Preventative Dental Care

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Preventative Dental Care

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Keeping Our Teeth Healthy

We all want to keep our teeth healthy for a lifetime and the only way to do this is through prevention. Bacteria, which cause cavities and gum disease, need to be treated to maintain a healthy mouth. Fortunately, all dental disease is preventable and your best choice for family dentist Oregon City has, Dr. Sam Greenstein, is dedicated to helping his patients gain the knowledge of how to prevent future dental problems.

Comprehensive Examination and X-Rays

Oregon City Dentist Dr. Sam Greenstein and staff recommend a good oral hygiene regimen as the best way to preserve the health of your teeth and gums.

Daily brushing and flossing, as well as regular dental exams and professional cleanings every six months, are key to maintaining oral health.

With our exam and X-rays, we can catch problems such as decay, cysts, and bone loss early and recommend proper treatment. A comprehensive evaluation of your dental health is essential to providing you with a complete diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

During your exam, we collect all the data needed to determine your level of gum disease, tooth decay, tooth trauma, TMJ health and overall oral health.

Taking a complete set of X-rays is a critical part of this examination, allowing us to evaluate the status of your jawbones, sinus cavities and all of your teeth. While we encourage all our new patients to undertake a comprehensive examination, if you are in pain, we can also do site-specific exams to diagnose and treat the source of your discomfort and recommend the appropriate treatment plan.

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Dental Hygiene/Cleaning

Our hygienists perform thorough dental cleanings as well as teach you how to keep your smile healthy. Quality daily oral hygiene ranks as a vital part of protecting the long-term health of your teeth and gums. Brushing and flossing daily help to remove oral bacteria from the mouth that contributes to the development of dental decay and disease. Failing to adequately brush and floss allow this bacteria to remain in the mouth where it can lead to cavities, gum disease and tooth loss.

As a premier dentist in Oregon City, our exceptional care, knowledgeable staff and pleasantly comfortable surroundings are a few reasons why patients love us. We place every patient’s oral health as our top priority. Unlike other dental offices that take a universal approach to patient care, our staff works with each patient individually to ensure the individual oral needs of our patients are met and their expectations exceeded.

Your cleaning appointment will include:

A hardened form of plaque, tartar attaches itself to the surface of your teeth. Tartar appear yellowish and color and can cause your teeth to lose a little of their natural luster.

Plaque is a sticky biofilm comprised of lingering food particles and oral bacteria that clings to the surface of your teeth. Unless removed regularly through daily brushing and flossing, this bacteria produces harmful acids and toxins that infect the gums, causing cavities and gum disease.

A lifetime of eating teeth staining foods and drinks such as coffee, tea and wine can rob any smile of its brilliance. Teeth polishing can help remove these types of stains from your teeth, restoring your brilliance back to your smile.

Our Oregon City dentist and his staff happily provide patients with tips on how to best care for your teeth and gums. Daily oral hygiene ranks as a vital part of protecting the long-term health of your teeth and gums, which makes it important that you know about the best practices for maintaining your oral health.

Tooth Sealants

Many of the cavities that occur during childhood start in the deep, tiny grooves of teeth, especially molars. A sealant or plastic resin is bonded into the grooves as a means of helping to prevent the formation of decay.

With sealants, tooth brushing becomes easier and more effective against tooth decay. Sealants are typically applied to children’s teeth as a preventative measure during the formative years, when tooth decay is most prevalent, but may also be applied to adults’ teeth.

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Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride helps prevent tooth decay by making the tooth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque, bacteria, and sugars in the mouth. Fluoride will help re-mineralize teeth that have been affected by decay, stopping the cavity process. Dr. Greenstein may decide that fluoride treatments need to be part of your overall treatment plan. Studies have found that the use of topical fluoride – found in mouthwashes, toothpastes and fluoride treatments – can help prevent the damage caused by tooth decay and make your teeth stronger and more resilient in the future.

Patients may need additional fluoride treatments if they suffer from a range of oral health issues, including:

Dry mouth. Saliva plays an important role in protecting the long-term health of a patient’s teeth and gums. Causes of dry mouth can include dehydration, problems with the saliva glands and certain prescription medications. Patients suffering from dry mouth have a higher risk of developing tooth decay and cavities. Fluoride treatments can help strengthen teeth from the damage caused by oral bacteria and reduce the effect dry mouth has on their oral health.

Braces. While wearing braces can dramatically improve the look of a patient’s smile, braces also easily trap food particles and bacteria that can contribute to decay if left untreated. Fluoride treatments will help protect teeth from these harmful compounds during orthodontic treatment.

Gum disease. Patients who suffer from gum disease also have a higher rate of dental decay. Additional fluoride treatments may be a necessary part of the patient’s gum disease treatment.

Gum Disease and Treatment

Gum disease (periodontal disease) is a serious threat to not only your oral health but also to your general health. Studies have shown that people with periodontal disease are more susceptible to heart problems. It is estimated that 80 % of American adults have some form of periodontal disease.

What are the signs and symptoms?

  1. Loose teeth
  2. Bad breath
  3. Inflamed or bleeding gums
  4. Your teeth hurt when you chew

Treatment for periodontal disease usually begins with therapy called scaling and root planning (deep cleaning). The hygienist will remove plaque and tartar under the gums through this deep cleaning. This will eliminate rough spots on the root where the bacteria forms. It is possible that the gum disease is too severe and we may refer you to a gum specialist called a periodontist.

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