Dental Hygiene
Dental Exams & Cleanings
Regularly scheduled dental exams and cleanings maintain a healthy and clean mouth to prevent any future issues. During these visits, a dental hygienist thoroughly cleans your teeth beyond what a patient can do by themselves at home with consistent brushing and flossing. Plaque that has hardened near the gum line and between teeth which can lead to periodontal (gum) disease is removed. Then the dentist will examine your teeth, gums, and other areas of your mouth to detect any current or future problem areas. We recommend that patients schedule dental cleanings and exams every six months to maintain a clean and healthy mouth.
What are you waiting for? Contact us today to schedule your next dental exam and cleaning.
Brushing & Flossing
Brushing & Flossing Your Teeth
Brushing your teeth is an essential part of good oral health, it not only helps prevent tooth decay, but it also helps prevent periodontal (gum) disease. Periodontal disease is one of the leading causes of tooth loss in adults and has been linked to heart attacks and strokes. To get the best overall health, you need to be brushing & flossing your teeth daily. Our dental team can give you valuable instructions for brushing and flossing techniques, that will improve your efforts to remove the plaque and bacteria that cause periodontal disease.
Flossing Teeth Properly
Flossing is just as important to your dental hygiene routine. While brushing eliminates a large percentage of plaque, the brush can’t reach between the teeth or under the edges of the gums to clean the entire tooth. Floss helps accomplishes this, loosening food particles in nooks and crannies that brushes don’t reach. Regular visits to a general dentist are also important to your overall oral hygiene.
Brushing Teeth Properly
Brushing your teeth daily, preferably twice a day, can eliminate plaque and reduce the chance of severe tooth decay. Brushing cleans away food particles that stick to the teeth, as well as the plaque that collects around them. Brushing can stimulate your gums, keeping them strong and healthy.
Gingivitis & Periodontal Scaling
Correct Gingivitis Before It Is Too Late
Gingivitis, a reversible form of periodontal (gum) disease, is the swelling of the gums caused by bacterial infection, usually from plaque. If left untreated gingivitis can advance into a non-reversible, destructive form of periodontal disease. Although the best preventative measure is to brush and floss regularly, periodontal treatment may be necessary if a more serious case develops. Sometimes, Periodontal Scaling and Root Planing are required.
If left untreated, gingivitis will progress to the next stage of disease, called Periodontitis, where the bone is also affected. In this stage of Periodontal (gum) disease the gingiva (gums) become noticeably inflamed, tender, and bleed to the touch. The teeth may become sensitive, due to the recession of the gingival tissue down the tooth root. This recession causes the loss of connective fibers that anchor the tooth into the bone resulting in tooth mobility and possible tooth loss.
Please let the Bayshore Dental team assist you in saving your teeth from the devastating effects of Periodontal Disease.
Periodontal Scaling Gingivitis Treatment
Periodontal Scaling and Root Planning involve using a special tool called a scaler to clean the tartar and plaque that developed below the gum line. After this process, the gum tissue will normally heal and reattach itself to your teeth. In some cases, periodontal surgery may be required.
Oral Cancer Screenings
Having regular oral cancer screenings can help a dentist identify cancerous areas early. Survival rates of different forms of oral cancer increase dramatically if the areas are found and treated early. Along with external examinations of the mouth and neck, our office uses a cancer screening tool called a VELscope.
This hand-held device uses a safe blue light to cause a patient’s mouth to fluoresce, making abnormal tissue contrast from normal tissue. If you may be at risk for forms of oral cancer due to smoking or other lifestyle choices, please feel free to ask about oral cancer screenings and VELscope exams.