Preventive Dentistry

All of our Teammates are trained to help patients learn better how to prevent dental diseases(gum disease, dental decay, and the effects of tooth grinding and clenching).

We have a full time hygienist that not only provides professional cleanings for our patient’s teeth, but helps them learn better how to prevent dental disease. Our hygienist provides our younger patients with sealants and fluoride treatments.

HydroflossWhen patients have gum disease, we can help them with deep cleaning of deep tooth-gum spaces, and help them learn how to clean those spaces out at home. Think about it, if you have a tooth gum space that measures 4-5-6 mms deep, how can you clean that space out with a brush or dental floss? Dental floss only goes down as deep as the face side and tongue side gums allow the floss to go (about 3 mm). So, another few millimeters of space remains filled with bacteria. When deep cleaning is accompanied with home care irrigation and cleaning of the deep tooth-gum space, bacterial plaque will be removed. We have a device that charges water with negative ions; this is called a Hydrofloss. A Hydrofloss charges water with negative ions, and negative ions stick to the skin in the tooth-gum spaces and kill bacteria. Good deep cleanings, and good home care to remove the bacteria enables gums to heal back to normal levels (3 mms). The Hydrofloss is dentistry’s best kept secret. It really works wonderfully well for those patients that learn to use it accurately, and daily.

When patients have severe bone loss, Dr. Cottrill has been successful in building bone for a single weak tooth, or for the placement of implants. Preventing a weak tooth from becoming weaker is often a better choice than removing the tooth.

Preventing disease around dental implants is an important part of our care for patients. Dental implants need cleaning and good home care, just as natural teeth do. Dental implants need the benefit of the Hydrofloss, also. The bars that cover dental implants also need to be professionally cleaned, and home care cleaned with electric tooth brushing, super-flossing, and often bacterial killing rinses. We have all of these available for our patient’s better prevention of dental diseases.

When patients grit, grind, or clench their teeth, teeth and bone around teeth often are badly damaged. We can determine if a patient is grinding their teeth, and fit them with a special device to slow grinding, and reduce the wear and damage to the teeth and supporting bone.