PREVENTIVE
Dentistry
WHAT IS Preventive DENTISTRY?
Preventive dentistry is the practice of caring for your teeth to keep them healthy and prevent oral disease. It’s a combination of regular dental check-ups along with developing good habits like brushing and flossing. Taking care of your teeth starts early in childhood and extends throughout the course of your life.
Cleaning
Professional teeth cleaning (also known as prophylaxis, literally a preventive treatment of a disease) is a procedure for the removal of tartar (mineralized plaque) that may develop even with careful brushing and flossing, especially in areas that are difficult to reach in routine toothbrushing. It is often done by a dental hygienist.
Pit & Fissure Sealants
Pit & fissure sealants are are a dental treatment intended to prevent tooth decay by placing materials into vulnerable pits and fissures in the teeth to fill them in; creating a smooth surface that is easy to clean.
Oral Cancer Screening
Oral cancer screening is an examination performed by a dentist or doctor to look for signs of cancer or precancerous conditions in your mouth. The goal of oral cancer screening is to identify mouth cancer early, when there is a greater chance for a cure.
HIV testing
HIV testing shows whether a person is infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); the virus that causes AIDS. Most HIV tests are antibody tests. Antibodies are produced by your immune system when you’re exposed to viruses like HIV or bacteria. HIV antibody tests look for these antibodies to HIV in your blood or oral fluid. The soonest an antibody test will detect infection is 3 weeks.
Oral Care Instruction
Daily preventive care, including proper brushing and flossing, will help stop problems before they develop and is much less painful, expensive, and worrisome than treating conditions that have been allowed to progress. In between regular visits to the dentist, there are simple steps that each of us can take to greatly decrease the risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease and other dental problems.