Having a healthy smile is so much more than just brushing and flossing your teeth. While these are essential parts of maintaining a good oral hygiene regimen, many more considerations must be addressed when trying to keep your mouth healthy. A healthy mouth also needs to be free from pain, from temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder, active gum disease, and cancer.
OUR FAMILY DENTISTRY SERVICES CLEANING & EXAMS
When you schedule an appointment with us at El Paso Modern Dentistry, you are getting so much more than a routine checkup and a cleaning (which are, of course, important, too!). You are also getting a comprehensive examination that will help ensure optimal oral health for your lifetime
At El Paso Modern Dentistry, regular examinations help detect and prevent health issues before they become serious. In addition, consistent dental checkups help catch problems when they are small and easier to treat. Read More About Dental Cleaning & Exams.
SERVICES
Oral Cancer Screening
One thing that makes the prognosis for oral cancer so poor is that it is rarely caught early enough. If found while it is still in the early stages, the prognosis for the patient is greatly improved. However, oral cancer can be hard to detect, and many people do not realize they have it until it has worsened. That is why oral cancer screenings with us here at El Paso Modern Dentistry are so vital.
Read More About Oral Cancer Screenings.
Periodontal Care
A periodontal maintenance procedure (PMP) is defined as a procedure recommended following periodontal treatment (such as scaling and root planing). It continues at varying intervals, determined by the clinical evaluation of the dentist.
Read More About Periodontal Care.
Mouthguards
Many of our patients mistakenly believe that a mouthguard is only necessary for contact sports like football. It could not be further from the truth. Any sport that carries the risk that you may receive an impact to the face or head – whether it’s from a piece of equipment, a teammate or opponent, or even a fall – can benefit from a mouthguard.
Read More About Mouthguards.
Nightguards
While there are many different reasons for bruxism. The critical consideration is to stop the damage and the associated pain with a nighttime mouthguard. At El Paso Modern Dentistry, we like to fit our patients with a custom nightguard to help them stop grinding their teeth at night, and find relief from the associated pain and discomfort of bruxism.
Read More About Nightguards.
TMJ
If you are experiencing jaw pain or discomfort, the office of El Paso Modern Dentistry has experience in treating issues that affect the alignment of your jaw and temporomandibular joint (TMJ).
Read More About TMJ.
WHY YOU NEED TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH US
As your family dentist, we are more than just the chiding voice that tells you to brush and floss more often. (However, you know we only remind you because we care!) We also like to educate you about the various dental services that we provide that can help keep your mouth in optimal health.
During a dental appointment, we may start by giving you a thorough assessment of your oral health. This exam will not only check for any active gum disease or tooth decay, but it will allow us to look for anything of concern that you may not even be aware of is an issue. For instance, during your dental exam, we will do an oral cancer screening. While this may come as a surprise to you, oral cancer is quite hard to detect on your own, which is why regular appointments with us are so vital. In addition, we will look for any bleeding ulcers in your mouth, white or red patches, or any lumps or masses that could be forming.
Once we are satisfied with the state of your oral health, we will also clean your teeth for you. That includes scaling your teeth, which means removing any hardened calculus and buildup from them. We will also brush them with a particular type of gritty toothpaste and floss them for you. If we notice any bleeding during this stage of the exam, we may talk to you about your oral hygiene habits at home and advise that you brush and floss more frequently or thoroughly.
WE CAN HELP PROTECT YOUR ORAL HEALTH FROM ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE
For our patients who play sports, we may want to discuss mouthguards with you. Mouthguards are fantastic devices that can help prevent a host of injuries that could occur when you play sports. Many people think that only contact sports like football need a mouthguard, but even solo sports like skating could benefit from one. It can not only prevent cuts and lacerations in your mouth, but it can also help prevent tooth loss and even concussion.
If a patient is complaining of pops or clicks in their jaw, pain or difficulty when eating or chewing, and a jaw that locks when they open or close it, they may have temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. We can help assess and treat that. Patients who may be grinding their teeth at night may be good candidates for a nightguard. It can also help patients who suffer from sleep apnea and snoring too.
If we find that you have gum disease, we may recommend periodontal care to help treat it. That includes scaling and root planing to help remove any hardened calculus. A root planing involves removing the buildup underneath your gum line, then smoothing down your tooth roots to help prevent the buildup from returning. That will also make it easier for your gums to reaffix to your teeth, stopping the progression of gum disease.
