Beautiful smiles begin with great dental care. When your smile is healthy, it will look and feel fantastic. Our general dentistry services go beyond routine care, and help you achieve the healthiest smile possible. We begin with our comprehensive exam, where we’ll discuss your goals and find the right course of treatment to achieve them.
Our general dentistry is important, as it allows us to set a starting point for your smile and easily track any changes that may be detrimental to your health. We believe in preventive care, because stopping a little problem before it spirals into a larger, more complicated, and often costlier, concern, is the best approach for our patients.
We’re detailed and thorough, which means you get the best care for your smile. We combine our advanced technology with our years of experience to really go beyond the standard cleaning and exam. We focus on total mouth care, from your jaw and gums, to your teeth and bones. Everything must work together, and we evaluate how well your mouth functions and develop a plan to keep it in great working order.
Our treatment plans are completely customized and appropriate for you. No two are the same, because no two patients are the same. We provide personalized care with a conservative approach to dentistry, as we look for long-term solutions instead of quick fixes. And since we begin seeing children as early as age two, we invite your whole family to discover the beautiful smiles they can receive at Swift Creek Dental Center.
Comprehensive Exams
Our comprehensive exams are the starting point of your potential smile. This is our time to get to know your goals for your oral health and evaluate the best way to help you achieve that. Our dentists will perform a thorough examination of your whole mouth to see how everything functions. We’ll take x-rays and perform an oral cancer screening every time you get an exam. By receiving a comprehensive exam on a routine basis, we can quickly detect any changes to your mouth, and address any areas of concern before they get out of control. We’ll work with you to create an individual treatment plan that’s right for you.
Oral Cancer Screening
Early detection of oral cancer can be vital to positive treatment. Oral cancer is a serious disease which anyone can develop, though patients who are over 40, smoke, or drink alcohol are more at risk. During our exams, we perform a comprehensive oral cancer screening using a combination of visual and manual screening methods and VELscope technology. Using natural fluorescence, VELScope is a handheld scope that illuminates tissues and enhances detection of abnormalities that may not be clear to the naked eye. We’ll check your cheeks, tongue, gums and other soft tissue areas for any signs of oral cancer. Get screen today! It may be lifesaving.
X-rays
One of our best diagnostic tools, our digital x-rays allow us to get high-resolution images of your teeth and jaw and be able to easily share them with you. Our panoramic imaging systems gives us a complete view of your smile so we’re able to see how everything fits together. When we take an x-ray, the images appear almost immediately, so there’s no more waiting for film to develop to find out what’s going on. We’ll review your x-rays with you and thoroughly explain everything we see so you can make an informed choice about how to proceed with your care.
Hygiene
Developing a great hygiene routine is essential to a healthy smile. Part of that routine, along with proper brushing and flossing, is receiving regular professional cleanings from our skilled hygienists. We use Cavitron magnetoscritive scalers to remove debris from hard-to-reach-areas. Our Prophy Jet system uses a combination of air, water and a special solution to polish your teeth and remove stains, soft debris, and plaque. Proper hygiene care is critical in keeping your gums and teeth healthy. Schedule your hygiene appointment today and visit us regularly to ensure your smile is always looking and feeling fantastic.
Periodontal Therapy
Your gums are an important part of your smile and keeping them healthy is essential. Periodontal disease is a leading cause of adult tooth loss and occurs when plaque bacteria is left to harden on the teeth, developing into tartar. Tartar is detrimental to your gums. We provide a wide range of periodontal care, from scaling and root planing to soft tissue and bone grafting. For patients with moderate to severe gum disease, we’ll prescribe ARESTIN, an antimicrobial agent which will help restore your oral bacteria to a healthy level. When necessary, we may perform oral surgery to correct periodontal issues, including osseous grafting or cosmetic periodontal surgery. Ask us how we can help ensure your gums are healthy.
Fluoride Treatments
Fluoride is essential for first smiles, as it adds essential minerals to the enamel and helps protect against decay. We provide fluoride treatments to children at every visit, so their teeth stay strong and develop into healthy adult smiles. Adults can benefit from extra fluoride as well, especially if experiencing sensitivity when eating or drinking certain foods. A fluoride treatment creates a protective barrier on the teeth, covering any areas where the sensitive dentin layer may be exposed on the enamel. If you’ve noticed your teeth are a little more sensitive than normal, ask us for a fluoride treatment. We’re happy to provide one for adults whenever needed.
Mouthguards
Protecting your smile is important. If your children are participating in sports, we recommend having them fit for a customized mouthguard, which will keep their teeth safe during activity. Nightguards help patients who suffer from bruxism, more commonly known as nighttime grinding. If you’re unconsciously grinding your teeth when you sleep, you may be causing more damage than you’re aware of. Bruxism can wear the enamel of your teeth and cause stress on your jaw joints, leading to a variety of other problems, including TMJ pain and sensitivity. Ask us how our comfortable, personalized nightguards can keep you protected while you sleep.
Anesthesia
Nervous about your dental visit? Our caring and compassionate staff understands the struggle of overcoming your fear to get the dental care you need. We’re here to help. We offer local anesthesia when necessary, so you can have a treatment without feeling any pain or discomfort. We also provide nitrous oxide, an easily controlled inhaled gas that keeps you fully awake and responsive but feeling generally calm and lightly sedated. Get the care you deserve without worrying about it.
Emergency Care
Dental emergencies may seem like the worst. They happen when you least expect it, can often be painful and can ruin your whole day. However, at Swift Creek Dental Center, our answer to patients with dental emergencies is “How soon can you get here?” We’re ready to tackle your emergency as soon as possible, so you can return to your day as planned. Unlike other dental offices, we don’t just deal with the emergency and provide a quick-fix. Instead, we seek the underlying cause and create a plan to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Technology
Technology helps us to diagnose and treat small issues before they develop into larger, more complicated problems. Our intraoral camera allows us to show you the inside of your mouth exactly as our dentists see it, involving you in your dental care in a new way. You’re able to make more informed choices about your treatment when you can see exactly what is wrong. We also use a soft tissue laser for many of our procedures as an alternative to a scalpel, including the treatment of cold sores or lesions. These lasers help reduce healing time and are less invasive than traditional cutting, even in frenectomies.