Leslie
B. Anthony
Mission Statement
Your Dental Team
Services We Offer
Financial Policy
&
Insurance
Newsletter |
QUARTERLY
NEWSLETTER
Raising
Awareness:
Here are a few things you should
be aware of after a dental visit:
After a dental appointment, whether the visit is for a
cleaning or a restoration, your gums and mouth may feel tender. For
the best results and optimum comfort following your visit:
Avoid spicy foods, hard foods, or food with seeds.
Eat a soft diet for the next 48 to 72 hours.
Avoid the use of tobacco
Take Advil, Motrin, or Tylenol (ibuprofen or acetaminophen) every 6
hours or as directed.
If a fluoride gel has been recommended, apply this after using the rinse
or gel for pain relief. |
Toothprints
The
Dental ID for Safeguarding Your Children
As
a parent, one of your greatest fears is that your child might get lost,
or worse, be abducted. If such a situation were to occur, your prompt
response-with photographs and concreate means for tracking your child and
making identification - is paramount.
A pediatric dentist developed Toothprints
bite impressions as a way of safeguarding his own child and other young
patients.
Like fingerprints, dental imprints
are unique to every person, so bite impressions can serve as an accurate
method of identification. Toothprints is important
now because the successful fight against tooth decay has left many children
with no cavities and, thus, no dental records. An unrinsed Toothprints
also
captures saliva, which is a powerful source of our scent, making Toothprints
effective for scent-dog tracking. Toothprints is simple and
easy for your dentist to take, and once taken, you'll keep the records
for immediate access.
A Toothprints dental
ID takes only a few minutes. It's comfortable for your child and
gives you peace of mind. Hopefully, you'll never need to use it.
The cost for the Toothprints ID is a low $ 10.00. Call
our office today to schedule a time for your child to have his/her personal
Toothprint
made.
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The Facts About Dental Sealants
A dental sealant is an acrylic-like material that helps shield out
decay-causing bacteria from the chewing surfaces of back teeth.
We base our diagnosis and recommendation for dental sealants on the
patient's susceptibility to tooth decay and how the teeth were shaped when
they originally formed below the gum. Though there is no specific
age at which sealants are indicated, often we recommend that the best time
to apply then is when the six-year molars ( the first permanent back teeth)
appear.
How Do Sealants Help Prevent Decay?
Sealant material forms a protectice barrier by bonding to tooth surfaces
and covering natural depressions and grooves (called pits and fissures)
in the teeth. More than 75 % of dental decay begins in the pit and
fissure areas of the back teeth. Combined with proper home care and
regular dental visits, sealants are extrememly effective in preventing
tooth decay.
How Are Sealants Applied?
In this painless procedure, a solution is applied to the chewing surface
of the tooth to condition the enamel and help it bond more effectively
to the sealant material. The tooth is thoroughly washed and dried.
Then the sealant material is applied and allowed to harden, sometimes using
ultraviolet light. The procedure takes only a few minutes.
Are Sealants Suitable For All Teeth?
Sealants are applied only to pit and fissure areas of specific teeth.
Unfortunately, they cannot be applied to the surfaces in between teeth,
where daily flossing is recommended to prevent decay.
Though sealants are most often applied to children's teeth, many adults
are now seeking the preventive benfits of pit and fissure sealants as well.
How Long Do Sealants Last?
Depending on your chewing pattern, the sealant effect can last many
years. Even though sealant material is durable, at subsequent dental
appointments we can make sure the sealnat material is intact. Occasionally,
we might need to replace or add a new layer of sealant material to keep
the protective barrier strong and effective.
Sealants Versus Fluoride
Sealants and fluoride are materials designed to preserve and prolong
the life of your teeth by preventing dental decay. Sealants are applied
topically to certain areas of individual teeth and are a visible sign that
the tooth is being protected. Fluoride, on the other hand, may be
used effectively from the pre-natal stages through the adolescent period,
when children are most prone to cavities. Once absorbed and retained
in tooth enamel, fluoride stays on the teeth permanently, though invisibly.
Unlike sealants, fluoride is supplied in a variety of forms, including
commercially prepared mouth rinses, foams, gels, drinking water and many
toothpastes.
Applying sealants and fluoride can be important steps in preventing
tooth decay.
A Final Word
If you have any questions about sealants, please ask us. Sealants
have proven to prevent tooth decay. Our goal is to help preserve
your smile throughout your life, and sealants help make that possible. |
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