A Healthy Smile, A Healthy Body

We recognize that your oral health extends beyond simply looking your best. It’s about obtaining and maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Do you know that the cause of most tooth loss is not decay? It’s gum disease. And medical research has established a link between gum disease and your overall health. Fortunately, gum disease can be treated successfully, often without surgery. We wish for all our patients to have excellent oral health, so our pledge to you includes paying meticulous attention to all of your needs to help you take care of your best possible smile.

The Importance of Hygiene Visits

Regular brushing and flossing done with the proper tools and an attention to detail will usually remove most of the plaque from your teeth. However, plaque is soft and sticky and clings in the hard-to-reach places. Eventually, any plaque you miss will harden and become tartar, which exceeds what your typical toothbrush and floss can remove. Tartar accumulates below the gumline as well as on the surface of your teeth. These deposits of plaque and tartar can lead to more serious problems with your teeth and gums, including gum disease. Research shows a solid link between untreated gum disease and other serious illnesses like heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Which is why one of the most important reasons to visit your dentist is to have your teeth cleaned by a professional hygienist. Having the plaque and tartar removed from your teeth regularly is one of the best things you can do to stay healthy!

Saving Hopeless Teeth

In the past, teeth with roots that had been damaged or severely infected used to require extraction, because a simple filling was an insufficient restoration. Missing teeth can create problems with your dental occlusion (bite) and should be averted whenever possible. The good news is that Dr. Aitken is able to offer root canal therapy. A root canal is a method of saving a tooth by excavating the pulp chamber of the tooth and replacing it with a filling material. When dentists first began performing root canals, the process involved extensive drilling, took considerable time, and often lacked the appropriate amount of numbing. As a result, the root canal received a reputation as something to be avoided. However, with modern anaesthetics and technology, root canals are often manageable.

Senior Dental Care is Different

Our teeth and gums age just like the rest of our bodies. Even our prior dental work may fracture or grow loose with time. Our team is mindful of the dental concerns that challenge our senior patients. We’re alert for gum infection, which increases in potential risk as we age. So, we check our patients for the indicators – red, swollen, or bleeding gums when brushing or flossing, and loose teeth. Plaque is more likely to concentrate on the surface of older teeth and lead to decay. We focus on removing it before it develops into tartar and a larger issue.

After years of consuming caffeine or tobacco, teeth can grow dull and need professional whitening to bring back their original luster. We can help. Some of your medications will reduce the necessary flow of saliva through your mouth, and we have products that will ease this complication. We advocate good nutrition, daily hygiene, and routine check-ups to help your smile stay white and keep your natural teeth healthy for a lifetime.

A Less Obvious Repair

Given a choice, most people want to avoid having repairs visible in their teeth, which is why the standard silver-mercury amalgam filling isn’t always appealing. A metal filling is an acceptable, budget-minded repair, but it’s hard to camouflage against white teeth. Alternative materials have made it possible for us to offer restorations that are a natural-looking white. These composite materials bond to the healthy part of your tooth, reducing the risk of decay in the future. Ask us if this treatment is right for you.

If it’s time for your next cleaning, or if you’re ready to schedule a consultation, call us now at (855) 636-9223.

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