Diagnostic + Preventative Care
Collective Smiles can provide a wide range of diagnostic and preventive dental services for the entire family. We can typically provide every type of dental service without having to refer you to other specialties. This flexibility saves you time and keeps your total dental care within one practice. Our emphasis is on total preventive care for our patients. Total care begins with regular hygiene visits, regular check-ups and continued home oral health routines.
The grooves and depressions that form the chewing surfaces of the back teeth are extremely difficult (if not impossible) to clean of bacteria and food. As the bacteria reacts with the food, acids form and break down the tooth enamel, causing cavities. Recent studies indicate that 88 percent of total cavities in American school children are caused this way.
Tooth sealants protect these susceptible areas by sealing the grooves and depressions, preventing bacteria and food particles from residing in these areas. Sealant material is a resin typically applied to the back teeth, molars and premolars and areas prone to cavities. It lasts for several years but needs to be checked during regular appointments.
Fluoride is a substance that helps teeth become stronger and resistant to decay. Regularly drinking water treated with fluoride and brushing and flossing regularly ensures significantly lower cavities. Dentists can evaluate the level of fluoride in a primary drinking water source and recommend fluoride supplements (usually in tablets or drops), if necessary.
Annually, you should schedule a routine dental cleaning. During this visit, one of our dental hygienists will remove plaque from your teeth, especially from places where your brush can’t reach, such as underneath the gum line and in-between teeth. We will then clean your teeth and apply fluoride to help protect your teeth once you leave the office.
Fluoride is a relatively recent but important advancement in dental and oral health. Studies consistently show that a moderate but consistent exposure of teeth to fluoride helps strengthen and rebuild tooth structure, and helps prevent future decay.
If you are due for your annual dental cleaning, please call our office to schedule an appointment.
The term “periodontal” means “around the tooth.” Therefore, periodontal disease affects the gums and bone supporting the teeth. Gum, or periodontal, disease can cause inflammation, tooth loss and bone damage. The infection starts when the gums become inflamed due to bacteria in plaque, a sticky, colorless film that forms on your teeth. While this is often the main cause of periodontal disease, other factors can also be attributed to affecting the health of the gums and bone, including:
- Stress
- Genetics
- Pregnancy
- Medications
- Diabetes
- Poor Nutrition
Periodontal disease comes in many forms. Gingivitis is perhaps the mildest form of gum disease. While the gums become red, swollen and bleed easily, there is very little to no discomfort associated at this stage of the disease. Through a good oral hygiene regimen and treatment from your dentist, the results of gingivitis can be reversed.
While migraines, tension headaches, teeth grinding/clenching and TMJ/TMD problems are all separate conditions, they can all bring misery to the people who suffer from them. Now, science is discovering that there is a common culprit for many cases of these and other conditions: the trigeminal nerve system.
The trigeminal nerve system is responsible for interpreting sensory input from your head, behind your eyes and your upper and lower jaw. All of these nerves feed into one central nerve cluster – the Sensory Nucleus. When this nerve center malfunctions, it can cause your brain to interpret sensory signals from these affected areas to be misinterpreted – causing your brain to respond inappropriately. For example, the simple change in blood pressure around your brain during a heartbeat can be interpreted as a “pounding” sensation, or the input of bright light can elicit a painful response.
While it is not currently known why or how the trigeminal nerve system malfunctions (and indeed it could be different among many cases), what is helpful for nearly everyone who suffers from any of these conditions is to minimize the sensory input to the Sensory Nucleus.
To do this, scientists have formed the NTI device. The NTI device is a dental mouthpiece that must be created and customized with the assistance of a dental professional. The mouthpiece attaches either to the top or bottom teeth, and is custom-designed to position your teeth in a perfect “rest” position – one where the trigeminal nerves are neither reporting signals from your teeth touching (which also leads to grinding/clenching), nor where your mouth is perceived as “open.” causing your temporomandibular nerves to report to the Sensory Nucleus (also a cause of TMD symptoms). This way, sensory input from the trigeminal nerve system is minimized, and the frequency and intensity of the associated conditions is minimized as well.
If you’d like to know more about the NTI device or whether it may help you with any conditions you may suffer from such as migraines, please schedule a consultation with us.
