GENERAL DENTISTRY

Dental Exam

Our clinic provides a variety of routine examination procedures for patients concerned about their oral health. When you visit us for the first time, we will take the necessary radiographs and do any preliminary tests needed in order to assess your dental health and diagnose any treatment you may need.

A thorough dental cleaning is a routine part of the initial exam. We will ask you questions about your general and dental history to help us understand your wants and needs. It is best to know as much as possible about a patient’s past dental challenges or concerns, and we gather this information as soon as a new patient joins us.

It is important to properly identify and diagnose any onset of disease or infection early. In order to do this, we provide mandatory dental exams to ensure a patient’s oral health. For new patients a routine dental examination will usually consist of:

Examination of diagnostic x-rays

During your dental exam, our dentists will take x-rays of your teeth so we can screen for potential cavities or problems within the teeth, gums, and jaw bones.

Radiographs are necessary as a lot of what happens in the mouth is unseen, hidden within the teeth themselves. Your dentist is able to identify any signs of infection or even bone loss in the jaw. Radiographs can be used to assess whether adult teeth are coming in correctly in children. In young adults, radiographs are essential when identifying the position of impacted wisdom teeth and whether or not they necessitate removal.

If you are missing teeth, dental radiographs can help in assessing whether there is sufficient bone for implant placement or if a bone graft is required.

Radiographs are routinely taken as part of the bi-annual cleaning and are used to monitor the health of your teeth. After your radiographs, your dentist will discuss the findings and any treatment options if needed.

Regular Cleanings

At PRIUM DENTAL, we provide bi-annual cleanings. We are also able to accommodate all other requests when it comes to maintaining regular dental hygiene and cleanings can be booked by appointment whenever the patient feels one is needed.

Regular cleanings are the key to healthy gums and teeth. They are the best way to maintain proper oral health at any age.

Proper cleanings can prevent gingivitis and more serious gum infections. They can lead to early detection of tooth decay and are the best preventative measure a patient can take in order to avoid dental problems in general.

Good oral health and hygiene are our top priority for patients. Regular cleanings are needed twice a year. During cleanings, a patient is screened for oral cancer, gum disease, and other potential maladies.

Our regular cleanings include fluoride treatments to restore minerals and fortify tooth enamel. Our patients can choose between two different versions of the treatment when they come in for their bi-annual cleanings.

Fluoride Treatment

Fluoride is an essential mineral that greatly benefits the teeth. Every day as we eat and drink, our teeth lose minerals that help to keep the tooth enamel strong and healthy.

Harmful plaques erode essential minerals and enamel, the protective outer layer of the teeth. Loss of enamel can eventually lead to tooth decay if left untreated.

Fluoride helps to prevent erosion by making the enamel more resistant to acids and bacteria that are present in our mouth and our food.

Fluoride prevents cavities and reverses signs of tooth decay when caught early enough, for example, in children.

It greatly improves the speed at which teeth remineralize. It protects your teeth and the tooth enamel.

To keep teeth in good shape we provide fluoride treatments that can are a part of the regular cleanings. There are two options when it comes to picking a fluoride treatment:

Topical Fluoride

Topical fluoride treatments involve the direct application of fluoride to the teeth. One of our dentists will apply a gel fluoride to the teeth and let them sit in the treatment for a few minutes.

You wear a mouthguard filled with the fluoride solution. Fluoride treatments normally do not take longer than a few minutes and a patient’s teeth feel clean and healthy after.

Systemic Fluoride

Systemic fluoride treatments are also available to our patients. These are especially useful for clients with sensitive teeth, as the topical fluoride treatments can feel cold on the teeth.

This can end up causing patients with temperature sensitivities to feel discomfort. Systemic fluoride treatments are quick and easy and a patient can simply ingest fluoride supplements.

With the systemic treatments, a patient can be prescribed fluoride supplements to take as needed, on their own time.

Deep Cleaning

At Prium Dental Clinic we provide deep cleanings, for those that may need a much more extensive clean, or are showing signs of gum infection or irritation. A deep cleaning is slightly different from our routine cleanings. It’s for patients who experience early signs of gingivitis or periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease is especially important to prevent as it can often go unnoticed for years. It can cause gums to become infected and teeth to shift as a result of changing, swollen tissues.

A patient needs a deep cleaning if:

• Gums bleed excessively during a regular cleaning
• There are signs of inflammation or infection
• There is discomfort
• Noticeable changes in the gums
• The patient hasn’t visited a dentist in years

Deep cleanings involve scraping the diseased and infected areas around the root of the tooth, in order to remove plaques and pockets of calculus or tartar that have built up over the years. These plaques can cause severe gum irritation.

Gingivitis is often treated effectively with deep cleanings and proper at-home care. Deep cleaning prevents the growth of bacteria that causes bad breath. Deep cleanings should not be a frequent treatment for patients as they can be hard on the gums.

Typically, we perform deep cleanings every 3-4 months in severe cases, to monitor patient improvements. Once your oral health improves you can return to the bi-annual dental regime.

After deep cleanings, we inform the patient on the correct way to properly maintain their personal oral hygiene regimen.