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Dental Cleaning
Digital dental X-rays, or dental radiographs, are a critical tool to accurately and completely diagnose the health of your teeth, gums, and surrounding jaw bones. They help to us to see the areas in your mouth where our eyes are unable to visualize. Without dental X-rays we are unable to confirm the health of a wide area of your teeth, gums, and jaw bones. Dental X-rays can detect oral pathologies that are below the teeth in bone such as oral cancer and cysts. For these reasons, they are considered are integral part of optimal, life-long dental health.
There are two series of dental x-rays, a full-mouth series of X-rays and Bite-Wing X-rays- both are very quick and easy for the patient. Diagnosis is immediate since we use digital x-rays and the images are processed for interpretation immediately. A Full-Mouth Series of X-rays is taken during your initial visit at our office and once every 5 years thereafter. Bite-Wing X-rays are taken once a year. These two X-ray exams allow us to visualize many areas of your oral cavity. In situations where a problem is confined to a single tooth and we have previously taken a full-mouth series of X-rays it is possible to take a single X-ray and compare it to previous X-rays. This is very useful in allowing us to determine if problems are getting worse or improving.
Dental X-rays allow us to see many areas where otherwise problems may go unnoticed. They allow us to check under existing fillings and crowns for cavities. Many times the problems can manifest for months to years in areas that are clinically undetectable and do not hurt, but X-ray detection allows easy diagnosis. Clearly, this can lead to early diagnosis of many dental problems resulting in simpler, more conservative treatment and less cost.
Dental x-rays also allow us to check the bone level around your teeth which is critical to teeth’s stability while you chew and speak. Furthermore, X-rays are essential to diagnose Periodontal Disease, a disease causing loss of bone around teeth and possibly tooth-loss. Along with being able to see the jaw bone around your teeth, x-rays can even see the presence of tartar below the gumline.
We hope this information helps you to understand the importance of dental X-rays. Our office is committed to providing the very best dental care. This means we want to catch problems early and see any areas of concern. We also want to provide total mouth health and help to keep your teeth for a lifetime
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of fluoride in preventing tooth-decay in children and adults was one of the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century. Our philosophy at Giunta Dentistry is sometimes the best dentistry is none at all, and that’s we why recommend fluoride varnish to prevent tooth-decay and extensive dental restorative treatment.
Fluoride varnish is an easy, yet effective treatment following a dental cleaning helping to reduce the likelihood of cavities. Fluoride is a naturally occurring ion that over time helps to remineralize tooth enamel. Fluoride also reduces the bacterial production of acid which erodes enamel and decreases the ability of bacteria to adhere to the tooth surface.
Fluoride varnish is beneficial for patients of all ages and especially those that suffer from dry-mouth, tooth-sensitivity, and patients who have had a cavity in the last year. For patients that already have had extensive dental restorations, fluoride varnish is great way to help keep the tooth structure around your restorations strong and decay-resistant. Fluoride applied to children and teens helps them start out on a lifetime without ever having a cavity.
In most cases, fluoride varnish is applied two times a year for maximum effectiveness. Fluoride varnish is applied to the teeth with a small brush following the completion of your dental cleaning and it then dries on contact. After that, you can eat or drink like normal for the rest of the day, just do not brush your teeth for 6-hours to allow the varnish to act your tooth enamel. Following fluoride varnish, use a fluoride containing toothpaste at least two-times a day for your regular everyday oral hygiene.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about half the United States population (65 million people) over the age of 30 has Periodontal Disease. Periodontal or Gum Disease causes bone loss and pocketing around teeth. Periodontal disease is gradual and many times painless so it can progress for years without being noticed. Unfortunately, if periodontal disease remains undiagnosed it can result in tooth loss and other systemic health complications. Teeth are stabilized in the jaws by a special type of bone, known as alveolar bone, and connective tissue. If enough alveolar bone is lost, teeth become loose.
Periodontal disease results from the body’s response to a build-up of plaque and tartar around the teeth at the gumline. When food remains in the mouth following a meal it forms plaque. Plaque, also known as biofilm, is a soft, white material harboring bacteria and serving as a source of infection. Plaque may become trapped in the area just below the gumline in the space between the tooth and gum. If not removed, this plaque will eventually turn into tartar, or calculus, which is white and brittle. Tartar is tenaciously attached to the teeth and cannot be removed by routine home-care; it must be removed by a dental hygienist.
The area between the tooth and gum is highly vascular and as tartar remains in this area it causes an inflammatory response from the body’s own immune system. This leads to factors produced in your liver by the immune system which then travel through your bloodstream into the area of gum attachment on the teeth. All of this an effort to fight bacteria present in plaque and tartar! These immunological factors attempt to fight the bacteria present in calculus, but in doing so they also cause inflammation, bone loss, and loss of special connective tissue which attaches your teeth to the gums. This results in periodontal pocketing and bone loss, and the formation of an even deeper reservoir for tartar retention.
Clearly, periodontal disease can become a life-altering disease if ignored that can negatively affect other metabolic medical conditions including diabetes, high blood-pressure, and high-cholesterol. The good news is many times periodontal disease can be treated non-surgically with a special type of dental cleaning called Periodontal Gum Therapy, systemic antibiotics, and excellent homecare. Our practice is committed to treating these diseases proactively which means frequent dental check-ups, dental cleanings, and educating you on how to take proper care if your teeth and gums are diagnosed with periodontal disease.