Early Detection
The best time to catch tooth decay, cracks, and fractured teeth is in the beginning phase of the problem. Some people say,” but, I am not in pain.” Usually if you feel pain associated with an issue it will require more work, time and money to fix it in comparison if we had caught it earlier. Every tooth has a nerve that lives with in it. The closer decay gets to the nerve the more you will feel it, whether it is decay (cavity) or fractures within the individual teeth.
Sealants
A sealant is a protective coating placed in the grooves or valleys of the back teeth. These valleys are found on the biting surfaces of your teeth and are the most common place to get cavities. This place is the most common due to the grooves being deep and differing architectures. A sealant is a liquid flowed down into the grooves and is solidified by a specialized light source. Thereby filling the space in without using any numbing agents.
Most insurances only cover adult molar teeth, however, to get the most protection and to avoid getting cavities on these surfaces you can have them placed virtually on every back tooth. One can get sealants on any and all of the posterior teeth whether baby (deciduous) or adult teeth (dentition).
The sooner this can be done in a child’s life the better protection they can provide. The cost of a sealant is about a third as costly as a filling (restoration) is.
Recall program
The recall program is our hygiene department. We have three very skilled knowledgeable hygienists who care and value your individual oral health. Usual recall is every six months for those individuals not suffering from periodontal disease. This six-month recall allows your teeth to get cleaned in a way that your toothbrush cannot achieve. It also allows the doctor to take a look at your mouth and early detect any areas of concern. X-rays are recommended once a year due to decay occurring between the teeth and undetectable on a visual exam alone.