We want to help you enjoy good oral health and avoid issues that can cause discomfort or even threaten the stability of your smile. With family dentistry, we can do this for patients of all ages, from kids to adults. In today’s blog, your Virginia Beach, VA, dentist talks about how we help smiles with family dentistry.
Dental Checkups
A dental checkup is an essential part of family dentistry, and a procedure we recommend for everyone of all ages! With the exam, we can talk to you and your family about your oral health routines, and any possible discomfort or signs of trouble. We then examine the smile with digital x-rays and intraoral cameras, obtaining detailed and high-definition images that can provide a diagnosis with precision and accuracy. We then offer treatment to address concerns we find. For kids, this can offer an added bonus of helping them become accustomed to the dentist, avoiding dental anxiety at older ages. They also gain a better understanding of their smile and the importance of good oral hygiene.
Cleanings and PerIo Cleanings
What about dental cleanings? With family dentistry, we want to offer a chance to remove all plaque and tartar from the teeth, which brushing and flossing alone cannot do. With an ultrasonic scaling device and a manual tool, we will break up and remove harmful buildup to lower the risk of bad breath, teeth stains, cavities, and even gingivitis and gum disease. The process takes only a few minutes and we then polish the teeth for a brighter appearance and to help limit how much plaque and tartar can adhere to the teeth before your next visit.
If you or a member of your family have symptoms of gingivitis or gum disease, such as sore, red, and bleeding or receding gums, then we can offer a deep cleaning. The scaling and root planing enables our team to remove buildup from both the teeth and the roots, even beneath the gum line. This can take one visit or multiple ones, and helps bring the disease into a manageable stage, so traditional cleanings every three to four months can help safeguard your smile stability.
Treating TMJ and Bruxism
TMJ disorder means strain on your jaw joints has led to issues opening and closing your mouth and a host of uncomfortable symptoms. Bruxism means that chronic teeth grinding and clenching has caused painful symptoms. While these are separate issues, one often leads to the other, and both can be addressed with an oral appliance. If you have toothaches, tooth sensitivity, jaw and facial aches, earaches, headaches and migraines, or a popping or crackling sensation in your smile, then you should seek treatment. With a custom oral appliance, you wear a mouthguard-like device as you sleep, which repositions the jaw to ease strain on the joints and prevents further damage to the teeth by placing a barrier between your upper and lower sets.
Sleep Apnea Solutions
Do you often feel tired during the day, and wake up in the night struggling to breathe? Do you snore on a nightly basis? This could all point to sleep apnea, a widespread issue that causes you to stop breathing briefly, each time interrupting your REM sleep and leaving you exhausted, while also straining your immune and cardiovascular systems too. But with an oral appliance, we can create a special mouthguard that shifts the jaw and tongue forward to prevent the collapse of soft tissues, so you can breathe without interruption and avoid symptoms.
Protecting Your Smile at Home
We also want you and your family to care for your smiles from home in between our visits, so you can limit the risk of issues like tooth decay and gum disease. At home, be sure you brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes, and floss every evening. Try to cut back on the sugar and starch in your diet, and avoid tobacco products. These actions help safeguard your smile before we can see you and offer care. If you have any questions about how we approach family dentistry, or if you need to schedule a checkup and cleaning for you and your loved ones, then contact our team today to learn more. Everyone deserves a smile that is healthy and strong, and makes you feel confident!
Do You Have Questions About Family Dentistry?
You can call Absolute Dental Care in Virginia Beach, VA at (757) 428-7440 to schedule an appointment now, so we can help your family enjoy optimal oral health and beautiful smiles for years to come.
