Metro Dentalcare offers several dental services to accommodate our patients' needs and it all starts with an outstanding dentist and dental team striving for excellent patient care.
General dentistry services include hygiene appointments (teeth cleanings), sealants, fluoride treatment and space maintainers. Each of these services will help prevent dental disease, along with regular brushing and flossing. Everyone should schedule a visit to the dentist for a hygiene appointment every six months. The dentist may recommend more or less frequent appointments depending on the patient's age, lifestyle, risk factors, and general oral and dental health.
Hygiene Appointment (Teeth Cleaning)
A dental hygiene appointment at Metro Dentalcare consists of:
- Soft tissue exam and oral screening to identify changes in the tissues of the mouth or signs of oral cancer.
- Gum disease screening, including a measurement of the depth of your gums.
- Dental exam to diagnose any cavities or other dental conditions.
- The hygienist will take x-rays of your teeth unless you had x-rays recently. A full set of x-rays should be taken every 3-5 years, and bite wing x-rays should be taken every year. The x-rays help locate disease and decay not seen by the naked eye.
- The dentist will perform the exam and check for cavities and other conditions.
- The dentist will discuss the results of the exam, and answer your questions about the recommended treatment or dental health in general.
- Preventative cleaning.
- The hygienist will clean and polish your teeth to remove plaque, a sticky film of bacteria on the teeth that produces acid that causes tooth decay. The hygienist will also teach proper flossing or answer any questions about cavity prevention or dental hygiene.
Sealants
Sealants are a clear material applied to the chewing surfaces of the teeth to "seal out" plaque and food to prevent cavities. The sealant material is simply painted onto the chewing surface of the back teeth where it bonds and hardens in minutes. Sealants are common among children and teens because decay is more likely to develop early in life.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride treatment is given once a year, or as needed, to all children under the age of 14 during their regularly scheduled dental exam and dental cleaning. The fluoride is either a foam or gel placed in trays set over the child's teeth.
Space Maintainers
Space maintainers hold the place of a tooth that has prematurely fallen out of a child's mouth due to decay or injury. A space maintainer can be a band or crown attached to another tooth. The dentist will remove the space maintainer once the permanent tooth starts to grow in. If a space maintainer is not put in the vacant space the surrounding teeth can crowd and take over that space. This makes the permanent tooth come in crooked or crowded which can lead to difficulties in chewing and talking.