Dental exams and teeth cleaning in Florida

The staff at Towncare Dental's 29 locations throughout Florida understands that you'd rather be golfing or relaxing at the beach than spending your time in the dentist's chair. However, regular checkups at your Towncare Dental will help ensure you have a healthy, confident smile while you enjoy the advantages of living in the Sunshine State.

Even if it's been years since your last dental visit, the staff at Towncare Dental offices will help you get your dental health back on track without fear of embarrassment or stern lectures. Your Towncare Dental dentist will check you for signs of :

• Tooth decay
• Teeth grinding
• Bone loss
• Oral cancer
• Periodontal (gum) disease

Afterward, we will provide you with treatment options that suit your needs and your budget. Many of our patients have been visiting us for years because they trust us to help them maintain a healthy, confident smile.

Teeth Cleaning in Florida

Professional teeth cleanings are among our most popular services. Everyone loves that refreshing sensation they get after having their teeth professionally cleaned and polished. Professional cleanings serve a more important purpose than simply reinvigorating your smile. They are essential to maintaining your smile because they remove the plaque and calculus that cause tooth decay.

Plaque is a colorless, sticky coating of bacteria that builds up on your teeth every time you eat and drink. This bacteria transforms the sugar in foods and drinks into acids that erode the enamel protecting your teeth. The bacteria in plaque uses the sugars in food and beverages to produce acids that erode the tooth enamel. That erosion – commonly known as tooth decay – can lead to holes in your teeth called cavities.

This is the reason why dentists warn patients to avoid candy and sugary soft drinks and advise them to brush and floss their teeth after every meal. If left on your teeth, plaque can harden into calculus, or tartar, in less than 24 hours.

Unfortunately, even the most rigorous routine of brushing and flossing can't eliminate all of the plaque and calculus that builds up on your teeth. Professional teeth cleanings are essential to removing plaque and calculus from the surface of teeth as well as those hard-to-reach places in between your teeth.

In addition to preventing cavities, professional teeth cleanings prevent bacteria from spreading to the part of the tooth that lies beneath the gum. This bacteria can attack the gums, causing gingivitis, the first stage of gum (periodontal) disease. This is the only stage at which the damage to the gums can be reversed. When left untreated, gingivitis can result in full-blown periodontal disease that leads to tooth loss and other complications.

Signs of gingivitis are gums that are red and swollen or bleed after brushing. At this stage of periodontal disease, a dental hygienist can treat the infection caused by bacteria beneath the gum line. One the infection progresses, the patient must seek treatment from a periodontist or gum specialist.

The type of professional tooth cleaning you will receive is based on the health of your teeth and gums:

• Prophylaxis: Also known as a “prophy,” this cleaning is for people who only need plaque, calculus and stains removed above the gum line. This is the type of cleaning most often covered by dental insurance.
• Gingivitis Therapy: For patients with red and swollen gums or bleeding gums, a sign of gingivitis, the hygienist or dentist will provide additional services to remove plague beneath the gum line.
• Scaling & Root Planing: In more advanced cases of gum disease, a nonsurgical treatment called scaling & root planing may be necessary to remove the bacteria beneath the gums and smooth out the pitting on exposed root surfaces. A antibiotic may be applied as well to treat the ongoing infection. This procedure may require multiple visits to your dental office Afterward, your dentist may prescribe a periodontal maintenance routine, including more frequent cleanings, to help manage the disease.

Cleaning Teeth Below the Gum Line

Half of Americans over the age of 30 have some form of periodontal disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This statistic rises to 70 percent for people over the age of 60.

Periodontal disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults. In addition to eroding the enamel on teeth and causing tooth decay, bacteria also can attack the ligaments, tissue and bone that support the teeth and roots beneath the gums. This can cause the gum tissue to pull away from the tooth, creating pockets of bacteria around the tooth.

You may have periodontal disease without being aware. Gum disease often has no symptoms. The most common indication of a problem is bleeding gums after brushing and flossing. If the disease is left untreated, the gums will begin to recede, the teeth will shift and the patient may complain of bad breath.

While scaling & root planing and other periodontal treatments can eliminate bacteria, damage to the teeth and gums may be irreparable. Advanced stages of gum disease can be managed but not reversed. This is why patients are advised to visit the dentist at the first signs of gingivitis, the earliest stage of gum disease and the only stage in which gum disease is treatable.

Bad Breath Management

If you have bad breath, you’re not alone. Halitosis, the medical term for bad breath, affects 25 percent of the U.S. population. While bad breath can be caused by eating foods heavily spiced with garlic, onions and other pungent ingredients, bad breath is most often related to germs in your mouth. When bacteria causes dental decay, the damaged cells release an odor.

Professional teeth cleanings and gum treatment can help resolved bad-breath issues. Proper at-home dental care, including brushing and flossing your teeth after meals and rinsing with a mouthwash, also will help keep bad breath under control.

Oral Cancer Screening

On your first visit to our office, we will screen you for oral cancer. This quick, painless test that allows the dentist to detect signs of oral cancer that are not visible to the naked eye.

Oral cancer often has no symptoms in its early stages, which makes it particularly dangerous. By the time symptoms, such as a lump, are visible, the disease is frequently in an advanced stage and has speak to other part of the mouth. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than more commonly known cancers including cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, testicular cancer and thyroid cancer. We recommend everyone over the age of 18 gets screened.

Teeth Grinding & Night Guards

Teeth grinding, also called bruxism, is a common condition that affects up to 40 million Americans. If it's severe enough, it can wear down the enamel of your teeth. Signs and symptoms include:

• Morning headaches
• A sore jaw upon awakening
• Chipped or cracked teeth
• Tooth sensitivity

Teeth grinding is often caused by stress but can also be the result of crooked teeth or a “bad bite.” Our dentist can fit you with a mouth guard, or night guard, to protect your teeth while you sleep.

Call  today to Schedule a Dental Exam. Get back on track with your personal dental care by visiting a Towncare Dental location nearest to you. We offer a comfortable, friendly environment for your comprehensive dental exam at a time and day that best suits your needs.