Reliable Preventive Dentistry in Mt. Vernon, WA

Preventive dentistry is the area of dentistry aimed to help people prevent oral disease and its further development. Preventive dentistry includes not just in-office dental care, but at-home treatments as well.

Some examples of at-home treatments include:

  • Regular brushing– the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing two times a day and directly after meals, when possible
  • Regular flossing– the ADA recommends flossing at least once a day
  • Rinsing with anti-bacterial mouth wash– recommended after each brushing

Proper brushing is an essential part in preventive dentistry. The proper way to brush your teeth is to use a soft nylon toothbrush with round-ended bristles. Next both the tooth surface and the gum line should be brushed by placing the brush at a 45-degree angle along the gum line and brushing gently in a rolling back-and-forth motion on the surface of the teeth. When brushing you should cover the inner surfaces of your teeth and then tilt the brush in order to brush the front teeth. The ideal brushing technique also involves the brushing of the tongue. Brushing should last until all teeth a gum lines have been thoroughly brushed.

Receiving regular dental cleanings and exams is crucial in keeping your mouth healthy and your smile beautiful. This routine preventive care helps our dentist to monitor your oral health and provide prompt treatment for any developing problems.

If your teeth are at greater risk for developing cavities, our dentist can provide you with dental sealants to help block decay-causing bacteria and protect your teeth. Sealants are a fast and highly effective way to prevent tooth decay and keep your smile healthy.

Periodontal disease or “gum disease” is a significant and often undiagnosed bacterial infection that causes chronic inflammation in the mouth. Any on-going infection, no matter where it is on the body is not good for us. Why? Because our immune system has to constantly deal with it to keep it “at bay”. If left untreated, gum disease can damage the tissue around the teeth, cause an easy pathway for bacteria to get into the bloodstream and can irritate the bone that holds the teeth firmly in place. Irritated bone tends to disappear and when enough is gone, teeth can become loose and wobbly. Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss. And the more teeth we lose, the harder it is for us to eat. Soon we’re thinking “twice” before ordering that juicy meal because we’ll struggle to chew it up. So, gum disease has the potential of affecting the quality of our lives, not to mention self-esteem if we lose a front tooth.

Sometimes we can see the gum disease: red, swollen, inflamed gums that hurt when you touch or floss them. Other times it’s like a “silent” disease that you wouldn’t know you had unless a dentist or hygienist takes a closer look around. At our office, we take gum disease seriously. We are particularly concerned about it affecting other parts of your body since the ongoing research is linking it to heart health, diabetes, Alzheimer’s (and other dementias), rheumatoid arthritis, pancreatic cancer and more. The research continues. The head really is connected to the toes and it passes through the mouth.

At our office we are extremely proud of our progressive gum disease program. Our hygienists are among a few hundred hygienists nationwide who have the privilege of working with a tiny camera (Perioscopy, an endoscope) that they slip under the gums so they can “see” these calcified deposits called “tartar” or “calculus” and remove them. Anything short of using a camera is what we call “blind-root planing”. We think it’s important to “get it all” removed. And we also think that if we can remove it all we have a better chance of preventing you from taking a trip to a gum surgeon for gum surgery, whereby they cut the gums, pull them back, remove the deposits, then stitch you back together again. Ugh! Who wants that!? We have the technology now to minimize gum surgery. It’s no wonder my patient’s chose endoscope treatment if they’re looking for our best care.

We also look at over-all health, blood test values, and follow the Bale-Doneen philosophy for approaching gum disease. We are very keen on vitamin D deficiencies as an example and know that the mouth in many circumstances is a reflection of what’s happening in the rest of the body. Check out PerioPeak.com for more details.

Nightguards are designed to wear at night and protect your teeth from the damages of clenching/grinding (worn, chipped, fractured teeth/crowns), headaches (including migraines) and TMJ problems. Grinding wears away enamel and once it’s gone, it’s gone. At our office we believe there’s no reason not to have beautiful teeth at the age of 80, but it must begin by preventing wear on teeth starting years sooner.

Our nightguards may be a little different than what you’d find elsewhere. We make “lower” nightguards. And we make them after relaxing the grinding muscles with a TENs unit. Why TENS? Our commitment to you is that we want you to “love” your nightguard. We can only get you to love it if the muscles are comfortable while wearing it. If you love it, you’re more likely going to use it. We’ve personally tried both upper and lower nightguards and there is a clear difference. For one, you can still talk while wearing a lower nightguard (allows you to wear during the day if you want to). Second, upper night guards have a higher risk of crowding the tongue. If the tongue doesn’t have room to sit in its normal spot, it has to sit further back. Uhhh, there’s an airway back there…. anyone ever heard of airway obstruction, or sleep apnea? And, get this; grinding is now considered a “red-flag” for possible sleep apnea. No kidding!

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