GENERAL DENTISTRY

Prevention & Dental Care With Simply smilez Dental

Regular checkups will help you maintain excellent oral health. We offer you and your family general dentistry services. From six months cleanings to standard tooth extractions. We promise a comfortable and positive experience at your appointment.

In our practice we offer exceptional care for the entire family:

• It is critical that children learn how to care for their teeth, even before permanent teeth emerges. Our dental professionals make it fun for kids to visit the Dentist, ensuring they will develop good habits that last a lifetime.
• Teens need regular checkups to ensure continued oral health as they move into adulthood. Issues with tooth alignment often emerge at this age, requiring specialized attention from our orthodontic experts. Our full range of dental services address all of these issues.
• The condition of teeth can change as we age. Adults need regular dental care to maintain good oral health.
• Seniors need specialized dental services that focuses on the effects of aging of the gums and teeth. We offer exceptional care for seniors from general cleanings to specialized  periodontics needs and even possible denture care.

Dental Hygiene Care

Dental Hygiene is crucial to your overall health. We recommend our patients visit our office twice a year to ensure their optimal oral health and to avoid serious and costly issues in the future. During a routine cleaning, the hygienist will scale and polish your teeth, provide fluoride treatment, take necessary x-rays and provide oral hygiene instructions. During a dental exam the Dentist will perform an oral cancer screening and discuss findings and concerns you may have.

Plaque is the bacteria that your dental hygienist will remove from your teeth during your dental hygiene appointment. It is a film bacterium that forms on your teeth and gums after eating foods that produce acids. These foods may include carbohydrates (sugars and starches) such as candy, cookies, bread, crackers, and cereal.

When plaque remains on your teeth for an extended period of time the tooth may start to decay which can lead to cavities, allowing the bacteria to ‘eat away’ at the surfaces of your teeth and gums. Plaque can also lead to gum irritation, soreness, and redness. Sometimes your gums may begin to bleed. This gradual degeneration can often cause gums to pull away from teeth. This condition is called receding gums. Long-term plaque can lead to serious problems. The bacteria can also form pockets of disease around tooth structures that will eventually destroy the bone beneath the tooth. This is why it is important to see the dental hygienist on a regular basis.

Sealants

Permanent molars are the teeth most commonly benefited from sealants. Sealants are a plastic coating that protects the chewing surfaces of a tooth from decay. This procedure is quick and easy with results that can last up to 10 years. Most commonly, children in their early teens are suggested for sealants because the effects will be more beneficial in the long run. However, anyone is a candidate for sealants.

Talk to Us About Family and General Dentistry

Your oral health is important to us. Please feel free to contact us anytime with questions or concerns about your own dental health or that of a family member.

Custom Mouth Guards – *Not Only For Athletes, Also For Teeth Grinding*

Wearing a mouth guard is an important precaution for athletes of all ages and abilities, helping to protect against chipped or broken teeth, root and bone damage, and tooth loss. Mouth guards also safeguard against serious injuries such as jaw fracture, cerebral hemorrhage, concussion and neck injuries by helping to avoid situations where the lower jaw jams into the upper jaw. By keeping soft tissue in the mouth away from the teeth, mouth guards help prevent cutting and bruising of the lips, tongue and cheeks, especially for athletes who wear orthodontic appliances.

Advantages of a Custom Mouth Guard

• Comfortably stays in position
• Better breathing = better performance
• More durable than boil and bite
• May prevent concussions from occurring
• Speak clearly

Why Should I Be Screened For Oral Cancer?

Oral cancer is a serious but treatable disease. The different types of oral cancer include tongue, lips and mouth cancer. If detected early, the survival rate is 80-90 percent.

While some people are at higher risk, oral cancer can affect anyone at any age. Some symptoms of oral cancer include white or red patches, lumps on the mouth or the lips, as well as loose teeth, aching jaw, difficulty swallowing, mouth sores that refuse to heal and unexpected gum bleeding. Dentists look for signs of oral cancer as part of a regular dental exam. They check the roof, back and floor of your mouth, as well as your teeth, gums, tongue and cheeks. The tongue exam may also include a gentle tug to check both sides and underneath.

Professional dental care, and regular checkups are the most effective way to detect oral cancer.

Extractions

The most common type of extraction offered at our clinics is wisdom teeth removal. In most cases, wisdom teeth will grow in an uncomfortable way that may add pressure to the teeth causing pain. In most cases regarding orthodontic work, it is suggested to remove wisdom teeth to avoid complication with completed treatment. In other situations, the Dentist may suggest extraction if there is deep decay in a tooth or a serious infection has occurred, that cannot be healed.

Root Canal Therapy (Endodontics)

A root canal is when the nerve inside the tooth, also known as the pulp, is infected from erosion of the tooth enamel. An infection inside the tooth is not treatable. However, the Dentist can clean out and fill the root. Proper brushing, flossing and regular visits to your Dentist can help avoid the symptoms of an infected root.

Signs and symptoms of an infection:

• Severe, persistent, throbbing toothache
• Sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures that linger
• Sensitivity to the pressure of chewing or biting
• Fever
• Swelling in your face or cheek
• Tenderness or swelling of the gums surrounding the tooth
• Darkening of the tooth

If you have any of these symptoms please contact us to book an appointment and one of our Dentists will be happy to help.

Restorations (Fillings)

The purpose of a filling is to restore a tooth that was damaged by decay. During the procedure the decay is removed and the tooth is cleaned and prepped for the filling material. Getting a filling done will also prevent against further decay. There are many different types of material that are used: gold, amalgam, porcelain and composite. Composite resin material is preferred as it is tooth colored.