Comprehensive Dentistry

Dental Hygiene Preventative Care

At Agnini Family Dental Center, we put a premium on great dental home care and overall oral hygiene. There is absolutely no substitute for proper brushing and flossing.

Dental Plaque

Dental plaque is basically a conglomeration of bacteria that builds up on your teeth throughout the day and night. The only effective way to get it off and keep it from accumulating over time is brushing and flossing. Dental plaque is the causative agent in cavities, gingivitis, gum disease, and chronic bad breath.

Proper Brushing and Flossing

Proper brushing and flossing technique is one of the most important variables that determine ones overall dental health. These techniques need to be learned and our team of dental hygienists put an emphasis on this at every hygiene visit. Today, most electric toothbrushes are great and are shown to be advantageous for removing the most amount of plaque if used properly.

Mouthwash and Oral Rinses

Certain mouthwash and oral rinses can be a great way to help some patients obtain a more plaque free oral environment. Our team of dental professionals will usually recommend either an over the counter or prescription rinse depending on the individual’s needs.

Routine Dental Hygiene Visits

Routine dental hygiene visits are also an integral part of maintaining a healthy mouth and a beautiful smile. Your dentist will prescribe the frequency of your hygiene visits based on your overall home care and your plaque levels. Dental hygiene visits are most commonly either every 3, 4, or 6 months.

Tooth Colored Fillings

You have a cavity or need to replace an old filling. In the world of modern, high tech dentistry, there are several choices of materials that can be used. So that you can make a more informed decision, we will discuss the most state of the art materials and their use in specific applications. We do not place silver/amalgam fillings because they are subject to fracture; turn the tooth dark, and separate from the tooth.

The advanced technology materials which include composites and porcelains and also gold, bond to the tooth making it stronger as well as making it look so much nicer. These materials are used because of their strength, longevity and esthetics. Keep in mind that the stronger materials last longer and, while the initial investment is somewhat more than silver amalgam, you will have the piece of mind that your tooth is restored with great durability and pleasing esthetics.

Oral Cancer Screenings

Regular visits to your dentist are important in protecting yourself from the effects of oral cancer. As part of your regular dental examination, your dentist can quickly and easily check the oral tissues for signs of cancerous and precancerous lesions. Detecting and treating cancerous tissues as early as possible is critical in helping you beat a potentially deadly disease.

Know what to look for

As with many forms of cancer, early detection of oral cancerous lesions can improve the chances of successful treatment. You can take an active role in detecting signs of oral cancer early by checking your oral tissues periodically. Take a few minutes to examine your lips, gums, cheek lining and tongue, as well as the floor and roof of your mouth. You’ll want to note any of the following:

• A color change in the oral tissues (whitish or red spots, for
• example);
• A lump, thickening, rough spot, crust or small eroded area;
• Sore that bleeds easily or does not heal;
• Pain, tenderness or numbness anywhere in the mouth or on the lips;
• Difficulty in chewing, swallowing, speaking or moving the jaw or tongue;
• Changes in the voice;
• A change in the way your teeth fit together.

In addition, watch for changes beyond the mouth that could signal oral cancer:

• Drastic weight loss;
• A lump or mass in your neck.

Root Canal Therapy

Once upon a time, if you had a tooth with a diseased nerve, you’d probably lose that tooth. Today, with a special dental procedure called a root canal therapy you may save that tooth. Inside each tooth is the pulp which provides nutrients and nerves to the tooth, it runs like a thread down through the root. When the pulp is diseased or injured, the pulp tissue dies. If you don’t remove it, your tooth gets infected and you could lose it. Most of the time, root canal therapy is a relatively simple procedure with little or no discomfort involving one to two visits. Best of all, it can save your tooth and your smile!

What is the dental pulp?

The pulp is the soft tissue that contains nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. It lies within the tooth and extends from the crown of the tooth to the tip of the root in the bone of the jaws.

What happens if the pulp gets injured?

An abscessed (infected) tooth is often caused by tooth decay. When the pulp is diseased or injured and can’t repair itself, it dies. The most common cause of pulp death is a cracked tooth or a deep cavity. Both of these problems can let germs (bacteria) enter the pulp. Germs can cause an infection inside the tooth. Left without treatment, pus builds up at the root tip, in the jawbone, forming a “pus-pocket” called an abscess. An abscess can cause damage to the bone around the teeth.

Why does the pulp need to be removed?

When the infected pulp is not removed, pain and swelling can result. Certain byproducts of the infection can injure your jaw bones. Without treatment, your tooth may have to be removed.

Gum Disease

Periodontal disease is also known as gum disease and is caused by pathogenic bacteria that have been introduced and become established in an individual’s mouth. This bacteria can survive very well under the gum and alongside the roots of the teeth causing the following conditions: red and bleeding gums, bone loss around teeth, loose teeth, chronic bad breath, pocket formation around teeth and hyper-sensitive gums.

Periodontal disease, if untreated, is a progressive problem that will almost always get worse with time. It is also very common for patients to have varying stages of periodontal disease without recognizing the symptoms so routine visits to the dentist and dental hygienist are usually necessary for early detection prevention.

Apart from the oral problems associated with gum disease, systemic problems can stem from untreated gum disease as well. This happens when the pathogenic, or disease causing bacteria gets into the blood stream through your gum tissue’s capillaries and causes problems in other parts of your body. The American Heart Association stresses the importance of maintaining good oral health and treating periodontal disease for this very reason.

Your dentist will evaluate your overall periodontal health at each biannual periodic examination. If gum disease is detected, he will recommend treatment that properly corresponds to your level of infection. The treatment for periodontal disease can include more than one modality, but the overall goal of the treatment is to remove the disease causing bacteria and to allow the individual’s mouth to return to a healthy state. Since the bacteria that causes gum disease is commonly found attached to the roots of the teeth, a deep cleaning otherwise known as scaling and root planing is usually recommended in conjunction with prescription antimicrobial rinses and proper oral hygiene instruction.

For severely involved periodontal teeth, dental extraction and replacement with dental implants or other tooth replacement modalities may be recommended. For persistent or non-healing periodontal pockets, a referral to a periodontist with an evaluation for periodontal surgery may be recommended.

Finally, since periodontal disease is a progressive and a chronic disease detection, proper diagnosis and treatment are usually not enough to keep the infection from returning. Periodontal maintenance is the name given for routine hygiene visits for patients that have had a history of gum disease followed by treatment. It is usually done every three months and is similar to a regular dental hygiene visit except that hygienist and dentist will re-evaluate the patients overall periodontal progress in regard to previous visits and will keep those previously scaled roots smooth and pocket depths to a minimum. Studies have shown that the bacteria responsible for gum disease has a tendency to return after three months in previously infected pockets and that’s why periodontal maintenance is recommended at these intervals.

Surgical Dentistry/Extractions

A tooth extraction might be indicated if repairing a damaged tooth is not practical.

There are a number of reasons why your dentist might recommend that you have a tooth, or even several teeth, extracted. Listed below are some of these reasons:

Broken, cracked, or extensively decayed teeth can be extraction candidates.

Some teeth will have extensive decay (dental caries) or else will have broken or cracked in such an extreme manner that an extraction might be considered the best, or at least a reasonable, solution.

Teeth that are unsuitable candidates for root canal treatment should be extracted.

Some teeth may require treatment of the nerve space that lies within them (root canal treatment) in order to make a repair. While most teeth typically are candidates for root canal treatment there can be complicating factors that remove this option.

Teeth associated with advanced periodontal disease (gum disease) may need to be extracted.

In general, as periodontal disease worsens, a tooth is supported by less and less surrounding bone, often to the point where the tooth becomes loose. In those cases where significant bone damage has occurred and a tooth has become excessively mobile extraction of the tooth may be the only option.

Dentures and Partials

Removable partial dentures usually consist of replacement teeth attached to pink or gum-colored plastic bases, which are connected by metal framework. Removable partial dentures attach to your natural teeth with metal clasps or devices called precision attachments. Precision attachments are generally more esthetic than metal clasps and they are nearly invisible. Crowns on your natural teeth may improve the fit of a removable partial denture and they are usually required with attachments. Dentures with precision attachments generally cost more than those with metal clasps. Consult with your dentist to find out which type is right for you.

Commonly asked questions about dentures