children dentistry

CHECKUPS AND CLEANINGS

To make sure your smile remains whole and healthy for life, we encourage you to visit our team at least two times each year for dental checkups and professional teeth cleanings. During your appointment, we’ll have the opportunity to collect necessary diagnostic x-rays and images that we’ll use to explain your current oral health and potential treatments as well as answering your oral health and hygiene questions. Your dentist will carefully examine your oral and facial structures screening for common dental health concerns including tooth decay, gum disease, teeth grinding and clenching (bruxism), and oral cancer. A skilled hygienist will thoroughly clean your teeth and gums removing all plaque and tartar buildup that may lead to tooth decay and gum disease. 

We perform our comfortable professional cleanings using state-of-the-art dental lasers. Before you leave our office, you’ll have a complete idea of how to care for your smile in our office and at home to maintain your healthiest smile.

CHILDREN’S DENTISTRY

We love working with young patients! Even if visiting the dentist wasn’t your favorite activity as a kid (or adult), we can make sure your child loves visiting our office. We offer a fun and friendly environment, and each member of our team goes above and beyond to help your kids build the confidence and skills they need to maintain their healthy smiles for life. One great way we challenge kids to take great care of their teeth is by entering them into our Cavity Free Club. For every cavity free checkup, your little one is entered into our quarterly drawings to win fun prizes, they get cool Cavity Free Club t-shirts, and most important, they get healthy, beautiful smiles! No one likes sitting in the dental chair for a long time, but this is especially true for younger patients, so we make sure every treatment visit is completed with total efficiency to keep your child comfortable.

PEDIODONTAL THERAPY

Periodontal (gum) disease affects millions of US adults each year, and some research has posited that as much as 80% of adults over the age of 35 suffers from gum disease. We take time to screen for the early warning signs of gum disease at every checkup. These side effects include:

  • Bleeding gums
  • Discolored gum tissues
  • Inflamed or infected soft tissue
  • Increased depth of tissue pockets between teeth and gums

If we determine patients are suffering from mild gum disease known as gingivitis, we will typically begin with more frequent professional deep cleaning appointments. Patients with gingivitis that does not respond to more frequent cleanings and those with the more advanced form of gum disease known as periodontitis will undergo scaling and root planing. Scaling is an advanced cleaning procedure that removes plaque and tartar buildup from all surfaces of teeth, and root planing is the smoothing of tooth roots to prevent future buildup. We perform these advanced treatments with soft tissue lasers to decrease discomfort and bleeding during treatment and reduce healing time following the procedure.

ORAL CANCER SCREENING

We include a thorough oral cancer screening during every preventive dentistry appointment for every patient. While many of those we treat assume that only people who use tobacco products suffer from oral cancer, the truth is that many patients diagnosed annually do not engage in any of the high risk behaviors including tobacco use. The Oral Cancer Foundation conducted research that indicates early diagnosis as the best way to decrease annual deaths associated with this disease. That’s why it’s so important for our team to screen for oral cancer as part of every appointment. We’ll be looking for warning signs including:

  • Sores that do not heal quickly
  • Discoloration of soft tissue
  • Lumps or bumps in soft tissue
  • Chronic sore throat or hoarse voice

If you notice any of these indicators of oral cancer between appointments, please let one of our team members know right away. We’ll examine the areas for concern, and help you seek additional treatment whenever necessary.