General Dentistry
Beautiful Smiles
Brushing your teeth and flossing every day is helpful, but it’s not getting your teeth as clean as you might assume. Your teeth need the help of your dental professional twice a year for cleanings. Your dentist has tools that are designed to get deeper into your teeth, gums, and between your teeth to remove more plaque and buildup that can cause additional health concerns. Every six months is the recommended timeframe for a cleaning, and you want to be sure you’re not missing those appointments.
Book AppointmentThe Benefits of Regular Cleanings
This is not something you can opt to do. It’s necessary for your overall health to see your dentist every six months for a cleaning. Your dentist’s tools give your teeth a deeper and more appropriate cleaning than just a toothbrush and flossing. Of course, you should still brush and floss daily, but your dentist can help you take better care of your teeth if you get cleanings twice a year. Not everything on your teeth is visible to the naked eye, which means you may not be able to keep them as clean as your dentist.
Detect Oral Health Problems
The biggest benefit, aside from a beautiful smile, is that your dentist can detect oral health problems before they become a problem. A cavity found as it’s forming is going to be far easier, less expensive, and less painful to treat than a cavity that’s had ample time to grow and expand. Finding health issues every six months is far better and more manageable than oral health concerns that grow out of control. You have a better chance of saving your teeth when issues are detected right away.
Prevent Future Damage
Unfortunately, everyone is susceptible to gum disease and periodontal disease. It doesn’t matter if you follow every dental health recommendation in the world. Your teeth are not perfect, and you might still develop issues. Your dentist can detect issues early on, diagnose them, and help prevent future damage when you go to the office for regular cleanings.
The Cleaning Process
If you’re not sure what to expect when you go in for your cleaning, you are not alone. Many people want to know what to expect prior to going to the dentist, and many people are nervous about what they don’t know. Here’s what you can expect.
Contact Wilson Dental to schedule your next cleaning. If you have any questions, now is a great time to ask what you can expect and how things will work at your appointment. Any subsequent cleanings can be scheduled after this cleaning.
Short Appointments
Most cleanings take only 30 minutes or less give or take a few minutes in the waiting room.
Evaluation
The first thing your dentist will do during your appointment is evaluate your health, history, and dental concerns. They want to make sure there is nothing going on in your mouth that might prevent them from cleaning your teeth properly.
Scaling
During this process, your dentist removes plaque and/or tartar that’s built-up in your gumline.
Deep Cleaning
Your dentist will put a gritty toothpaste on your teeth and use a special toothbrush to clean them. It might feel funny to you, but there is no pain associated. Your mouth is then rinsed out with a water machine.
Flossing
Yes, your dentist will floss your teeth for you to ensure they did not miss anything.
Fluoride Treatment
This final step allows your dentist to ensure your teeth are cleaner for longer period of time, and it also helps prevent future cavities.
Comprehensive Dental Exams
Your oral health is among the most important aspects of your overall health, and one of the best ways to ensure proper oral health is with the help of a comprehensive routine dental exam. Ideally, you will see your dental professional twice a year for an exam and cleanings.
Your everyday brushing is good for your teeth, but it’s not enough to keep them as healthy as they need to be. Brushing and flossing are recommended at least twice a day for two minutes, but you still need to see your dentist to ensure your teeth are being cleaned in places your toothbrush and floss might not reach.
Book AppointmentThe Benefits of Regular Dental Exams
Many people fail to realize there are more than a few benefits to regular dental exams. You aren’t going to the dentist just for a cleaning. You’re going to ensure your teeth and gums are healthy and in good condition, and there are several benefits associated with that.
Financial
If you see your dentist twice a year, you’re less likely to have excessive oral health issues that incur big bills. Most dental insurance programs cover the cost of twice-yearly trips to the dentist. However, forgoing those appointments can mean that you are allowing oral health issues to grow worse, and that can become costly. The earlier a problem is caught by the dentist, the less expensive it is to fix the problem.
Your Future Health
Did you know your oral health is linked to your health later in life? Gum disease can enter your blood, and it can increase your risk of devastating health problems later in life. Poor oral health can increase your risk of preterm labor in pregnancy, of certain forms of cancer, heart disease, heart attack, and even stroke.
What to Expect at your Appointment
When you see your dentist regularly, your appointment is seamless. You’ll talk about any concerns you have prior to your dentist looking at your teeth. If you have issues, discuss them. If you don’t, your appointment will look like this.
Your dentist appointment might not be your favorite day of the year, but it takes less than an hour twice a year to check for oral health problems. These appointments might save your health, your money, and your future. Contact Wilson Dental today to schedule your next dental appointment.
Medical History
Your doctor will discuss with you any medical history issues you have or your family members might have. Remember, some health issues are hereditary, and knowing this helps your dentist know what to look for.
Tooth Decay
Your dentist will look in your mouth to decide if tooth decay might be an issue you’re dealing with. Cracked and damaged teeth are assessed, if they are present.
Gum Disease
While examining your mouth, your dentist will look for signs of gum disease. This process involves looking at the area around your gums and teeth to check for any evidence of this problem, and it will be discussed if it’s found.
Examination of any other issues
This is typically when your dentist looks at any other dental work you’ve had done to see if everything is in working order or if you need additional dental work. This does not apply to anyone who doesn’t have dental work already.
X-Rays
Your dentist will take x-rays of your teeth to check for additional issues. This is not always something your dentist will do at every appointment, but they are likely going to do this at least once a year.
Restorative Dentistry
Even if you see your dentist every six months, your teeth might still need additional help outside of your cleanings. It’s not uncommon to hear the term restorative dentistry when you’re in the office, but don’t let that scare you.
Restorative dentistry is a term used to describe the process your dental professional uses to help you restore issues in your mouth. Fillings are among the most commonly used restorative dentistry methods, and they are designed to improve your oral health, your smile, and your confidence.
Book AppointmentThe Benefits of Fillings
Fillings are used when one portion of your tooth shows signs of advanced decay. This means your tooth is causing health problems that might lead to gum disease, which can affect your overall health later in life. When your dentist sees signs of decay, he or she can take that portion of the tooth out of your mouth and fill it with a substance that strengthens the existing tooth while also giving you a great, confident smile.
Composite fillings are typically used for teeth with small to moderate cavities, and they’re great for teeth that very visible. That’s the other benefit of this type of filling. They aren’t easily noticeable, which is because they look so much like your actual tooth. Your smile is only positively affected by this type of filling. They’re used to treat cavities, broken teeth, chipped teeth, and even as a way of decreasing the size of a gap between your teeth.
What to Expect
During your appointment for a filling, you can expect a few different things. Your dentist will provide you with after-care instructions for caring for your filling. This means you will not be able to eat on that side of your mouth right away, and your dentist will provide you with a list of other expectations to help with your short recovery period. You will also regain feeling in your mouth no longer than 3 hours after your procedure is complete.
If you suspect you are suffering from tooth decay or a cavity, contact a Wilson Dental office near you to schedule an appointment. You need a filling, and we can help you make sure your teeth are health, looking good, and get your confidence back when you smile.
Use of a Numbing Agent
You cannot have a filling without this. The pain is real, but the numbing agent takes it away and makes it feel as if there is nothing happening.
Removal of Decay
This is the part where your dentist removes the decayed part of your tooth using special tools. Once that is gone, your dentist will apply a strengthening substance to the remainder of the tooth and let it dry.
Filling
This part involves putting the filling into your mouth. It will be done one layer at a time, and the process is done slowly. Once it’s entirely hardened in your mouth, your dentist smoothes and shapes the filling so that it looks like your natural tooth.
Good Oral Healthcare
Do you know when you should take your child to the dentist? There’s some debate about when it’s the right time, but most dental professionals recommend you bring your child to the dentist for the first time when he or she gets their first tooth.
Even if you did not do that, however, it’s never too late to make an appointment with Wilson Dental to let your child get to know the dentist and learn the importance of good oral health care. They are young enough that developing good oral healthcare habits is easy, and it helps them carry those habits throughout their lives.
Book AppointmentBenefits of Pediatric Oral Healthcare
Wilson Dental is well-versed in pediatric dentistry, which is the process of caring for the teeth of children. Teaching kids the importance of good oral health care at a young age makes them more likely to apply those teachings to their everyday lives. Good oral health care starts the moment your child has their first tooth. It should be brushed and cleaned daily, and your child needs to learn how to care for their own teeth on their own.
Bringing your child to the dentist on or before their first birthday offers many benefits. While there might not be many teeth in yet, it’s helpful to acclimate your child to the dentist as early as possible. Getting to know the dentist and learning what to expect at each appointment helps your child become more comfortable. Early appointments don’t require much work, but it does help foster a positive view of the dentist for small children as well as teach them the importance of good oral health care.
What to Expect
Depending on the age of your child, you can expect a few things. If you are bringing a child who is around the age of one, you can expect the dentist to check the teeth they have, and then to play with your child, have some fun, and let the child explore the tools and office. This is how your dental professional makes your child feel comfortable.
There’s nothing more heartwarming than kids who take care of their own teeth and love visiting the dentist, which is what the team at Wilson Dental wants to foster. Contact Wilson Dental now to schedule your child’s next appointment, and rest assured your child will leave the office feeling welcome, happy, and comfortable.
Treatments
As your child gets older, your dentist will want to routinely schedule the following:
-Cleanings
-X-rays
-Fluoride treatments
These are all common practices as your child gets older and visits the dentist twice a year. Of course, your dentist will also talk to kids who are old enough about the importance of brushing regularly, flossing, and the dentist will give your child a cool new toothbrush and toothpaste and floss to help get them started on their journey.
Prizes
Prizes are, in fact, one of the best parts of the process for kids. Don’t expect your kids to get sweets while in the office, but they will get some cool new stickers and little toys to thank them for their great behavior and their fun appointment.