Comprehensive Dental Care at Provident Dentistry
At Provident Dentistry, we are focused on keeping your teeth and gums healthy, which is why we recommend that you visit us at least twice a year for preventative dentistry services. Our team will educate you on your unique dental situation and will work to detect symptoms of a cavity or gum disease, which may go unnoticed to the untrained eye. However, these problems often develop into more complex issues that we can help avoid with regular dental appointments. We look forward to encouraging healthier and happier visits to the dentist by offering gentle, preventive care.
Dental Cleanings · Prophylaxis (Child, Adult, Periodontal Maintenance)
It is very important to create a routine cleaning regimen for your teeth. Making regular dental appointments is part of this process and will help keep you on track with your oral hygiene in order to help prevent cavities and gum diseases.
At Provident Dentistry, our skilled dental hygienists perform child, adult, and periodontal maintenance prophylaxis cleanings (professional dental cleanings). Cleanings should be performed every three to six months to prevent excessive plaque buildup depending on your history of, and susceptibility to disease.
Most people do a great job of cleaning their teeth at home, which is very important. But nobody can keep their teeth 100% clean all the time, not even our meticulous dentists. Plaque is a word for food deposits mixed with bacteria that covers your teeth as a thin film on a daily basis. Over time, it slowly calcifies into what we call calculus (also known as tartar, or hard mineral deposits). A toothbrush cannot remove calculus/tartar which is why it is recommended to see your dentist and hygienist often to remove this buildup and prevent gum disease and cavities (caries).
Plaque left untreated can lead to unhealthy gums and tooth decay. A routine dental cleaning should include scaling and polishing. Dental hygienists traditionally perform scaling by hand. However, new and advanced technology has led to more modern methods such as ultrasonic water scalers. These sophisticated instruments allow dental cleanings to be performed more efficiently and in less time. To achieve best results, both electric and manual scaling methods may be combined for dental cleanings.
During routine cleaning appointments, our hygienists may also do the following:
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Review medical and dental history
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Chart existing dental work
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Take radiographs (x-rays)
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Record a full mouth chart of your gum health
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Perform an examination of the jaw joint for patients with TMJ/TMD problems
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Perform an oral cancer screening
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Clean removable appliances such as dentures or partials or night guards
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Apply fluoride varnish
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Educate you about nutrition, tooth brushing, flossing, and areas that you may have a difficult time cleaning.
Deep Cleanings: Scaling and Root Planing
Scaling and Root Planing is intended to provide a healthy environment in which tissues re-adapt to normal tooth surfaces. Periodontal disease is caused by a buildup of calculus, plaque, and stain on the crowns and root surfaces of teeth. It can begin as localized gingival (gum) inflammation and progress to serious disease that results in major damage to the soft tissue and the bone that supports the teeth. Left untreated, this disease may progress to the ultimate loss of teeth. In periodontal disease, gingival tissue may detach (pull away) from teeth, and periodontal pockets form.
During our Scaling and Root Planing appointments, our hygienists will numb the patient and use their specialized instruments to clean the bacteria out of the periodontal pockets in an effort to stabilize the progression of disease. They will pay close attention to your comfort level to ensure that you don’t feel a thing. Trust us, the name is the worst part of this procedure!
Examinations
One of our highly trained Doctors will perform the examination, which applies to new, existing, and emergency patients. The assessment includes an examination of all hard (teeth) and soft (gum) tissues of the mouth, including an oral cancer screening. The dentist will record all of their findings, diagnose, and present an accurate treatment plan for each patient based on their unique oral health.
Tooth Extractions
Tooth extraction is a dental procedure that involves removing a tooth from its socket in the jaw bone. First and foremost, good teeth do not get pulled. That’s why we examine the condition of the tooth closely to determine if an extraction is really required. Before a tooth is removed, the dentist will take an x-ray in order to understand the shape and position of the tooth and surrounding bone. Our goal is always to preserve your natural teeth no matter the situation. However, when a tooth is damaged beyond saving, we can perform a safe and comfortable tooth extraction. With modern dental methods, you may only experience minor discomfort and bleeding.
Reasons for a tooth extraction include:
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Wisdom tooth removal and impacted teeth
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Disease (severe decay, advanced periodontal disease, infection, or abscess)
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Trauma (fractured teeth or roots)
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Orthodontic correction (teeth crowding and malpositioned teeth)
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Stubborn baby teeth
After the extraction, our dentists may prescribe medication for you to take. You’ll need to eat a soft diet and refrain from smoking or sucking through a straw for about 24 hours from the time of extraction. Surgery may be required where a tooth has broken below the gum line or has disintegrated into several pieces. Extraction is usually carried out under local anesthesia, but general anesthesia may be required when several teeth need to be pulled. Based on the degree of difficulty, we may refer you to a specialist called an oral surgeon.
Anytime you have a tooth removed (other than for orthodontic reasons), we will recommend a restorative procedure to replace it, such as a bridge, dental implant, or partial denture. Replacing a tooth that has been extracted is important for restoring function to your mouth and improving your smile.
Sealants
Our dentist may recommend dental sealants for you or your child. Sealants are used to fill narrow grooves in a tooth that cannot be adequately cleaned by brushing. In some cases, the tooth structure has fine grooves or pits which accumulate plaque, not because the person doesn’t brush, but because they’re too narrow or deep for the bristles to reach the plaque.
To avoid cavities developing over time, the dentist or hygienist will apply a thin layer of tooth-colored material to the molars and premolars (depending on the need), which seals the grooves and pits of the teeth. Sealants are applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth and are highly effective in preventing tooth decay. Fluoride may be applied to these teeth as well. Topical fluoride is used to strengthen enamel and make teeth more resistant to tooth decay.
TMJ/TMD Treatment
A common misconception is that TMJ and TMD are the same thing. TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull in front of your ear. At this site, there is a piece of cartilage that helps the joint move smoothly. Muscles attached to, and surrounding, the joint control the position of your lower jaw. It is very common that disorders of the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) are incorrectly called TMJ, instead they should be called TMD (Temporomandibular disorder).
TMD happens as a result of problems with your jaw, your jaw joint, and the muscles that control chewing and moving. Sometimes it can also be due to a combination of these factors. The causes of TMD are not always clearly defined, but mainly symptoms arise from problems with the muscles of the jaw, or with the parts of the joint itself. If you are experiencing discomfort, stiffness, or dysfunction from the joint that connects your jaw to your skull, you may be in need of treatment. We can help relieve any discomfort you may have by visiting our office.
At Provident Dentistry, our doctors are now offering FDA-approved Botox* injections in the masseter muscle for TMJ pain to lessen headache and migraine symptoms associated with TMJ dysfunction.
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Common symptoms to look out for:Muscle Discomfort: This muscle discomfort could include soreness or stiffness in the cheeks or temple area. This can occur from clenching or grinding teeth.
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Joint Discomfort: This is a form of arthritis and can be relieved by being prescribed joint pain medication.
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Clicking: When you open your mouth, you may hear a clicking or popping sound. This is caused by shifting of the joint disc between your skill and jaw.
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Limited mobility: Limited ability to open your mouth. Difficulty eating, chewing or talking.
Treating TMJ: We use a wide variety of treatment options to treat TMD and to tailor individual treatments that fit your exact problems. These options include patient education, physical therapy exercises, medications, occlusal/night guards, or referral to specialists for more severe cases of joint dysfunction
*Provident Dentistry may use Xeomin® (incobotulinumtoxinA), a different brand of FDA-approved botulinum toxin to achieve similar results as Botox® (onabotulinumtoxinA). Ask your provider for more details on the product that they’ll be using for your TMD treatment, which will be either Botox® or Xeomin®. For more information, please visit our facial rejuvenation page.
Relieving Dental Anxiety
Are you scared of going to the dentist, but you need treatment? You’re not alone. If you’re like many people you may experience some degree of uneasiness when facing the prospect of going to the dentist. We understand that it can be unsettling to have someone explore a personal area of your body, such as your mouth, gums, and teeth. For some people, this nervousness extends beyond being mildly unsettling.
Dental anxiety is a condition in which you suffer extreme discomfort, nervousness, fear and even panic at the thought of going to the dentist. In more extreme cases, it manifests in very real symptoms. People who experience aggressive forms of dental anxiety may avoid visiting the dentist to the point where mild dental problems become severe. Routine dental visits can help you avoid many of the would-be scarier complications that good oral health care can prevent.
Here at Provident Dentistry, we understand your fears and we are here to help you work through your anxieties. First and foremost, be open with us about your concerns from the start of your appointment. The more we know the better. Our experienced clinical team will make every effort to ensure your comfort while in our dental chairs, which may include warm blankets, calming music, or sedatives like nitrous oxide (laughing gas).
We will also walk you through the entire process so you know what you expect, which will ultimately help to decrease fear of the unknown and help you maintain some degree of control over the pace of the procedure. By the end of your appointment, we hope that our team will earn your trust which is essential for providing high quality care and maintaining good oral health moving forward.