Regular preventative dental care is a key to maintaining good oral health and avoiding more serious oral health problems in the future. That’s why at Thousand Oaks Dental we emphasize preventative dental care.
From regular fluoride treatments, and x-rays, to sealants and prophylaxis, we offer complete preventative care so that you can avoid more serious dental issues, and those that do arise are caught and treated early.
We offer complete preventative dental care to our patients in San Antonio, TX. Some of the most common procedures include:
Digital X-Rays
Because your safety, comfort and convenience is important to us, we use advanced Digital X-ray technology in our office to detect dental issues that cannot be found during a visual exam. Digital X-Rays provide high quality detailed images instantly and emit less radiation and are far more comfortable than traditional X-rays.
Gum Measurements
At your initial visit we will evaluate the appearance of your gums to check for, redness or swelling, as well as take measurements to determine the existence or absence of gum disease. If left untreated, gum disease is contagious, hard to treat and can affect your overall health, so we will repeat this preventative procedure annually.
Dental Sealants
Placing sealants is a simple dental procedure that requires removing plaque off of the tooth then placing a sealant material. Sealants are impenetrable to food particles and plaque, making it a very effective first line of defense against cavities. Sealant reduce cavity risk by 70% and they can last up to five years. Sealants are beneficial to children and adults. Learn more about sealants here.
Oral Cancer Screening
Over 45,000 Americans are diagnosed with oral cancer every year, and only 57% of those newly diagnosed will be alive in 5 years. Early detection is key to survival so we provide oral cancer screening at your initial visit and at every cleaning appointment. With the help of VELscope, an FDA approved oral cancer detector, we can identify oral mucosal abnormalities prior to it being detectable with the naked eye. This entire procedure only takes 2 to 3 minutes. Learn more about oral cancer screenings here.
Prophylaxis
If your gums are pink and doesn’t bleed when you brush and floss, then we will do a prophylaxis treatment to thoroughly clean your gums and teeth. This treatment will reduce the signs of stains and halitosis (bad breath) by completely removing the plaque on your teeth that are inhabited by millions of bacteria. Prophylaxis treatments are done every six months.
Fluoride
Professional topical fluoride treatment helps strengthen the tooth’s enamel, making it more resistant to acids and bacteria, and is a very effective and safe agent at preventing tooth decay. It has been shown to lower cavity risk by 75%. Fluoride also reduces tooth sensitivity on roots that are exposed due to gum recession, clenching and grinding.