Good Oral Health Starts with Regular Dental Exams
You’ve probably heard it before, but dental exams are important to your oral health. Annual exams are recommended annually and allow us to thoroughly examing your teeth and gums and learn more about your at-home oral care routine. This way, your dentist can detect any oral health problems early on, when they’re easiest to treat.
What to Expect during Your Dental Exam
A hygienist will start by cleaning your teeth to remove any plaque or tartar build up prior to your dental exam.
- This way your dentist can closely examine your teeth and gums. Your exam will depend on a variety of factors, including your age, dental history and overall oral health. You may also receive: Dental x-rays, which provide a closer look at your bite, teeth and jaw positioning.
- A fluoride treatment, which is covered by most insurance plans for pediatric patients and while not covered by all plans for adults, is recommended.
- An Oral Cancer Screening, which consists of a visual exam of all surfaces of the inside of your mouth.
If any oral conditions are detected during your exam, we’ll go over your treatment options and help you to schedule your follow-up care.
If everything looks good, we’ll help you schedule your next cleaning and exam.
Schedule your dental cleaning today by calling: (920) 922-9400.
Protecting Your Teeth with Dental Sealants
Ideally, flossing and brushing your teeth regularly will prevent cavities. (Read More)
However, despite your best efforts, you may miss some spots. That’s where a dental sealant can help! Dental sealants are a thin, protective coating that is applied to the chewing surfaces of back teeth, to keep them clean and prevent decay.
Sealants are especially effective for children and have been proven to reduce their risk of decay. Harbor View Dentistry offers sealants for children and adults, to ensure every surface and groove of your teeth is protected.
Caring for Your Gums
Often, gums can be overlooked, but healthy gums play a big role in maintaining the integrity of your teeth and overall oral health. (Read More)
Not only do your gums hold your teeth in place, but gum issues can also be an early indicator of other underling health conditions.
Periodontal (gum) disease, develops when the tissue and bone that supports your teeth becomes inflammed or infected. Plaque is the most common cause of gum disease, which is why it’s so important to follow good oral health habits at home. Without regular brushing and flossing, plaque can grow under your gums and causes them to become red, puffy, and swollen. Eventually, your gums may begin to pull away from your teeth, forming pockets where bacteria can grow.Watch out for any bleeding when brushing or flossing your teeth, as this is an early sign of gum diease. Gum disease can become progressively worse if not addressed, so it’s important to take action early on.
Dental Fillings
Cavities can be a pain – literally! Typically, cavities are found during routine dental exams, or when tooth pain develops in a specific area. (Read More)
If you ignore a cavity or wait too long to fill it, it may eventually require a root canal or a crown, which means more time in your dentist’s chair. With regular dental exams and providing education on good oral hygiene, Harbor View Dentistry keeps your restorative dental work to a minimum by spotting cavities early on (and helping you prevent them altogether). If a cavity, or any other dental disease or accident does develop, our Fond du Lac office provides dental fillings and other restorations to keep you smiling.
What to expect during a filling appointment
To prepare the tooth for a filling, the area is numbed for your comfort. Next, your dentist will use a small drill to remove any tooth decay. Once removed, the tooth is cleaned and a filling is applied to replace the cavity left by the drill. We’ll select the best shade for your filling, to ensure it blends in with your surrounding teeth, too.
While there is very little downtime after a dental filling, you may be numb for a few hours and have mild tenderness after your appointment. For this reason, patients often prefer eating soft, room-temperature foods for a day or two.
When a Tooth Extraction May Be Needed
While we do everything we can to avoid it, sometimes a tooth extraction is necessary. (Read More)
This includes:
- When overcrowding is preventing other teeth from coming in.
- To proactively prevening overcrowding by removing widom teeth.
- When children have not lost some of their baby teeth but need room for their permanent teeth to come in.
- Some patients undergoing radiation treatments.
If you need a tooth extraction, here’s what you can expect during the procedure:
Your dentist will numb the area, either with an injection of a local anesthetic or a general anesthetic that is applied topically, to help you relax and be pain-free during the procedure. Then, if the tooth is impacted, the dentist will need to remove any gum and/or bone tissue covering the tooth. Once the tooth is extracted, we’ll apply some gauze and self-dissolving stitches.
Recovery typically takes 1-2 weeks, but may vary for each patient. Some discomfort, swelling and bleeding is normal within the first 24 hours. You can use ice to reduce swelling, apply additional gauze for any bleeding, rest and follow a soft-food diet while you’re healing. You may also be prescribed antibiotics or pain medication as well. If any of the post-procedure symptoms become more severe or show signs of infection, you should contact our office right away.