Dental Exam and Oral Cancer Screening
The secret to a bright, healthy smile is actually no secret at all: brush, floss and get a professional dental exam and dental cleaning at least once every six months. Professional dental exams are all about prevention – preventing existing problems from getting worse and preventing dental problems from developing in the future. Regular dental exams make it possible to identify and treat most dental problems in their earliest stages. There's nothing to fear with a dental exam. Your teeth will be visually examined for signs of plaque, tartar and tooth decay. Your gums will also be examined for puffiness or discoloration, which are signs of gum disease. Dental exams typically follow a dental cleaning with one of our hygienists and includes an oral cancer screening. Oral cancer affects nearly 35,000 Americans every year. The keys to surviving oral cancer are early detection and early treatment. This starts with a regular oral cancer screening – at least once every six months. An oral cancer screening takes just minutes, is pain-free and can be performed during regular dental exams. If you are male, a regular oral cancer screening is especially critical: Oral cancer is more than twice as common in men as it is in women. Other people at high risk of oral cancer include people over the age of 60, tobacco smokers and heavy drinkers.
Digital X-Rays
Our practice has been using digital x-rays for several years now. Their benefits include instant viewing, easier image manipulation, mimimal to no radiation and it is easier for the patient to see their problems as the image can be enlarged to fill an entire computer monitor. Images can quickly be sent to other specialists and insurance companies. Digital, rather than film x-rays, also eliminates the use of hazardous developing chemicals in our practice that are harmful to the environment.
Prophylaxis: Teeth Cleaning And Polishing
Our hygienists provide a thorough cleaning and gentle polishing of all tooth surfaces. This is one of our most basic services but also the most important. Depending on how fast you accumulate plaque and calculus, your dentist and hygienist will help you decide how often this service should be performed for your maximum dental health. Many patients do best coming in for a prophylaxis every 3 or 4 months while most patients come in every 6 months.
No matter how often you brush and floss, plaque and tartar deposits can still build up on your teeth. A professional teeth cleaning is the single most effective way to remove these deposits and prevent them from causing more serious problems in the future. While a traditional teeth cleaning involves manually scraping away these deposits with special dental tools, advances in dental technologies now give you more options for teeth cleanings.
Ultrasonic cleaning, is a popular supplement to traditional teeth cleanings. An ultrasonic scaler (rather than a manual probe) is used to remove deposits, kill harmful microbes and eliminate bacteria around the teeth and gums through high-frequency sound waves. Many patients find ultrasonic teeth cleanings more comfortable than traditional teeth cleanings because they are quicker and less manual scaling is required.
A deep cleaning may be recommended if excessive plaque and tartar deposits have developed below the gum line. Deep cleanings, also known as scaling and root planing, involve a two-part process: first, the stubborn deposits are removed, and then the root surfaces are smoothened. A deep cleaning helps prevent periodontal disease and restores gum tissues to a healthy state.
Dental Fillings: Amalgam/Composites or Bonding
The most common dental service is a dental filling. Dental fillings are the tried-and-true treatment for removing decay and treating cavities. The type of dental filling used is determined by a number of factors, including size and location of the cavity, as well as your budget. Amalgam fillings have been used by dentists for more than a century and are still the most common and cost-effective type of restorative material. Composite fillings, which are made of a tooth-colored plastic and glass composite, are quickly becoming the preferred dental filling material. They do cost more. So we want you to make a decision that is right for you! In some circumstances, an amalgam filling is the only material indicated based on the location, size and function of that particular tooth vis a vis the viability and presence of surrounding teeth. A regular part of our practice is providing our patients with fillings which match their natural tooth color otherwise known as composites or bonding. Results are often indistinguishable from natural tooth structure. We are all most familiar with natural tooth colored or white fillings on anterior or front teeth. Modern advancements in dentistry have made this composite material strong enough to now place composites in back teeth under most circumstances. However, many insurance companies will only pay for front teeth white fillings and will opt to pay the fee for the least costly alternative, an amalgam filling on back teeth, regardless that the accepted standard of care and the patient choice may be a composite. Our dentists will make a recommendation but the ultimate decision is up to you. Please ask our front desk to give you an estimate of what the difference in the fees are so you can make an informed decision which option fits your budget.
Sealants
Sealants are a preventative measure to deter cavities in the deep grooves of those back teeth that have been determined to be at a higher risk for developing decay. A sealant is a flowable plastic that is painted into the grooves and hardened with a curing light very similar to the process of applying gel nail polish. Sealants can be beneficial to patients of any age but many insurance companies only pay for them for children under a certain age determined by each employer's insurance policy. Our office uses a brand called Ultra Seal XT plus ® by Ultradent® products and is also fluoride releasing for extra protection. Sealants are an inexpensive defense to preventing decay that can prevent costly dental services in the future. Ask your hygienist or dentist today if a sealant could be helpful for your back teeth, even if insurance doesn't pay for it.
Dental Crowns
One of the premiere treatments for teeth with extensive decay or damage is a dental crown. Dental crowns can also be used to hold a dental bridge in place, cover misshapen or severely discolored teeth, or cover a tooth after a root canal procedure. Most of the crowns we place in this office are made of either porcelain-fused-to-metal or porcelain ceramic crowns. The first step is to prepare the tooth for a dental impression. A temporary crown is then placed to protect the tooth while the impression is sent to an offsite laboratory to create the final restoration. These are tooth colored sculptures of teeth designed to help you chew your food and match the color, shape and fine detail that match like a puzzle piece to adjacent teeth. Porcelain dental crowns match the natural color of your teeth and are virtually undetectable by the naked eye. Crowns are placed in our office involving a multi-step process usually requiring a minimum of two visits or sometimes more when we are matching colors. Dental Crowns truly are an artistic sculpture that our dentists take great pride in with a perfectionist eye. Especially when you have crown restorations we recommend good at home oral hygiene routines and keeping up with six month regular hygiene visits. When you walk out with your new dental crown at Dr Roth's office, we want you to feel like royalty, a king or queen for the day.
Dental Bridges
Dental bridges have been used for centuries to replace missing teeth. Today, dental bridges are still considered one of the most durable, conservative and cost-effective options for bridging the gap between a missing tooth and surrounding teeth. Comprised of two anchoring teeth and a replacement tooth, dental bridges help prevent surrounding teeth from drifting out of position, improve chewing and speaking, and help keep your natural face shape intact. Traditional bridges have either dental crowns or dental implants on either side of the missing tooth, plus a replacement tooth, which is held in place by a post-like structure called a dental abutment. Dental bridges typically take 2-3 weeks to complete and are less invasive than other options, such as dental implants. With good oral hygiene and regular dental visits, dental bridges can last up to 20 years.
Dentures
Using dentures to replace missing teeth is not only great for your oral health; it's a great way to look and feel younger! Today, there are a variety of natural-looking and comfortable dentures for patients who need to replace missing teeth. Made of a gum-colored plastic resin or acrylic base and either resin or porcelain replacement teeth, dentures are custom designed to fit your mouth. If you have several teeth or all teeth missing on the upper or lower jaw, full dentures may be your best option. Partial dentures, which can be either fixed or removable, are great for patients who have several missing teeth scattered along the upper or lower jaw.
The process of getting dentures may take a few months and several dental visits. In some cases, however, same-day dentures are also possible. With same-day dentures, the dentures are created right in the dentist's office instead of at an offsite laboratory. Same-day dentures aren't for everyone, though. If your dentures require a lot of customization, same-day dentures may not be right for you.
Just as with your natural teeth, dentures require daily maintenance. With regular wear and tear, your dentures can last 5-7 years. During that time, you may need periodic denture relines to accommodate changes in the contours of your mouth. Regular denture relines involve resurfacing the base to ensure that your dentures fit and function perfectly. If you break your dentures, it's critical to bring them to your dentist for professional denture repair. Home denture repair kits can cause more damage and be even more costly to fix.
Gum Disease Treatment
Red, swollen gums are a red flag for one thing: gum disease. If you have the symptoms, you're not alone. More than 80% of adults have some form of gum disease. Fortunately, there are many effective and pain-free gum disease treatments. For gingivitis, the mildest form of gum disease, treatment typically involves a thorough dental cleaning, followed by daily brushing and flossing. Advanced gum disease, also known as periodontal disease, requires scaling and root planing to remove stubborn deposits below the gum line. If non-surgical methods of gum disease treatment are ineffective, a gingivectomy, or periodontal surgery, may be necessary.
Root Canals
Root canals get a bad wrap. But don't believe the rumors; the dreaded root canal isn't dreadful at all! Root canals are needed when either decay or an injury infects the inner tooth (the pulp). In the earliest stages of infection, you may not feel any pain at all. But when it progresses, you could have a toothache and swelling, or a dental abscess might form. Root canals remove the infection and prevent it from spreading. Most teeth that have had root canal therapy require crowns and sometimes core buildups and or a post to add structure and prevent fracture. Our office partners with the finest specialists in the area who use state of the art precision technology and have advanced training and years of experience in Endodontics. Together with the specialists we will help you decide if endodontic treatment is the best course of action for your dental care.
Oral Surgery
Single and multiple extractions of primary or baby teeth and permanent teeth are a regular service of our practice. A referral will be made to an oral surgeon when patients prefer heavy sedation, have complex medical conditions or for certain complex cases including impacted wisdom teeth. When coordination is required between an oral surgeon’s office and the delivery of a prosthesis such as a denture to replace those missing teeth, we will make sure this will happen so the patient never has to go without teeth.
Oral surgery is an umbrella term for surgical treatments such as dental implants, wisdom teeth extractions and bone grafting. Dental implants, an excellent solution for missing teeth, are surgically placed tooth roots that hold dental crowns in place. A wisdom tooth extraction may be recommended if there isn't enough room in your mouth to accommodate wisdom teeth and they become impacted, partially erupted or infected. Bone grafting transfers bone from one part of the jaw to another, usually to accommodate a dental implant. While a general dentist can perform some oral surgery procedures, an oral surgeon is required for others.
Pediatric Dentistry
We are a family practice here at Dr. Roth's office. We aim to serve your whole family including children from 2 or 3 and up for basic dental needs such as cleanings, exams, fillings, sealants and extractions. However, we want your child to think of coming to our family dentist office as a positive experience. If your child is usually triggered by the presence of a medical provider or flinches and cries when a practictioner comes near them, we recommend a referral to a Pediatric Dentist since they are trained in techniques to manage such aversions. Many times those children return to our office with their families in their teens. We partner with several phenomenal people-person Pediatric Dentists in the area who we trust take care of your children's needs with attention to their concerns.