COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL HYGIENE
Get your professional dental hygiene with routine check-up and teeth cleaning.
ROUTINE HYGIENE WELLNESS
Improve your daily brushing and flossing with Laurel Dental Clinic!
Achieving good oral health and visiting the dentist at least twice a year
Start dental hygiene by brushing and flossing your teeth daily to remove a significant amount of plaque and bacteria that accumulate on them. However, you cannot remove all of it on your own.
Your dental hygienist can partner with you to achieve good oral health. Visit the dentist at least twice a year for a professional cleaning to prevent tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. Our dentist may recommend more frequent visits based on the condition of your teeth and gums.
How Can We Help?
We provide a range of services to help with your hygiene and overall health. Please select an option:
What to expect at your check-up appointment:
- Visual evaluation of teeth, face, jaw and neck
- Digital images to check for cavities and other possible problems
- Professional teeth cleaning and fluoride treatment
- Screening for oral cancer
Caring for your Smile
Here is what is included in your typical hygiene appointment.
Visual & Gum Disease Evaluation
Our dentists will check your teeth for cracks, breaks, or decay and examine your cheeks, gums, tongue, and roof of your mouth for any abnormal areas during the evaluation.
We perform a comprehensive assessment during your exam to check for any signs of periodontal disease since periodontal disease affects almost 50% of adults in the U.S. (Center for Disease Control).If addressed in the early stages, you can easily control and possibly reverse periodontal disease.
Digital Imaging
The dentist may recommend taking digital x-rays and photographs to help identify problem areas in your mouth. The type of images may vary based on your particular situation, but the dentist will take a full jaw x-ray, called a panoramic x-ray, to give them a comprehensive view of all the structures in your mouth as well as your jaw joint and your sinuses.
The dentist may determine that digital 3D imaging is appropriate in your situation to pinpoint the exact positioning of your teeth.
Fluoride Treatment
The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends fluoride treatments based on your risk for developing cavities. Our team evaluates your risk for cavities as low, moderate, or high, using the criteria outlined by the ADA.
We offer most individuals with low risk a fluoride treatment twice a year. For individuals with a high risk for cavities, we may offer fluoride treatment more than twice a year, a take-home fluoride product, and an antimicrobial rinse to reduce the cavity-causing bacteria.
Professional Teeth Cleaning
Our skilled hygienists thoroughly train to perform a thorough teeth cleaning. They remove the plaque and tartar from your teeth and then polish them to remove stains and smooth the tooth surface.
In addition to using hand-held hygiene techniques, our hygienists deliver targeted treatments to hard-to-reach areas with ultrasonic devices. These devices deliver ultrasonic vibrations that crush and move calcified deposits of calculus.
Oral Cancer Screening
Oral cancer cases are rising. If detected early, most patients respond very favorably to treatment for oral cancers. Smoking increases the risk of developing oral cancer five times. Excessive alcohol use increases the risk two and a half times, and a persistent HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) infection increases the risk thirty-two times.
During your dental visit, the dentist will visually examine all the tissue in your mouth, including your tongue, lips, and cheeks, checking for any abnormalities. She will also palpate for unusual lumps or bumps and recommend follow-up steps if necessary.
LASERS IN DENTISTRY
Taking your dental care into the modern age.
For several years, dentists have used lasers in dentistry, providing additional benefits when combined with regular cleanings or therapy for gum disease.
The hygienists in our offices perform two specific laser procedures that can reduce your risk of gum disease or provide improved healing if gum therapy is indicated.
LASER BACTERIAL REDUCTION
Also known as "Laser Decontamination".
Vaporize the Harmful Bacteria
A procedure in which thermal, light energy is emitted through a small, fiber optic tip between the teeth and the gums. This energy is used to vaporize the harmful bacteria at or below the gum-line called biofilms.
Biofilms directly relate to an increased risk of developing gum disease, a serious infection affecting the supporting bone. During your hygiene appointment, the hygienist disrupts the biofilm to reduce the risk or severity of periodontal disease, but cannot eliminate the bacteria without using the laser. Destroying the bacteria reduces inflammation in the gum tissue and keeps your gums healthier between visits.
There are no known side effects to laser decontamination. Most patients do not report any sensation during or after the use of the laser. Occasionally, patients will describe a warm, tingling sensation felt during the procedure. Laser decontamination takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete, and the entire mouth is treated at one time.
The laser uses light energy that is absorbed into the pigmented cell walls of the harmful bacteria, vaporizing them. The bacteria in our mouths that do not contribute to inflammation typically lack pigment in their cell walls and thus are not affected in the same way.
Dental professionals now have access to this technology by using a laser specifically designed to treat the gums. Due to the advances in the production of these dental lasers, our office now has the availability to offer laser decontamination. We are happy to treat our patients with an elevated level of care that is not only supported by years of research but also affordable.
Although the laser kills millions of harmful bacteria at your hygiene appointment, the bacteria will begin to multiply again over time, and will eventually be back to their original levels in a few months. For this reason, we recommend laser decontamination be included every time you see your hygienist. For some patients with a history of periodontal treatment, that is every 3 months. You may be thinking to yourself, “If the bacteria just grow back, what’s the point?”. One of the most important factors in obtaining optimal oral health and control of periodontal disease is your body’s ability to fight off these harmful bacteria. It is true that we are unable to kill the bacteria forever with a single use of the laser, but if it is completed at each appointment, we are able to keep them at a constant lower level, giving your immune system the chance to keep your body healthier.
LASER ASSISTED PERIODONTAL THERAPY
Diseased Tissue is Removed
Active periodontal disease results from a bacterial infection that breaks down the gums and bone surrounding the teeth. During gum therapy, your dental hygienist typically removes the infected, diseased tissue using a procedure called curettage. This non-surgical, conservative procedure involves the use of a local anesthetic.
Research shows that incorporating lasers into gum therapy procedures can produce earlier and greater improvements in gingival health. These applications can improve periodontal wound healing. The diode laser’s thermal energy stimulates circulation and collagen fiber formation while reducing inflammation and bleeding.
There are no known side effects to incorporating the laser into gum therapy. Most patients report no discomfort during or after the use of the laser. Local anesthetic is utilized for most laser assisted periodontal therapies. It is also recommended to apply vitamin E oil following the therapy to provide a lubricant barrier and additionally promote healing.
Dental professionals now have access to this technology by using a laser specifically designed to treat the gums. Due to the advances in the production of these lasers, our office now has the ability to offer laser-assisted periodontal therapy as part of our standard of care. We are happy to treat our patients with an elevated level of care that is not only supported by the research but also affordable.
Although the laser kills millions of harmful bacteria during the procedure, the bacteria will multiply again over time, returning to original levels over the next several months. For this reason, we recommend laser decontamination therapy be included every time you see your hygienist. For some patients with a history of periodontal disease, this may be every 3 months. One of the most important factors in obtaining optimal oral health and controlling periodontal disease is the body’s ability to fight off these harmful bacteria. Incorporating laser bacterial reduction into appointments following initial gum therapy keeps the bacteria at a lower level, giving the immune system a chance to keep the gums healthier.
How often should I get my teeth cleaned?
The Academy of General Dentistry recommends seeing the dentist for a check-up and cleaning at least twice a year. Our dentist may recommend you visit more often depending on your specific situation and risk of disease. Some conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, or pregnancy may require more frequent cleanings to keep you and your mouth healthy.
Will my insurance cover my check-up appointment?
Most insurances cover the procedures our dentists complete during check-up and cleaning appointments. Our great team of insurance coordinators will help you navigate through your specific insurance benefits and provide you with an estimate of any remaining costs after your insurance pays its portion.