings (dental prophylaxis) will include a dental exam and the following:
- Removal of calculus (tartar): Calculus is hardened plaque that has been left on the tooth for some time and is now firmly attached to the tooth surface. Calculus forms above and below the gum line and can only be removed with special dental instruments.
- Removal of plaque: Plaque is a sticky, almost invisible film that forms on the teeth. It is a growing colony of living bacteria, food debris, and saliva. The bacteria produce toxins (poisons) that inflame the gums. This inflammation is the start of periodontal disease!
- Teeth polishing: Remove stain and plaque that is not otherwise removed during tooth brushing and scaling.
TOOTH COLORED FILLINGS
Composite fillings are a mixture of glass or quartz filler in a resin medium that produces a tooth-colored filling. They are sometimes referred to as composites or filled resins. Composite fillings provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small-to-mid size restorations that need to withstand moderate chewing pressure.
ROOT CANAL THERAPY
RCT is done to save a tooth with a diseased nerve. Inside each tooth is the pulp, which provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth, running like a thread down through the root. When the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies. If you don't remove it your tooth gets infected and you could lose it. After the dentist removes the pulp, the root canal is cleaned and sealed off for protection. Then your dentist may need to place a crown over the tooth to help make it stronger.
CROWNS
You may need a crown to cover a tooth and restore it to its normal shape and size. A crown can make your tooth stronger and improve its appearance. It can cover and support a tooth when there isn't enough tooth structure left after a filling and or decay is removed or after root canal therapy is performed.
BRIDGES
Bridges are multiple crowns, which usually "bridge the gap" caused by missing teeth. They help maintain the shape of your face, as well as alleviate the stress of your bite, caused by missing teeth.
Sometimes called a fixed partial denture, the restoration can be made from gold, alloys, porcelain or a combination of these materials and is bonded onto surrounding teeth for support.
Unlike a removable bridge, which you can take out and clean, a fixed bridge is cemented or bonded in place.
NIGHTGUARDS/MOUTHGUARDS
A nightguard, which takes the punishment that your teeth would normally endure during bruxism, minimizes the damage from grinding your teeth. A nightguard is a thin transparent horseshoe-shaped retainer-like appliance made of hard plastic that has shallow borders for good tooth alignment and ideal bite relationship. This splint is worn between the top and bottom teeth and does not allow the teeth to interlock, which absorbs the force of the clenching and grinding to reduce joint irritation and inflammation.
Bruxism, commonly know as tooth grinding, is the clenching or grinding together of the bottom and upper jaw. This behavior will remove critical portions of healthy enamel from the chewing surfaces of your teeth and may cause facial/jaw pain. People who grind and clench their teeth are called bruxers. They unintentionally bite down too hard at inappropriate times, such as when you sleep, especially in the early part of the night.
Bruxism is a force that is far more destructive to teeth than caries because your teeth are worn down so much that their enamel is rubbed off, exposing the inside, more sensitive part of the tooth.
A properly fitted mouthguard can help prevent broken teeth and injuries to the lips, tongue, face or jaw while playing sports. It will stay in place while you are wearing it, making it easy for you to talk and breath.
VENEERS
Veneers are thin, custom-made shells crafted of tooth-colored materials designed to cover the front side of teeth.
IMPLANT RESTORATION
A dental implant is an artificial tooth implanted into the jaw bone. It is generally made of titanium and covered with a porcelain crown or a bridge to give the appearance of real teeth.