Popular Services You May Be Wondering About
What Can You Expect During A Teeth Cleaning?
- Getting regular X-rays provides our team with a look inside your teeth and jaw bone. X-Rays can allow for early detection of cavities, tumors, cysts, and/or bone loss. They can show the position and location of your teeth in your mouth.
- If there's any warning sign for oral cancer, you'll be screened for it during your check-up.
- We check your gums and the bone around your teeth for any sign of gum disease.
- All teeth are checked for decay so that we can address any problem before it gets serious.
- We know that your mouth has a history of its own. We will check your crowns and fillings to make sure they are still looking and working well.
- Get rid of plaque before it becomes a problem. We also remove tartar, the hardened plaque attached to the tooth.
- We give your tooth a thorough polishing, removing stains and plaque.
Did you know that every day, minerals are both added and stripped away from your tooth’s enamel?
Minerals are taken away from the enamel layer when acids (bacteria and sugars) attack the enamel. Those need to be replaced.
At the same time, minerals such as fluoride, calcium, and phosphate are added to the enamel layer thanks to the foods and water we consume.
Too much loss without enough adding minerals is what leads to tooth decay.
Good home care and diet are the biggest factors in preventing cavities.
Fluoride treatments may be appropriate for someone who is at higher risk for cavities.
What Are Sealants?
Sealants provide a protective shield over those hard to clean areas in your mouth. When added and then combined with proper care of your teeth, sealants protect your teeth against cavities for many years. They will still need to be looked at during your regular visits.
Who can benefit from sealants?
Ask our dentist at your next visit if sealants are right for you or your child.
Why Are X-Rays Important?
Because X-rays show areas that cannot be seen by the eye alone, our team can develop a more accurate picture of what is going on inside your mouth. They give a behind the scenes look at your teeth and gums.
Are Dental X-Rays Safe?
They require very low levels of radiation compared to what was common years ago.
We would never put our patients at risk. The radiation exposure you get during a X-Ray is actually lower than what you would get after an afternoon in the sun. To be extra careful, we use lead aprons so you never have to worry.
How Often Should I Get A Dental X-Ray?
Frequency and type are on an individual basis. Different factors such as age, the risk for disease and signs and symptoms of oral disease are considered when deciding if an X-ray is needed and what type.
We also use dental X-rays within the guidelines set by the American Dental Association. The intervals range from 6 months to every 5 years based on those factors.
Home Care
At Smile Designs of Door County, we know that home care plays a huge role in not only healthy teeth and gums, but also a healthy body. It starts by eating balanced meals low in sugar and correctly brushing and flossing to eliminate the presence of plaque in the mouth.
How Often Should You Floss?
We recommend daily flossing to clean between the teeth and under the gumline. It not only helps clean these spaces, it also does not give plaque an opportunity to build up, preventing damage to the gums, teeth, and bone.
