DENTAL CLEANING

A dental cleaning is a professional cleaning you receive from a dentist or dental hygienist. Most dental cleanings take only between 25 and 30 minutes.  Cleanings should be performed every six months to prevent excessive plaque buildup.  Plaque left untreated can lead to unhealthy gums and tooth decay.  A routine dental cleaning should include scaling, root planing and polishing.

Scaling: this is the process of removing plaque and tartar from all tooth surfaces in a variety of methods, depending on the amount of plaque and tartar.

Dental hygienists traditionally perform scaling by hand. However, new and advanced technology has lead to more modern methods such as electric scalers.  This sophisticated tool allows dental cleanings to be performed more efficiently and in less time. 

Root planing: this is the process of cleaning pockets in the gums to treat and prevent gum problems.

Root planing is used to treat moderate to advanced gum diseases. When the gum is inflamed, gum pockets become deeper and may lose connections to the bone inside.  The deeper the pockets, the easier it is for plaque deposits to become trapped and worsen gum problems.

Root planing involves inserting a pointed dental tool called scalers into the gum pockets to clean plaque buildup. Depending on the degree of difficulty, root planing may take several appointments and a local anesthesia may be used to prevent pain.

Polishing: this is the last step in tooth cleaning and involves finishing the surface of the teeth to make them shiny and clean.  

Some types of bad breath, such as "morning mouth," are considered fairly normal and are not usually health concerns. However, persistent bad breath may be a sign of more serious problems with the gums and teeth.

Bad breath may be caused by the following:

• Poor dental hygiene – poor oral hygiene can leave food particles to decay in the mouth
• Infections in the mouth such as periodontal (gum) disease
• Respiratory-tract infections such as throat infections, sinus infections, lung infections
• External agents including foods such as garlic, onions, and coffee, as well as cigarettes and chewing tobacco
• Dry mouth caused by salivary gland problems or by breathing through the mouth
• Systemic illnesses such as diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, lung disease, sinus disease, reflux disease and others

Please call our office promptly if you have bad breath with painful swollen gums that bleed easily or loose teeth.  We will perform a physical examination of your mouth to determine the cause.  If we discover that systematic problems are the cause, we may refer you to your family physician, or other qualified practitioner.

First the surface of the tooth is roughened in order to accept the bonding.  Second, a gel is applied so the resin will adhere to the surface of the tooth.  The composite is then placed on the tooth and the bonding agent hardens with intense light. The last step is shaping and polishing to give a lustrous finish. 

A filling is a way to restore a tooth damaged by decay back to its normal function and shape.  If you have a tooth that requires a filling, the dentist will first remove the decayed tooth material, clean the affected area, and then fill the cleaned out cavity with a filling material.  A filling helps prevent further decay by closing off any cracks or spaces where bacteria can enter.

There are a variety of filling materials available including gold, silver, plastic and porcelain. The dentist will work with you to determine which material is best, depending on biocompatibility. 

· Gold fillings are custom made in a laboratory and then cemented into place.  While gold fillings are often the most expensive choice, many consider it the best filling material.  Gold inlays are well-tolerated by gum tissues and may last more than 20 years.

Silver fillings are really mercury based fillings with an amalgam of metals such as silver, tin ,indium, palladium,copper, and zinc. These fillings are tolerated by some but due to the mercury content is not a desirable choice as a dental restoration.

· Composite (plastic) resins/porcelains are custom made, either chairside or laboratory fabricated, to the exact color of your natural teeth, creating a more natural appearance.

          If decay or a fracture has damaged a large portion of the tooth, a crown or onlay may be        recommended. 

Nitrous Oxide Sedation
Nitrous Oxide sedation, also known as “laughing gas” is commonly used to make treatment more comfortable.  This sedation is inhaled through a mask that allows you to breathe in the medication and induces a state of relaxation.  Local anesthetic will be administered in conjunction with nitrous oxide to eliminate pain.

Oral Sedatives
This medication can be given to a patient the night before a dentistry procedure or 30 minutes to an hour prior to the dental appointment, depending on the severity of the anxiety. Oral sedatives do not provide pain relief, so an injection of local anesthetic will also be administered.

Intravenous (IV) Sedation
IV sedation will put you at ease so you experience little to no discomfort. However, your dentist may or may not administer a local anesthetic to ensure that you don’t experience any pain.  At this point you will be so relaxed that you will hardly even notice.

Throughout the procedure, your breathing, heart rate and blood pressure will be closely monitored. Patients generally recover quickly, although they may feel slightly groggy immediately afterwards. IV sedation is extremely safe when administered by an anesthesiologist  like Dr. Sawan here at Dentistry for the Health Conscious

On the day of your procedure, you will need to have another adult with you to take you home. You should not perform strenuous activities, drive a motor vehicle or drink alcohol for the rest of the day. Do not take any medications prior to or following surgery unless you Dr. Meyer and Dr.Sawan have approved their safety.

AUTOMATED APPOINTMENT REMINDER
We use an automated appointment reminder system that will call your home two days prior to your scheduled appointment time to remind you of your appointment.  Please listen to the message carefully and follow the prompts to confirm your appointment. If you do not respond to the message, our office staff will contact you to confirm your scheduled visit.  If you are not home, a message will be left on your voicemail, text, or e-mail.

DIGITAL IMAGING SOFTWARE
We use digital imaging software in our office, which allows us to take a digital picture of you and use our imaging system to predict how a particular treatment or cosmetic procedure would change the appearance of your teeth. This software is beneficial for patients who are considering cosmetic procedures but are not sure if they are ready for dramatic changes. Digital imaging also allows us to document your dental case and procedures very well.  We take digital images of your face, teeth and smile to provide us with a permanent dental record and to provide a visual documentation of treatment.

We use small cameras about the size of a pen, called intraoral cameras, to help clearly see the condition of your teeth and gums.  With this advanced technology we can zoom in on small diseased areas, cracks, chips and worn metal fillings with extreme precision. The full-color images taken with the intraoral camera are sent to a computer screen so we can clearly see and diagnose dental problems much earlier than with traditional dental technology.  As images are displayed on our screens, patients will also be able to see areas being worked on and are able to gain a better understanding of dental procedures being performed.