Nonsurgical Periodontal Care

Nonsurgical Periodontal Care

Dental scaling is the most common nonsurgical way to treat gum disease. If your periodontal condition is moderate, but not severe, we may recommend scaling to treat the disease and keep it from getting worse. The sticky, bacteria-filled plaque that causes gum disease tends to accumulate in the area along and just below the gum line. If you have gums that are slightly receded from your teeth, you may be at increased risk for gum disease and we may recommend scaling. Scaling is nonsurgical, but it is a different type of procedure from a standard dental cleaning because it involves cleaning the areas of the tooth below the gum line.

TMJ

Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ, TMJD or TMD) involves conditions affecting the temporomandibular joint, jaw muscles and nerves on one or both sides of the head that result in jaw, face, and head and neck pain.

The pain and discomfort caused by TMJ disorders may be severe, can be either intermittent or constant, and may last for many years. According to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), TMD symptoms may recur during stressful times, whether good or bad.

Certain causes of TMD also may affect your bite and subsequently impact the longevity of any smile makeover restorations you may want us to provide. If we identify problems such as wear, tooth mobility, muscle pain or other signs of malocclusion, your bite may need to be adjusted.

Ensuring a stable bite is essential to your oral health and the long-term durability and functionality of cosmetic restorations such as dental veneers, Lumineers, tooth implants or crowns. Additionally, maintaining a stable occlusion and a proper bite helps ensure that your upper and lower teeth will come into contact in the most comfortable and pain-free manner possible, without unnecessary force that could lead to headaches or fractured restorations.

Mouthguards & Sports Dentistry

Whether for exercise, competition or the simple enjoyment of recreational activity, increasing numbers of health-conscious Americans are involved in sporting activities. Approximately 30 million children participate in various sports programs. More than 5 million teeth are knocked out each year; many during sports activities. Most commonly injured tooth being the upper front tooth.

The American Academy of Pediatirc Dentistry and the American Dental Association(ADA) recommend a mouthguard for all children and youth participating in any organized sports activities.

Have an older child or teenager who plays a contact sport, such as football, hockey or rugby? Be sure that he or she wears a mouth guard for games and practices. Although a regular routine of professional cleaning from a dentist or dental hygienist and twice-daily tooth brushing and daily flossing will help keep your teen’s smile bright, it’s very important to wear a mouth guard to protect that smile.

Mouth guards, also called sports guards or mouth/teeth protectors, refer to any devices worn over the teeth to protect them from injury if the athlete is hit in the face or head. Mouth guards are made from a sturdy but resilient plastic material.

The American Dental Association recommends the use of mouth guards for more than 20 specific sports including football, hockey, and lacrosse.

It doesn’t matter what type of mouth guard your active teen chooses as long as he or she wears it. Findings from impact studies have shown that wearing mouth guards made from any of several types of materials offer significant protection to the teeth compared with wearing no mouth guard.