Patient Education

We recommend using soft bristle toothbrushes. Anything harder will not clean your teeth any better and can actually damage your teeth or gums. We also recommend brushing for a minimum of two minutes twice a day. Your teeth should be brushed in a soft circular motion from top to bottom.

You should replace your toothbrushes every few months, or whenever the bristles start to become worn and bent down. Worn down toothbrushes lose their effectiveness. If your brushes are wearing quickly, it could mean you are brushing too hard, which can damage your teeth and gums.

Electric toothbrushes can be easier than a manual toothbrush. They are also programmed for the recommended amount of brushing time. We also find that people who use electric toothbrushes tend to not brush as hard as those who use manual toothbrushes.

We recommend you floss once per day. Brushing alone does not remove all food and plaque between your teeth and in your gum lines. Floss needs to go between each tooth, once to the left and once to the right to clean the grooves along the gumline of each tooth.

There is no one particular floss that we recommend, either waxed, unwaxed, or floss picks. The most important thing is that you floss properly on a regular basis.

Mouth wash can be used as a supplement to a regular brushing and flossing routine. We recommend an alcohol-free mouth wash to prevent drying your mouth, which can cause bad breath. Mouth wash is not an effective substitute for brushing and flossing, because it does not remove food and plaque. Small children should not use mouth wash due to the risk of swallowing.

Routine: You should visit a dentist every six months for cleaning and regular check-ups. Regular cleanings and check-ups can help prevent unnecessary pain and costly dental work in the future. 

Let your dentist know if you have any minor tooth pain, sensitivity, grinding, minor jaw pain, bad breath, or a bad taste in your mouth.

Urgent: You should contact a dentist as soon as possible if you chipped/broke a tooth, or have any oral pain or bleeding, sores, or swelling. 

Emergency: For any severe oral trauma or pain, you should go to the Emergency Room immediately.

Regular dental cleanings by one of our certified hygienists can help prevent or identify dental problems early, which can otherwise become costly to fix. During a dental cleaning, our hygienist will inspect your teeth for areas of sensitivity or decay and will measure your gum lines. The hygienist will then remove plaque build-up on your teeth and will finish with a polish.

It is common for people who have not had a cleaning in a while to experience soreness, sensitivity, or minor bleeding, during the process.

A deep cleaning is needed when there are signs of bacteria gum disease. As in a regular cleaning, our hygienists will clean in between your gums and teeth but deeper.  

We can check with your insurance to see if this is covered.

We recommend getting full dental x-rays every two years. Dental x-rays are a necessary part of our dental program. Dental x-rays can help identify signs of damage and decay before they become visible to the naked eye, allowing us to fix the issue before it becomes too advanced or more costly. 

A crown is basically a cap that is placed over the tooth. Crowns help restore broken, damaged, or decayed teeth and improve the look of your smile. 

Getting a crown is a two-step process that requires multiple visits. On your first visit, a digital image is created by scanning your teeth. The scan is sent to a lab where a perfectly fitting crown is created. On your second visit, the crown will be permanently placed.

A root canal is needed when the inside of a tooth becomes infected or inflamed. This causes pain in the general area, severe pain when chewing, and swollen or tender gums. A root canal saves the outside of the tooth by removing the infected or inflamed area inside the tooth and then disinfecting inside. The tooth is then filled or capped with a crown to prevent future damage. 

A dental bridge is a prosthetist that “bridges” the gap in between one, or more, missing teeth. The surrounding teeth are used to support the bridge. In some instances where more than two teeth in a row are missing, an implant supported bridge may be required.  

An implant is a screw-like post that replaces the root of a missing tooth, which serves as a base for a replacement tooth, crown, or bridge. Implants are needed when the root is no longer able to firmly hold a tooth due to decay, trauma, or gum disease.