Why is it important to have professional cleanings?
You can brush and floss your teeth three times a day and do a perfect job of it, but it’s also important to have your teeth professionally cleaned at least two to four times per year. Of course you want your teeth to look nice and white, and to feel smooth and squeak clean, but there’s also health benefits to having professional cleanings as well. No matter how amazing your toothbrush is, and no matter how well you clean your teeth with it, there’s still going to be a build up of plaque and tartar which are extremely difficult to remove without the help from professional dental tools. When these deposits remain on the tooth surfaces or below the gum line, this is an ideal environment for nasty bacteria to grow in a hurry. Some bacteria also produce acids which cause gum disease and tooth decay. Regular professional cleanings go a long way towards removing unwanted agents on your teeth, and in conjunction with routine dental examinations, prevent larger issues from ever surfacing down the road. As the old saying goes thanks to Benjamin Franklin, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Our process
It all starts with our superb dental hygienists who are highly trained technicians that use a wide range of specialized tools, and who are extremely detail oriented when it comes to cleanings and examinations. Our hygienists first do an oral examination to evaluate the overall health and condition of your oral tissues. Depending on teeth and mouth sensitivities, machine or hand-held metal instruments are used for your teeth cleaning where the removing of plaque, tartar, surface stains, and other unwanted agents take place. Once your teeth are super clean, your teeth are then polished with a low-speed rotary brush that’s fitted with a soft rubber tip. A mildly gritty, toothpaste-like gel is applied, and the tip spins around and polishes your teeth, leaving them visually shiny and feeling smooth.

When does self inflicted teeth and mouth damage during sleep need to be guarded?

Night time is a time for rest and relaxation to get the mind and body ready for the next day of one’s life. Unfortunately though, not everyone sleeps well, and for some people, approximately 10%, the aggressive actions of grinding and clenching of teeth occurs and leads to unwanted teeth and mouth damage. Damage can include teeth chipping, fracturing, breaking, enamel damage, gum disease, jaw pain, sleep disruption, and even headaches and migraines. When any damage of this sort happens on a regular basis during sleeping, it likely makes sense to get a bruxism appliance (night guard) to deal with this problem. Night mouth guards are a great investment to avoid unforeseen dental repairs in the future, while also improving your quality of sleep and life in general.

Our process

A properly fitted night mouth guard when worn during sleeping dramatically decreases the amount of bite pressure on teeth, and strain on the jaw. Some stores sell these type of guards but protection is usually limited due to the fitting not being correct which makes the feel awkward and uncomfortable. To ensure a night mouth guard fits properly, we first take impressions of your mouth. We then send this precise information to a professional dental laboratory who then create a custom bruxism mouth guard that sits snugly and comfortably. When wearing this device you can still breathe normally and drink fluids, all the while cushioning your teeth.

When does teeth and mouth damage when playing certain sports need to be dealt with?

Sports are so much fun to play, until someone gets hurt. Teeth and mouth injuries are quite common when it comes to sports such as football, hockey, rugby, wrestling, and lacrosse. Many athletes wear sports protective mouth guards to reduce the potential of getting teeth and gum injuries, but many of these come from stores and a high percentage of these aren’t really that effective due to them not fitting correctly. It’s highly recommended to get a custom sports protective mouth guard that fits snugly and securely to each unique mouth to maximize the effectiveness of preventative measures.

Our process

We follow a similar process for creating sports protective mouth guards that we use for night guards. This particular mouth guard helps with the clenching and grinding of teeth like the night guard does, but also helps to minimize any sort of force that comes into contact with the teeth including high sticks in hockey, hands, knees, elbows, shoulders, the ground, or anything else that can produce a significant impact in the mouth area. When wearing this device you can still breathe normally and drink fluids, all the while cushioning your teeth.

When should sleep apnea appliances be used?

Sleep apnea is a potentially serious disorder in which breathing stops and starts and can leave the brain and rest of the body oxygen deprived. A dentist may ask his or her patients to get a sleep test done if the dentist suspects that sleep apnea may be taking place. Sleep apnea appliances work to keep airways open so that breathing is fluid and isn’t interrupted. Much like a retainer, a sleep apnea appliance clamps onto the lower and upper teeth. The lower and upper parts are connected via a piston and tube which only let the jaw retrude so far. The chin is therefore kept forward and the tongue can’t get in the way of blocking the airway.

Our process

Like our process for the above bruxism night guard and sports mouth guard, we follow a similar course of action for producing sleep apnea appliances. The device is a bit different than the previous two mentioned, and it serves a different purpose.

We offer Nitrous Oxyde, commonly known as laughing gas for our patients who may experience undesired stress, fear, or anxiety regarding any work that they may be getting done. We want our patients to feel comfortable, relaxed, and at ease while in our office.