Preventative Dentistry | Shelby Township Dentists
We offer patients both traditional and advanced procedures for maintaining healthy teeth and gums. Our dentists are also dedicated to helping patients maintain good overall health for life by providing preventative dentistry. Our procedures are performed right in our dental office in Shelby Township, MI.
Our experienced dentists use advanced techniques to provide you with different options for enhancing your smile. Preventative dentistry covers several routine services, such as exams, gum disease treatments, cleanings, fillings, sealants, and oral cancer screenings.
Learn More About Preventative Dentistry:
Our primary goal is simple: To prevent your need for extensive restorative or cosmetic dental procedures. Through regular maintenance, our family dentists can help you prevent poor oral health due to decay and disease—problems that can negatively affect your overall health and well-being.
Maintaining good oral hygiene remains one of the most important things you can do for your teeth and gums. Healthy teeth and gums help you to not only look and feel good, but they allow you to eat and speak properly. Our caring and professional staff stresses daily preventative dental care—such as proper brushing and flossing—to prevent more serious problems from developing. Between regular visits to our full-service dental office, there are simple steps you can take to greatly decrease your risk of developing tooth decay, gum disease, and other dental or medical problems.
Here are some oral hygiene tips to help you get started:
- Brush thoroughly twice a day and floss daily
- Eat a balanced diet and limit snacks between meals
- Use dental products that contain fluoride, including toothpaste
- Rinse with a fluoride mouth rinse if our dentists advise it
- Make sure that children under the age of 12 drink fluoridated water
- Visit your dentist regularly for professional cleanings and exams
- Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months
Dental Cleanings
The best way to prevent excessive plaque buildup is to schedule a professional teeth cleaning every 6 months. Plaque that is left untreated can lead to unhealthy gums and tooth decay. A routine dental cleaning lasts about one hour and will usually include scaling and polishing.
Our professional cleanings will help you to preserve your teeth and gums. While having a cavity filled may seem uncomfortable, it’s much less painful than a root canal or tooth extraction. If you have not scheduled your next professional cleaning, contact us today and avoid the cost and discomfort of extensive dental restorations.
Gum Disease Treatments
The gums, ligaments, and jawbone form the foundation for your teeth. These structures as a whole are also called the periodontium. When the periodontium is not healthy, it jeopardizes the teeth just as a bad foundation would threaten the stability of a house.
Some signs of an unhealthy periodontium include gums that are red and bleed easily, persistent bad breath, gums that are pulled away from the tooth, loose teeth, and changes in the position or bite of the teeth. Any of these may be a sign of a problem. With proper gum treatments, however, it may be possible to return gum tissue to a healthy state. If gum disease is not treated at the first sign of a problem and becomes too severe, it may need to be treated through surgery or extraction.
Oral Examinations
In order to maintain a healthy smile, it is important that our dentists perform comprehensive oral examinations. Using advanced dental technology, such as digital X-rays, we can effectively monitor the condition of your teeth and identify early signs of decay.
Comprehensive exams allow our professional staff to assess the condition of your gums and their position along with your teeth. Early detection of periodontal disease can save your smile. Our knowledgeable staff will work with you to develop an examination schedule that matches your oral health requirements.
Tooth Fillings
Dental fillings restore teeth damaged by decay back to their normal shape and function. By doing this, they also restore your oral health so you can smile with confidence.
If you have a tooth that requires a filling, one of our dentists will remove the decayed material, clean the affected area, and then fill the cavity with a filling material. This filling will help to prevent further decay by closing off any cracks or spaces where bacteria can enter and damage the tooth.
Oral Cancer Screenings
In the United States, oral cancer kills more people each year than skin and cervical cancer combined. At our dental practice, we perform oral cancer screenings by visual inspection and manual palpation. In addition, we have the latest technology in oral cancer detection.
Our oral cancer screening system helps our dentists visualize abnormalities in the mucosal tissues of your lips, mouth, and upper throat. An oral cancer screening examination will allow your dentist to more accurately assess your overall oral health.
To ensure that your mouth is as healthy as possible, request an oral cancer exam during your next visit or contact us for more information.
Dental Sealants
Sealants are used as a preventative measure to help fill in narrow grooves on the chewing surface of a tooth that cannot be adequately cleaned by brushing. In many individuals, the tooth’s structure may contain several fine grooves or pits, which can accumulate plaque.
This is usually not caused by brushing improperly or infrequently, but simply because these fine grooves or pits may be too narrow to allow even one bristle inside for cleaning. Unfortunately, if not taken care of properly, these tiny grooves will develop into cavities over time. To prevent this, our dentists may brush a coating onto the tooth or teeth to seal the grooves and pits. This makes it possible to brush off all the plaque, keeping your teeth healthy and free from decay.
Request an Appointment for Preventative Dentistry
Our family dentists in Shelby Township, MI, would be more than happy to help you on your journey to better oral health. To request an appointment for preventative dentistry, call Frank P. Ruffino DDS at (586) 799-4240. We hope we hear from you soon!
