What can you expect from a preventative dental exam at Mishicot Dental?
During a preventative exam at Mishicot Dental, our team will thoroughly clean your teeth, removing built-up plaque and tartar. Your teeth and gums will be also examined for signs of tooth decay and other issues. We’ll ask questions about your dental habits and provide suggestions on how to best protect your mouth from oral health problems, such as gum disease and cavities.
Routine dental exams ensure problems are found early—so they can be quickly and more easily treated.
A preventative exam may also include the following:
- Dental X-Rays: X-Rays provide our dentists and hygienists with information that cannot be seen during a visual exam. They are essential for diagnosing hidden abnormalities and formulating the most accurate treatment plan. Without X-rays, problems, such as bone loss, tumors and decay, can go undetected.
- Oral Cancer Screening: When discovered early, oral cancer can be treated more successfully. During an oral cancer exam, your hygienist will check your neck, face, lips and mouth for signs of cancer. The examination only takes a few minutes.
- Dental Sealants: Sealants are plastic coatings applied to the chewing surfaces of molars and premolars with deep grooves and pits. These areas can be difficult to brush and therefore more susceptible to decay. Sealants offer a protective barrier to plaque by filling in the grooves and pits of a tooth.
- Fluoride Treatments: To help prevent tooth decay, we recommend the placement of fluoride through an in-office application. This boosts the strength of enamel to prevent tooth decay and can also help with tooth sensitivity.
How often should you visit the dentist?
Visiting the dentist twice annually for regular check-ups and cleanings helps prevent serious dental issues. However, patients with gum disease, crowns, implants, genetic susceptibility to tooth decay or other factors may need to visit more often for optimal care.
Preventing and identifying oral health problems as early as possible saves you time, money, discomfort and ensures your beautiful smile lasts a lifetime! Contact Mishicot Dental to schedule an appointment today!
Dental fillings are the most common form of dental restoration. They are generally used to repair the surface of a tooth damaged by decay, fracture or wear.
Tooth-colored (white) fillings mimic the natural color of your teeth. They are unnoticeable and chemically bonded to teeth. When compared to silver fillings, tooth-colored restoration requires less of the tooth’s structure to be removed.
Reasons for tooth-colored fillings:
- Damaged enamel due to decay, fracture or wear
- Uneven tooth surfaces affecting the ability to bite or chew
- Gaps between teeth
- Discolored teeth
- Silver amalgam fillings needing replacement
If you believe your smile could benefit from a tooth-colored filling, contact the Mishicot Dental office today.
Teeth stained by medication, food, drinks, tobacco or age can be lightened by a non-invasive treatment called “teeth whitening.”
Teeth whitening refers to any process that brightens tooth enamel. While there are many over-the-counter teeth whitening products, the professional-strength systems available at the dentist’s office are safer and offer higher concentrations of whitening components for more efficient results.
Whiter teeth are an aesthetic concern for many patients, and at Mishicot Dental, we offer a professional take-home system to conveniently improve the look of your smile.
Custom-Fit Teeth Whitening Trays
Our practice’s custom-fitted teeth whitening trays are made right in our office and will fit your teeth with precision. Once the trays are formed, the whitening procedure can be completed at home. You simply fill the trays with the whitening solution and wear them for 30-60 minutes twice per day, every day, for up to 4 weeks.
Results
Patients typically see results from custom-fit teeth whitening kits as early as one week after starting the treatment. To maximize the results with whitening, it is best to avoid dark-staining drinks, such as coffee, tea, red wine, soft drinks, and fruit juices.
If you think your smile would benefit from teeth whitening, contact Mishicot Dental to schedule an appointment.
If cavities or fractures cause extensive damage to a tooth’s underlying structure, a filling may not offer enough long-term protection. In these cases, dental crowns are the best way to restore a tooth’s look and function. A crown completely encases a tooth’s surface, improving its strength, shape, alignment and appearance.
Mishicot Dental’s CEREC treatment provides patients with a permanent crown in just one office visit. With crowns being designed and milled in our office, there is no need for impressions or temporary crowns. These porcelain crowns are also matched to the color of the rest of your teeth.
Contact Mishicot Dental to learn more.
Veneers restore the appearance of teeth by covering the front surface with a porcelain overlay. They can camouflage teeth that are discolored, damaged, misaligned, or misshapen. Veneers are also stain resistant and minimally invasive, making them a very popular solution for patients looking for cosmetic dentistry.
Good oral hygiene habits and regular dental examinations help lengthen their lifespan.
Contact Mishicot Dental to schedule an appointment.
What is Periodontal Disease?
Periodontal disease damages the teeth, gums, and jawbones of more than 80 percent of Americans by age 45. It is predominantly caused by accumulated plaque or tartar just below the gum line, in an area called the periodontal pocket. Severity ranges from mild inflammation of the gums to periodontitis, which can result in tissue damage and tooth loss.
At Mishicot Dental, a periodontal exam is always included in a regular dental check-up.
Symptoms of Periodontal Disease
The progression of gum disease is often painless. You may not know you have it! This makes recognizing the symptoms of gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease, vital to long-term oral health.
Symptoms of Periodontal Disease
- Bad breath
- Swollen, red gums that bleed during brushing or flossing
- Receding gums
- Tender gums
- Loose teeth
- Pain when chewing
When periodontal disease is treated at an earlier stage, it can often be maintained and disease progression can be slowed down.
The Escalation of Gingivitis to Periodontitis
If gum disease has advanced to periodontitis, further treatment may be needed, such as root planning and scaling. Root planning and scaling removes tarter and bacteria build-up from above and below the gum line. The procedure helps gums reattach to the tooth structure.
Periodontitis treatment may also include special mouth rinses, gum surgery, bone and tissue grafts, and antibiotics. You may also be referred to a periodontist, a dentist who specializes in the treatment of periodontal disease.
Late-stage periodontal treatment is designed to slow the progression of the disease.
The Link Between Periodontal Disease and Systemic Disease
Tooth loss isn’t the only serious consequence of periodontal disease. The infection in your mouth can release toxins that travel through your bloodstream and affect your overall health. There is a significant amount of research linking gum disease to other illnesses, such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, respiratory disease, and head, neck and breast cancer.
Contact Mishicot Dental today to learn more about gum disease prevention.
Endodontics, or root canal therapy, is needed when the nerve of a tooth is affected by decay, fracture, or dental trauma. The procedure can prevent and treat dental infection, saving teeth that might otherwise require extraction.
Reasons for root canal treatment:
- Decay that’s reached a tooth’s pulp (the soft area within the center of the tooth that contains the nerve, blood vessels and connective tissue)
- A severe fracture, large restorations, excessive forces on the tooth from clenching or grinding
- An infection at the tip of root structure
- Dental trauma
How is a root canal performed?
To preserve the tooth, the nerve and pulp are removed, and the tooth is filled with a rubber-like material and medicated cement. This eventually restores the tooth to its full function and relieves the pain caused by the affected nerve. A crown procedure is usually needed after a root canal to provide protection to the remaining tooth structure.
With proper care and routine dental examinations, root canal treatments may last a lifetime.
Signs you may need root canal treatment:
- An abscess on the gums
- Sensitivity to temperature or biting
- Pain in the tooth and gums
- Swelling
- Visible injury
Please contact Mishicot Dental to make an appointment for your root canal consultation.
Decay, disease, genetic disorders, or injury can all make a tooth extraction necessary. In these instances, dentures can restore your beautiful smile and natural facial contours and help you speak and eat more comfortably.
A denture is a removable appliance designed to replace missing teeth and surrounding tissue. There are two types of dentures: complete and partial dentures. Complete dentures are needed when all of the teeth are missing, while partial dentures can be fitted alongside remaining natural teeth, replacing what’s missing and preventing the other teeth from shifting. All dentures are designed to closely resemble your natural teeth, so there will be minimal change to your appearance.
How long should dentures last?
Dentures are very durable and should last many years. They may occasionally need to be relined, remade or rebased. Regular dental examinations are still important for patients wearing dentures—so denture alignment can be checked. It is also important to examine the tissue that supports your denture.
Contact Mishicot Dental to make an appointment to discuss your denture options.
If you’ve lost a tooth or have multiple missing teeth, your dentist may recommend dental implants as part of your restoration plan. Implants are a long-term solution for replacing lost teeth and also improve the stability of dental appliances, such as bridges, dentures, and partial dentures.
What is involved in getting a dental implant?
During dental implant surgery, a tooth’s roots are replaced with tiny, screw-like titanium posts. Over time, the bone integrates with the titanium, creating a sturdy foundation for a dental crown.
Out of all of the restorative dental treatments currently available, a dental implant comes the closest to replicating the look and function of your natural tooth. An implant will enhance your beautiful smile, prevent jawbone deterioration, and help you speak and eat more comfortably.
How long do dental implants last?
Dental implants are very durable and can last a lifetime, but on occasion, they may need to be re-tightened or replaced due to wear.
A dental implant could change the way you live! To rediscover comfort and confidence, contact Mishicot Dental to schedule a dental implant consultation.
Every tooth plays an important role in chewing, speaking and maintaining the proper alignment of the other teeth. When teeth are lost, it’s important they are replaced to maintain your overall dental health, function and quality of life.
Dental bridges correct tooth loss by “bridging” the gap created by one to three missing teeth. They are a fixed dental appliance and consist of crowns placed on the teeth adjacent to the gap. The missing teeth are then replaced with artificial teeth made of durable, tooth-colored porcelain that looks and feels just like your normal teeth.
Dental bridges are a permanent, natural-looking and comfortable way to restore the beauty and functionality of your smile!
How long do bridges last?
Dental bridges will last many years, but on occasion, they may need to be re-cemented or replaced due to wear or decay.
If you believe your smile would benefit from a dental bridge, contact Mishicot Dental today to schedule an appointment.