Preventive dentistry is absolutely essential for a healthy mouth. With good at-home oral hygiene, a healthy diet and lifestyle, and routine six-month visits at Gainesville Dentistry Co., you can keep your teeth healthy and your smile bright.
Routine visits allow Dr. Greg Feldman to check on your oral health and look for signs of common problems like cavities and gum disease. With preventive dentistry in Gainesville, you can keep your mouth healthy, save time and money, and get peace of mind. Overdue for a cleaning? Contact your dentist in Gainesville, FL today to schedule your appointment.
During a routine teeth cleaning, our hygienist will use special tools to remove tartar and plaque from your teeth. Then, they will polish your teeth to make them smoother and restore their shine. X-rays may also need to be taken if you’re a new patient or you’re due for them in order for us to properly diagnose any issues within your mouth. Most patients get x-rays once a year.
Once your cleaning is completed, Dr. Feldman will examine your mouth. He’ll review your hygienist’s notes, evaluate your x-rays, perform an oral cancer screening, and look for signs of oral health problems. Then, he’ll discuss his findings with you, along with any other follow-up treatments that may be needed at our office.
Fluoride treatments are usually done as part of a teeth cleaning. Your hygienist will paint a thin layer of fluoride-rich varnish onto your teeth. You will be instructed to avoid certain foods and drinks for a period of time following the application. Fluoride attracts minerals that strengthen your enamel, so this helps prevent cavities and can actually reverse some of the damage done by decay to the surfaces of your teeth.
Dental sealants are a great option for preventing cavities, particularly on the back teeth (molars and premolars). They consist of a clear, liquid resin that’s painted into the pits and grooves of your teeth. Once the resin is in place, Dr. Feldman or your hygienist will activate it with short wavelength blue light. This hardens it into a strong barrier. Dental sealants can help prevent cavities for 5-10 years.
Gum disease is the leading cause of premature tooth loss in adults of all ages. A recent report found that 47.2% of adults age 30 or older have some form of periodontal disease. We offer treatments such as deep cleaning (scaling & root planing) to help mitigate gum disease. Along with good at-home oral hygiene and antibiotics, deep cleaning is the first step toward treating gum disease and restoring your oral health.
The lifetime risk of developing oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer is about 1 in 60 (1.7%) for men and 1 in 140 (0.71%) for women. While these are relatively low percentages, when they apply to you, it can be very life changing. Oral cancer is often not diagnosed by physicians until it has spread throughout the rest of the body. Dentists like Dr. Feldman can recognize the signs of oral cancer early. In the rare case that you do have oral cancer, this means that you can get the care you need right away for a better outcome.
We're proud to provide oral cancer screenings as part of every six-month visit at our office. Dr. Feldman will examine your mouth for lesions, bumps, and other potential signs of oral cancer. This assurance is very comforting, particularly if you have an elevated cancer risk due to tobacco use or other contributing factors.
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