Preventive dentistry is dental care that helps keep your teeth and gums healthy and it is crucial to maintaining good oral health. Preventive dentistry includes a combination of regular dental check ups and professional cleanings along with establishing good homecare habits like brushing and flossing. As a patient at Ahwatukee Dental Health, our #1 goal is to help you prevent dental diseases like cavities, gum disease, enamel wear, and more. We do this through routine preventive care. We may recommend one or more of the following services as part of your preventive dental care plan:
Comprehensive Exams
Exams with Dr. Nordquist will always be thorough and comprehensive. She enjoys spending quality time with each and every patient, getting to you and your smile. After gathering information from evaluations of your teeth, gums, x-rays, and intraoral photos, Dr. Nordquist will put together a treatment plan that includes recommendations and options of any dental treatment that may be needed.
Dental Cleanings
Having a professional cleaning regularly helps prevent gingivitis, gum disease, and tooth decay. The primary goal of a cleaning is to remove plaque and tartar from the tooth surfaces. The type of cleaning you require depends on how extensive the plaque and tartar buildup is on your teeth. Scaling and root planing (some call this a “deep cleaning”) might be needed if signs of inflammation and gum disease have been found. During your cleaning, one of our hygienists will remove the plaque and tartar from your teeth, then polish them to remove stains and keep them white. Finally, we will apply a fluoride treatment to strengthen and protect your teeth for several months.
Digital X-Rays
Digital X-rays have revolutionized dental diagnosis, allowing dentists to identify potential oral health issues in a safer, faster way. The best part is they do so using 90% less radiation than traditional x-rays! Our dentist is able to use digital x-rays to identify decay in between teeth, fractures in existing fillings, bone loss, tooth abscesses, improper tooth positioning, cysts, and much more.
Intraoral Photos
Intraoral photos are a great way for dentists to show you, in real-time, what condition your teeth are in. With intraoral cameras, we can show you what’s going on inside your mouth and you will be able to see for yourself what we see. The more you can see, the more confident you can feel when making decisions regarding your treatment.
Oral Cancer Screening with Velscope®
Velscope® helps our clinicians assess the health of your oral tissues and can help with the early detection of abnormalities, including cancerous and pre-cancerous lesions. Like many other types of cancers, oral cancer has a greater chance of a cure when it is diagnosed and treated early. Velscope® takes our oral cancer exam beyond just a quick visual screening. The handheld Velscope® device uses natural tissue fluorescence to enhance the way we visualize oral mucosal abnormalities that otherwise might not be apparent or even visible to the naked eye.
Sealants
Tooth decay often starts on the biting surface of back teeth where deep pits and grooves collect food and plaque. Since those pits and grooves are hard to keep clean, cavities can start to form. The application of sealants is a non-invasive, preventive treatment that protects teeth and helps prevent cavities. Sealants are often recommended in children when the teeth first erupt into the mouth, but they can also be placed in adults that show risk of pit and fissure decay.