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General Dentistry
PREVENTITIVE AND PERIODONTAL TREATMENT
More than just "Cleanings"
We take great pride in our Team of professional Registered Dental Hygienists. Their knowledge, skill, and ability to communicate result in an outstanding program of preventive Continuing Care, Active Periodontal Therapy, and Periodontal Maintenance programs tailored to suit our individual patients’ needs.
At your appointment you may have dental radiographs taken. A panorex or cephalometric is usually taken to access your jaw and teeth, bitewings are for identifying cavities and periapical radiographs are taken to see any concerns with your roots.
Our clinical staff is trained in using our OralID light to check all your tissues for abnormalities. OralID is a battery-operated, hand-held oral examination light used as an adjunctive device for oral mucosal screening. The device emits a visible blue light (435–460 nm) that one shines directly into the oral cavity. When the blue light from OralID shines on healthy oral tissue, it fluoresces green. However, when it shines on abnormal tissue, it appears dark due to a lack of fluorescence.
As part of your initial comprehensive examination, we take detailed measurements and records of the health of your teeth and intra-oral soft tissues – gums and everything else. With that information, the dentists and registered dental hygienists recommend a treatment plan for your initial therapy and on-going preventive and maintenance care.
In addition, the Hygiene Team is expert in health topics that affect, or are affected by, your oral health. They can counsel you on your self-care program (brushing and flossing), nutrition, smoking cessation and how oral health benefits your overall health.
RESTORATIONS/FILLINGS
Dental restoration is the process of restoring teeth that have cavities or have been broken or chipped. Restorations are designed to strengthen your teeth and give them a uniform appearance, as well as keep them safe from decay.
Fillings are used to repair cavities created by tooth decay. If a cavity forms in your enamel, it will eventually get larger and put your tooth at risk for a root canal or extraction. We fill the cavity with material that prevents decay, and which is strong enough to withstand the forces from chewing.
SINGLE TOOTH ANAESTHESIA – THE WAND
If you are fearful of injections you will be happy to hear that Clinton Dental Clinic uses the Single Tooth Anesthesia System® (STA), which is a combination of CompuFlo® technology and The Wand® hand piece that dramatically reduces the pain of injections in the sensitive areas of the mouth like the palate and front of the mouth. This system allows for a more predictable, comfortable injection of anesthetic and significantly reduces injection pain.
Doctors have long known that the main cause of discomfort or pain during an injection is the flow of the anesthetic into your tissues. The STA® System is a controlled anesthesia system that allows the doctor precise control over the location and amount of anesthesia that is administered. This means that the injection is guaranteed to be slow and steady and therefore comfortable. In most treatments, especially involving primary dentition this system works well.
Ask your doctor if The Wand® is right for you.
NITROUS OXIDE
Nitrous oxide is a safe and effective sedative agent that is mixed with oxygen and inhaled through a small mask that fits over your nose to help you relax.
Nitrous oxide, sometimes called “laughing gas,” is one option we offer to help make you more comfortable during certain procedures. It is not intended to put you to sleep. You will be able to hear and respond to any requests or directions the dentist may have. Your dentist will ask you to breathe normally through your nose, and within a few short minutes you should start to feel the effects of the nitrous oxide. You may feel light-headed or a tingling in your arms and legs. Some people say their arms and legs feel heavy. Ultimately, you should feel calm and comfortable. When the procedure is completed, the patient is administered oxygen, which removes the nitrous gas and allows you to drive home safely soon after.
SEALANTS
The premolar and molar teeth are the largest teeth in the mouth. They have a larger surface area and have several grooves and pits on the chewing surface. These grooves can be deep and are a prime place for plaque and acid to build up and cause cavities. It is for this reason that many dentists will suggest applying sealants, especially on young children. A sealant is a coating that is applied to the chewing surface of the teeth creating a smooth surface to act as a barricade protecting it from decay.
ROOT CANAL TREATMENT
Why? Sometimes due to deep decay, a severe blow or other causes a tooth will “die”. This means that the pulp (the nerves and blood vessels within the tooth) dies. The “dead” pulp then provides an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, and the resulting infection can cause pain, swelling or destruction of bone.
How is it done? Root canal treatment involves the removal of the infected pulp tissue, and meticulous debridement of the inside of the tooth. Once that is completed the canal (inside of the tooth) is filled with an inert material (Gutta Percha) which cannot grow bacteria.
Does it hurt? Generally no; occasionally an infected tooth is difficult to “freeze”, but this can be managed with care and patience. Removing the infected nerve tissue often removes the source of pain. Slight tenderness of the tooth for a few hours after the treatment has been done is fairly common and does not usually require more than pain medication usually taken for a headache. Anything more than a slight ache is unusual and should be reported to us.
How long does it take? Root Canal treatment can usually be done in one appointment. A second appointment may be necessary.
Does it work? Overall success rate is about 95%. When the treatment is completed, the tooth is free from pain and feels normal. A crown is strongly recommended after the Root Canal Treatment has been completed to eliminate the possibility of fracture because the tooth will become more brittle over time without a blood supply.
DENTURES
Complete and Partial Dentures are removable appliances that are effective methods of replacing missing teeth. They help maintain bone that is left after teeth are lost.
Partial Dentures can work very well or be very unstable depending on the teeth being replaced and the design limitations presented by an individual’s oral health. They are made of a combination of acrylic (plastic) teeth and gums as well as metal clasps (wires that grip the remaining teeth) and perhaps metal frameworks for extra strength. A benefit to partial dentures is additional lost teeth can be easily added to the existing partial.
Complete dentures can work very well with patients who have no other alternatives in restoring their own teeth. Shrinkage of gums contributes to increasing looseness over time, relining the dentures every few years can help. Eventually dentures become loose and uncomfortable and may need to be replaced every 5-10 years.
Without dentures, the height of the face and the support of the lips and cheeks collapse giving a more aged look.
WHITENING
Many of us feel that our smiles are most striking when our teeth look especially white, but unfortunately, soft drinks, coffee, tea, and tobacco can leave behind ugly stains. To help you restore your gleaming, bright white smile and to give you an added boost of confidence, we offer many options, such as custom whitening kits. Your dental professional can suggest the best bleaching option for you.
NIGHT GUARDS
Night guards are worn at night to help prevent teeth grinding and clenching. Teeth grinding occurs while a person is asleep and has no conscious control over the grinding or clenching. Teeth grinding can occur when a person is under a lot of stress or from habit.
Night guards are bite pads that work at night as you sleep. The guards are usually made of high-grade plastic and are custom-fit to each patient. This device keeps the upper teeth from grinding with the lower teeth, offering an instant solution to teeth clenching problems and reducing both jaw muscle and joint soreness (TMJ problems or Temporomandibular Joint problems).
There are different night guards available including types that cover all top teeth, types that cover all lower teeth, and types that cover just the top six front teeth. There are also types that can be heated with hot tap water making the plastic more malleable, thereby making it more comfortable to wear.
SPORTS GUARDS
Sports guards, also known as mouth guards, are resilient plastic appliances that have been designed to cover and encase an athlete's teeth, gums, and bone.
When a sports guard is worn, it helps to provide protection for the teeth, jaw, bone, lips, cheeks, and gum tissues of the mouth by absorbing and redistributing the forces generated by traumatic blows. It also helps to reduce the chances of concussion (brain injury).
The greatest benefit that a sports guard can provide is protection against damage to teeth and dental work. When a blow is delivered to the mouth and jaw area the forces of the impact are absorbed by the structures of the mouth and jaw.
The construction and design of sports guards may all seem very similar, but the various types of sports guards that are available provide different features and varying degrees of mouth protection. Custom sports guards made by your dentist are typically regarded as the most protective and best type of sports guards.
Sports guards should ideally be replaced after each season because they can wear down over time, making them less effective. Replacement is especially important for adolescents because their mouths continue to grow and teeth continue to develop into adulthood.