South Windsor Preventive Dentistry for a Healthy Smile
Prevention is the central focus of our practice. Why? Because we’d rather help you avoid a dental condition, instead of needing us to fix it later! Thanks to these services, you’ll get to spend less time in the dental chair and more to simply enjoy your healthy smile. This approach is also much better for your long-term dental health as it will preserve more of your natural teeth. With checkups, cleanings, and more, we have everything your family needs to keep your smiles healthy, clean, and beautiful year after year.
Dental Checkups & Dental Cleanings
Checkups and cleanings are the cornerstones of dentistry, and at South Windsor Dental, they’re your first step towards having a gorgeous smile. A dental cleaning uses sophisticated tools to eliminate plaque buildup on your teeth and gums, and with a checkup, Dr. Sara Curcio can catch and treat dental conditions before they can really affect your smile. All it takes is just two appointments each year to completely avoid common dental issues like tooth decay, cavities, gum disease, and more.
Learn More About Checkups & Cleanings
Dental Sealants
The rough chewing surfaces of the back teeth are the most common area for cavities to develop, and this is especially true for children. To give these teeth a little bit of extra protection, we can apply a thin, clear layer of a plastic-based substance to create a dental sealant. This will place a nearly invisible barrier on the teeth that prevents food particles and plaque from gathering on them, effectively stopping both tooth decay and cavities.
Nightguards for Bruxism
Bruxism is the scientific term for teeth grinding against each other, and as many as 1 in 3 people suffer from it! Over time, it can severely wear down the teeth and even strain the sensitive jaw muscles. Fortunately, we can help manage this condition using a custom-made mouthpiece called a nightguard. A patient will only need to wear it to bed, and it works by simply placing a protective cushion between the teeth to prevent any damage from grinding.
Mouthguards/Sportsguards
Did you know that about 40% of all sports injuries are actually dental injuries? That number is even higher for children! Before you or your little one hit the field/court/mat, make sure your smiles are protected with a mouthguard. Rather than trusting your teeth to a generic, store-bought mouthguard, our practice can provide you with a completely custom-made one. It will be designed specially to fit your particular smile, which will make it much more comfortable AND effective at defending your pearly whites.
Oral Cancer Screenings
Oral cancer rates are currently on the rise here in the U.S., especially among young, healthy individuals who don’t engage in traditionally high-risk behaviors such as smoking and drinking excessively. This is why the American Cancer Society recommends that patients of all ages should have an oral cancer screening at least once a year. Rather than schedule a separate doctor’s appointment for a procedure that only takes a few minutes, Dr. Curcio can perform one as part of your regular checkup, and she can advise you on what to do if she finds anything that causes concern.
Fluoride Treatment
Fluoride is nature’s gift to your smile, as it has been shown to naturally strengthen the teeth and protect them from developing tooth decay and cavities. To give your teeth a little boost when necessary, we can apply a Fluoride varnish in seconds during your regular cleaning appointment. It’s fast, it’s easy, and it’s one of the best ways we can keep your teeth cavity-free between appointments!
Toothpaste/Mouthwashes
Most of your dental care happens at home with regular brushing and flossing, so the products you use, like toothpaste and mouthwashes, are actually quite important to your long-term dental health. It can be tough to choose the right ones for your individual smile with the endless number of products available in stores today, but to make things simpler, you can always feel free to ask us for a recommendation. We can even supply many of these products for you, including specialty ones like prescription-strength Prevident.
Intraoral Cameras
One of the reasons dentistry makes people so nervous is that they can’t see what their dentist is talking about. With our intraoral camera, however, all is revealed.
This small, camera-tipped wand can be comfortably maneuvered through the mouth to capture high-resolution images of your teeth and gums. These can then be displayed on a large monitor for both you and your dentist to see.
These images are truly invaluable. You’ll finally get to see what your dentist is talking about when it comes to your smile. They also make it much easier for our team to catch potential dental issues (especially in those areas of your mouth that are hidden from the naked eye), and even better, they allow us to better explain the state of your dental health. With this information, you’ll be able to make more well-informed decisions about your oral health care.
Digital Dental X-Rays
Our Dexis digital x-ray sensor allows us to provide diagnostic services in a way that is faster and better for our patients, our team, and even the environment. Digital x-rays take much less time to create images than traditional, film-based ones, and they also don’t require toxic darkroom chemicals to be developed. Even better, the machine emits up to 90% less radiation than a traditional one, enabling us to find hidden dental issues while giving our patients peace of mind.
Your path to a healthy smile all starts with our preventive services. To learn more or schedule an appointment, simply contact us today.