HYGIENE
Cavities Everywhere
Did you know that 16.9% of people aged 5 to 19 have undiagnosed cavities?
Worse yet, 31.6% of people aged 20-44 also have undiagnosed cavities.
Why It Is Important To Maintain Regular Cleanings:
Regular cleanings are an essential part of good oral health for two major reasons: 1) dental cleanings by our hygienists are far more thorough and comprehensive than anything you can do at home, and 2) issues with your teeth can be spotted earlier with less invasive procedures available.
First, it is important to understand why and how our hygienists incorporate our holistic practices. One of the most important things our office gives to hygienists is time. Most offices only give their hygienists 45 minutes to set up, perform the cleaning, and the clean up for the next patient. Our hygienists have more than an hour to devote to each patient. This means a better, deeper, and more thorough cleaning, every. single. time.
Another key difference is our use of ozone, iodine, and essential oils. While our hygienists still use the same hygiene tools that have proven effective at traditional offices, we go further because there is more that can be done. Our ozone and laser treatment get to the bacteria that live between the gums and your teeth. That's the spot that you want to clean most and other offices just don't get to it. And again, that may also be because we give our hygienist more time.
The third thing is training. Our hygienists are trained to identify and help our dentists diagnose issues using our holistic techniques. Ultimately, it is always the dentists call on what treatment is necessary, but it is always good to have a second set of eyes.
Below are some of the treatments that our Hygiene department (and dentists) can perform:
Periodic Oral Exam
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Periodontal Disease
Did you know that over 40% of all Americans suffer from either moderate to severe periodontal disease?
Untreated periodontal disease can cause permanent bone loss in your teeth, bad breath, and the bacteria can enter the bloodstream and cause respiratory issues, rheumatoid arthritis, and other serious diseases.
The Periodic Oral Exam (POE) is the basic dental exam that should be performed roughly once a year. The POE can sometimes be done just visually, but often includes the taking of, and reading of x-rays. While we always try to minimize the number of x-rays taken, there is simply no other way to see through teeth, gums, cheeks, and the jaw to accurately diagnose your teeth. We always offer iodine to help reduce the radiation exposure.
Limited Exam
A Limited Exam is an in-depth dental exam/analysis of a single tooth. Many dental issues are isolated to a single tooth, so a limited exam is all you need. Depending on the severity of the issue, x-rays may or may not be necessary.
Comprehensive Oral Exam
The most thorough exam we perform is the Comprehensive Oral Exam (COE). The COE is an exam of the entire mouth and is done when multiple sites appear to have issues. X-rays will need to either be taken or, if you have them from another dental office that are high-quality, we can try to use those.
Scaling and Root Planing
The first step is performing subgingival scaling, which is where our hygienist removes plaque and calculus beneath the gums, between the gums, and on the base of teeth crowns. The scaling is done mainly with an ultrasonic device that helps break up the plaque. The root planing part smooths the rough surfaces of the subgingival roots and remove any subgingival bacteria. During the procedure, our hygienists cleans below the gums to remove plaque and tartar buildup on the roots of teeth where the bones are affected by the infection. Planing involves the complete removal of cementum, which is the calcified film that covers a tooth’s root.
PerioProtect
Gum disease is commonly treated with professional dental cleanings that physically remove the biofilms. Unfortunately, bacterial growth is hard to control between office visits. Biofilms regenerate very easily and are difficult to reach under the gums with a toothbrush, rinsing, and flossing.
The Perio Protect Method combines in-office treatments with daily Perio Tray deliveries of medication. Perio Tray therapy is available only with a prescription from a dentist. The Tray has a unique sealing system customized specifically for your mouth to keep medication at the site of the infections. Patients report a noticeable difference within days, including whiter teeth and fresher breath!
