Encore Dental in Port Coquitlam is the best choice for professional dental cleanings, fillings, and check-ups. Regular dental cleanings protect your smile, save you money over time and protect your smile. For example, patients who have their dental cleaning every six months reduce the chances of requiring major procedures such as root canals, gum grafts, and tooth extraction.
Professional Dental Cleanings, Dental Fillings, and Check-Ups
The point of a professional teeth cleaning is to remove plaque and tartar buildup from the teeth and gums. Dental filling aims to treat a small hole, or cavity, in a tooth by removing decayed tooth tissue and then filling the space with a filling material. Regular check-ups are the best way to keep your teeth and gums healthy.
Professional Dental Cleanings
During a dental cleaning, a dental hygienist uses a scaler to remove plaque and tartar around the gum line and in between your teeth. Next, let’s learn more about the basics of dental cleaning:
- A physical exam: A teeth and gum examination
- Scaling and root planing: The removal of plaque and tartar
- Polishing and flossing: After all the plaque and tartar are removed, it’s time for polishing and flossing.
- Fluoride Treatment: Fluoride treatments help limit tooth decay by making the tooth more resistant to acid attacks from plaque, bacteria, and sugars.
Dental Fillings:
A dental filling repairs minor fracture or decay in the teeth as a restorative dental treatment. Depending on the filling’s location and the materials used, the steps of a dental filling may change. But the general steps are:
- The dentist applies a numbing gel to the gums. Once this has taken effect, a local anesthetic is injected into the gum.
- The dentist removes the decayed area of the tooth using a drill or another specialized tool.
- They then fill the hole in the tooth.
- Lastly, they polish the filling and adjust it to make the person’s bite feel normal.
Biannual Dental Check-up
During a general dental check-up, your dentist inspects your teeth and gums for any tooth decay, cavities, tartar buildup, or changes in dental health. Generally speaking, a check-up is reasonably fast, requiring less than 20 minutes, and is usually followed by a dental cleaning. A dental check-up is essential for avoiding common dental problems.
Common Dental Problems
The mouth is full of bacteria that can potentially cause oral and overall health problems. Dental issues are not fun, so you must pick an experienced Port Coquitlam dentist who makes you feel comfortable. It is also essential to understand common dental problems and their causes.
Bad Breath: The leading cause of bad breath is usually the tongue. Layers of bacteria can become embedded in the tongue, causing a foul smell. Other causes of bad breath can include dry mouth and even postnasal drip.
Gum Disease: Most gum disease sufferers don’t show symptoms until they reach their 30s. That is why it’s essential to schedule a dental exam to determine the health of your mouth. Gum disease is caused by several factors, including poor oral hygiene, genetics, and smoking. Younger people suffer from a less severe form of gum disease, gingivitis. The more severe version of gum disease, periodontitis, can put people at higher risk of stroke or heart attack. There are multiple symptoms of gum disease, including sensitive teeth, constant bad breath, and bleeding gums.
Sensitive Teeth: When the root surfaces of the teeth become exposed, people experience an unexpected jolt or sudden shock. It’s not a great feeling, and our team will determine the cause and create a dental plan to fix the issue. In addition, when the gum recedes, the root surface becomes exposed. This area is highly porous, allowing air and fluids to stimulate the nerve in the middle of the tooth causing pain or sensitivity. Other causes of tooth sensitivity can include cracked teeth and exposure to cold or heat.
Yellow Teeth: Some teeth have a naturally yellow undertone, and not everyone’s teeth are perfectly white. We find that some of the most common causes of tooth discoloration include drinking coffee, soda, and wine. In addition, things that get into your tooth can cause long-term discoloration. You have options such as white strips, laser whitening, prescription toothpaste, and many others.
Dental Cavities: Dental cavities are one of the most common mouth issues caused by harmful bacteria in the mouth. This harmful bacteria feasts on food or drink remnants left in the mouth and then discharges an acid. This acid dissolves the tooth’s enamel, eventually causing a cavity.
