Dental hygiene appointments are sometimes called “cleanings” because the teeth are thoroughly cleaned as part of the dental hygiene process. But oral health is more than just about having clean teeth. The integrity of your tooth and gums are also reviewed to prevent or treat periodontal disease and oral cancer.
Your overall health is important to us and so after a gentle cleaning we will make sure you are aware of your oral health and what options you have.
Part of oral health is recognizing how treatments to the mouth can affect the rest of the body and so that is why Dr. Quint has decided to stop using fluoride in favor of subgingival irrigation and other fluoride-free treatments. In his latest research, Dr. Quint has found these fluoride-free treatments to be superior for overall health to those that include fluoride, which is an overall benefit to you, the patient.
While you are at Indianapolis Dentistry for a dental cleaning, you will have the opportunity to be screened for oral cancer. This important process can help prevent the escalation of the cancer by detecting any cancers early on in their progression. Even if you have no pain or discomfort, you could still have oral cancer, which can be detected using a special instrument our dental hygienist has to help you. Read more about what Dr. Quint has wrote about what you need to know about oral cancer.
“Worth the drive! I was very pleased with my first experience at Dr. Quint’s office! The dental hygienist was really nice and knowledgeable beyond what is the norm. I received a cancer screening for the mouth which I’d never had before. They had top of the line technology for cleaning and I left feeling very fresh and clean not just brushed and polished. I felt my gums were really nurtured and irrigated and that is my main concern now -gum care, not so much teeth. I like the fact that they have both a holistic approach yet still traditional in some beliefs. I felt I had the best of both worlds. Loved it!”
Regularly scheduled cleanings are meant to prevent oral disease by removing harmful plaque and tartar (calculus) both above and below the gum line. Another way to prevent oral disease is by early detection and treatment. During your checkup you will be screened for many potential threats to your oral health.
Your dental hygienist is a highly trained professional who can evaluate your teeth and gums, both visually and with the assistance of digital x-rays and intraoral cameras, to discover threats to your oral or general health. Dr. Quint will review the findings of your hygienist and advise you on any threats to your oral or general health.
As in medicine, dentistry has utilized new technology to lessen the bodily (or tooth) impact of eliminating and treating disease.
In the instance of tooth, decay, this has come in the form of lasers or a micro-air abrasion tool to remove early tooth decay instead of the traditional rotating ‘drill.’
In most occasions laser and air-abrasion technology can remove tooth decay without the need of local anesthetics (or numbing shots).