Kingston, TN
Your mouth is the gateway to your body. What happens to your teeth and gums ultimately affects vital organs in your body like your heart and brain. Additionally, preventive oral care like daily oral hygiene and twice-yearly dental cleanings are the best way to prevent oral diseases that could lead to more costly repairs down the road. For this reason, it is important for you to choose the right dentist in Kingston to care for you and your entire family’s dental needs. At LakeView Dental Arts, we can complete a wide variety of general dentistry services.
The Importance of Preventive Care
With excellent oral hygiene, you can greatly reduce your risk of getting cavities, periodontal disease, and other oral health problems. Preventive care also helps you avoid secondary problems that affect your overall health. Systematic health issues like diabetes, heart disease, respiratory disease, osteoporosis, cancer, and even Alzheimer’s disease have all been linked to poor oral health.
Tooth decay and gum disease are caused by harmful bacteria in your mouth. Without preventative efforts, these bacteria form a thin biofilm, known as plaque, on the surfaces of your teeth. Regular brushing and flossing help remove plaque, but any that is left behind calcifies into tartar, which is a hard substance that requires a professional dental cleaning to remove. Skipping these twice-yearly visits allows more and more tartar to accumulate on your teeth. Over time the bacteria in plaque and tartar will wreak havoc on your teeth and gum tissues, eventually leading to tooth loss if left untreated. Gum disease (periodontal disease) can also cause significant bone and tooth loss with time.
Preventive Dentistry Services
At LakeView Dental Arts, we provide the following preventive dentistry services for patients of all ages:
- Dental cleanings and exams
- Oral hygiene education
- Periodontal/Gum disease treatments
- Dental Sealants
- Fluoride treatments
Treatment for Children
Everyone benefits from preventive dentistry, but children have the most to gain. Establishing a strong foundation of oral health early will lead to a lifetime of beautiful, healthy teeth. We offer dental sealants and topical fluoride treatments to help prevent decay and protect teeth. Fluoride treatments replenish vital minerals that get stripped away every day as a result of bacteria in the mouth. Dental sealants are thin plastic coatings that are placed on the biting surface of the back bottom teeth that fill in deep pits and fissures, where children are most likely to develop decay. Most children have a hard time keeping their teeth clean, particularly their molars and premolars. At LakeView Dental Arts, we recommend sealants to fill the deep fissures of these teeth to protect both children and adults from harmful bacteria which lead to tooth decay.
Common Office Practices
LakeView Dental Arts offers a variety of procedures for patients in need of preventive dental care, regardless of age. During your routine appointment, our dental hygienist may take readings of your gum health, images of the condition of your enamel, and any needed x-rays. We generally recommend x-rays once a year unless you have a problem tooth that requires a deeper look. The x-rays allow the dentist to see structures below the gum line, like your jawbone, tooth’s roots, and between teeth where they are touching, to look for signs of abnormalities that may require treatment. The hygienist will then perform a professional cleaning which involves the removal of plaque and tartar from the surfaces of your teeth using a scaler. Once your teeth have been thoroughly cleaned, we will polish them to remove stains and restore sheen. We will review effective oral hygiene habits for practicing at home, such as brushing your teeth at least twice a day, preferably after meals, and flossing between teeth daily. Limiting your intake of sugars and other simple carbohydrates can also help prevent cavities, as well as avoiding highly acidic foods and drinks and avoiding sipping on sugary drinks for extended periods of time, which lengthens the amount of exposure on the tooth’s surface to acid and bacteria. Of course, attending regular checkups and cleanings is a critical part of maintaining your oral health.
At the end of the appointment, Dr. Walmsley will review x-rays, images, and any readings regarding your gum health, as well as perform a visual oral cancer screening. These are all a part of Dr. Walmsley performing a comprehensive exam. The exam itself is a preventative measure that helps us detect and diagnose any issues related to your oral health. During the exam, we will examine the x-rays to check for problems with the roots and underlying bone, as well as imaging to check on the condition of your enamel and to assure you don’t have any caries (cavities) between your teeth. If there are any issues, we will address them at this time, and, of course, we are happy to answer any questions you have.
What happens if problems are discovered?
If during your visit we discover an issue like a damaged tooth, cavities, infection, or an existing dental restoration that needs repairs, we will discuss with you our findings, as well as present treatment options best suited for your dental health needs. You are welcome to schedule your treatments with the front office before you leave. If you receive a good bill of oral health, then we will set your next six-month cleaning so that you can get your preferred day and time scheduled.
Schedule Your Appointment
If you would like to experience our preventive services, please call (865) 376-9687, and schedule your appointment today!
