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Flossing cleans an extra 40% of your tooth surfaces than brushing alone!
Checkups at our dentist office start with a professional cleaning by one of our hygienists. The hygienist will scrape plaque and tartar off your teeth. Allowing plaque and tartar to build up on teeth makes it easier to develop cavities and gum disease, and doing this chore yourself at home is not an option. Next, the hygienist will polish and floss your teeth, leaving them clean and shiny. Getting regular, twice-yearly checkups at our dental office will help you avoid cavities, disease and other dental issues.
At our San Diego dental clinic, we rely on dental X-rays to reveal possible issues with your teeth that our dentist cannot yet see. Tiny cavities or cavities between teeth can show up on X-ray long before they are visible to a dentist. We do not take X-rays at every checkup, but we take them regularly, especially if there is an issue we are keeping an eye on such as a possible infection. We use modern, digital X-rays to get a more complete picture of your teeth.
Our dentist performs a thorough exam at each of your checkups, looking not just at your teeth and gums, but your entire oral cavity, lips and neck as well. It’s important to check all areas for any signs of pathology. The sooner an issue is treated, the better chance our dentist has of correcting it. If our dentist finds any cavities during your exam or any evidence of gum disease or other issues, she will recommend treatment to you, such as filling, root canal, or planing or scaling for periodontal disease.
Based on what we uncover during your exam, you’ll work together with your dentist to create a personalized treatment plan that is tailored to fit your unique needs, budget, and lifestyle. If we find your mouth to be healthy and in good shape, we’ll simply schedule your next regular checkup and cleaning!
No matter what kind of treatment you’re scheduling, our team is here for you. We can answer any insurance or financing questions you may have, and will do everything we can to ensure every visit is simple and stress-free.
Twice-yearly professional teeth cleaning at our San Diego dentist office helps keep your teeth healthy and looking good. Our dental hygienist will remove built-up plaque and tartar from your teeth which could otherwise lead to cavities or infection. Professional tooth polishing also helps get rid of stains on teeth from smoking or drinking coffee, tea, red wine or juice. It’s important to keep up your oral hygiene routine at home, brushing at least twice a day and flossing before bed to remove as much bacteria and food particles as possible.
Our dentist orders X-rays of your teeth regularly in order to be able to detect issues that she cannot yet see. These include small cavities and possible pockets of infection. Today’s digital X-rays are far superior to the X-rays dentists used to use, because digital X-rays give dentists a much more comprehensive picture of your teeth. Additionally, digital X-rays use 80% less radiation than traditional X-rays, so they are much safer.
In San Diego, fluoride is added to the drinking water, which helps to protect against cavities. At our San Diego dental clinic, we also provide fluoride treatments to offer further protection. During a fluoride treatment, a hygienist applies a fluoride gel to your teeth and allows it to sit and penetrate for a period of time. The fluoride is then rinsed away. Our dentists recommend this treatment for both children and adults.
Dental sealants offer excellent protection against cavities. At our San Diego dental clinic, our dentist recommends dental sealants for children who have all their adult molars. Our dentist applies the sealant to the chewing surfaces of molars and the sealant is hardened under a special light. Because molars are so convoluted, they tend to harbor more bacteria and are thus more prone to cavities. Some children who get sealants never develop a cavity!
Periodontal diseases such as gingivitis and periodontitis can be painful and can even lead to tooth loss. That’s one reason it is so important to practice good oral hygiene, and to make an appointment at our San Diego dentist office if you notice any signs of gum disease, including unusually red and swollen gums, bleeding from the gums, noticeably bad breath or loosening teeth. Our dentist can treat your periodontitis with deep cleaning and root planing and scaling.
Regular oral cancer screenings at our San Diego dentist office are important — the quicker any signs of cancer are discovered by our dentist, the better the chance for a full recovery. Our dentist keeps an eye out for unusual-looking tissue, lumps, bumps or discoloration on the inside of your cheeks and lips and on your tongue and gums. If she notices anything amiss, our dentist will biopsy the suspicious spot to test for cancer. Early detection offers the best odds of recovery.
For patients who grind their teeth in their sleep, our dentist recommends a night guard. Night guards are made of soft plastic and fit snugly over your teeth. A night guard prevents your teeth from touching, so you won’t have to worry anymore about wearing down your teeth or waking up with headaches from clenching all night long. Our San Diego dental clinic creates custom night guards for patients dealing with bruxism.
Gum disease has been linked to heart disease and other systemic health problems.
Begin by getting your toothbrush wet and adding a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. Holding your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle, brush your teeth in small circles, starting at the edge of the gumline and working down. Be sure to brush all surfaces of your teeth — the inside, outside and chewing surface. Our dentist recommends patients spend two minutes brushing their teeth at least twice a day with a toothpaste containing fluoride.
Our dentist recommends taking a length of floss long enough to wrap around a finger on each hand at least twice so that you have a good grip on the floss. Alternatively, you can use a floss pick. Floss slowly and gently in a C-curve around each tooth. If you do not floss regularly, you will likely experience bleeding when you first begin to floss, but this will eventually stop. Flossing removes food particles and bacteria that brushing can’t, so it’s important to floss every day.
Yes. Periodontal cleanings are special, deep cleanings that treat gum disease. They include extensive removal of plaque and tartar in an effort to resolve infection in the gums. Without adequate treatment, periodontal disease can progress, leading to tooth loss. It’s important to keep up with your oral hygiene routine in between cleanings in order to prevent the gum disease from worsening. You may need to come into our San Diego dental clinic for regular periodontal cleanings, depending on the stage of the disease.
In most cases, dental insurance does pay for preventive care. The amount of your reimbursement may be dependent on which San Diego dentist offices participate in your dental insurance plan, but most insurances will pay at least a portion. Check with our dental office staff to see if we participate in your dental insurance plan.
The average person smiles about 40 times a day!
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