Dental exams and teeth cleaning in Miami Beach, Florida

It doesn't matter if it's been years since your last dental visit, we can help you improve your smile and your quality of life. Call Miami Beach Dental Center and make an appointment for your first comprehensive dental exam with us.

Our dentist will look for signs of:

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

Feel free to ask questions. We take pride in building a relationship of trust with our patients that will last for years to come.

Teeth Cleaning in Miami Beach

There's nothing like the invigorating sensation of having your teeth professionally cleaned. However, the reason for professional cleanings goes way beyond giving your mouth that fresh, clean feeling.

Professional teeth cleanings remove plaque and calculus that can cause tooth decay and lead to periodontal, or gum, disease. Plaque is a sticky, colorless film of bacteria that coats your teeth every time you eat or drink.

The bacteria in plaque converts sugars in food and beverages into acids that erode the tooth enamel and produce cavities -- literally holes in your teeth. That’s why it’s important to brush and floss your teeth after meals. Brushing removes much of this plaque. When you don't brush your teeth, the plaque hardens into a substance called calculus; it’s also known as tartar.

While at-home hygiene can help keep plaque and calculus at bay, only a professional teeth cleaning can remove plaque and calculus from the surfaces of the teeth and in hard-to-reach places between the teeth. If allowed to remain on your teeth, plaque and calculus will not only cause cavities, it will seep below the gum line and cause periodontal disease.

The first stage of periodontal disease, gingivitis, is the only stage in which damage from the disease can be reversed. Signs you may have gingivitis include red, puffy gums or gums that bleed when you brush and floss. The type of teeth cleaning you will require depends on the health of your teeth and gums:

• Prophylaxis is for people who are showing no symptoms of periodontal disease. Also called a healthy-mouth cleaning, prophylaxis involves removing the plaque, calculus and stains from the visible surface of the teeth. This type of cleaning is most often covered by dental insurance.
• Gingivitis therapy is recommended for those people who are showing signs of the first stage of gum disease. In addition to removing plaque and calculus on the visible surface of your teeth, the dentist or hygienist will remove plaque just below the gum line to halt the spread of the disease and clear up any infection you might have.
• Scaling & root planing is recommended for people who have been diagnosed with an active gum infection and need treatment both above and below the gum line to remove the harmful bacteria. Scaling & root planing (SRP) is a non-surgical treatment that removes bacteria and smooths out exposed root surfaces. This treatment may take more than one office visit to complete and may involve the application of an antibiotic. After the initial treatments, the dentist may prescribe a periodontal maintenance routine, including more frequent cleanings, to help manage the disease.

If periodontal disease is more advanced, the dentist may recommend you see a gum specialist called a periodontist for treatment.

Cleaning Teeth Below the Gum Line

Periodontal disease is very common; half of Americans over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This number jumps to 70 percent for people over the age of 65. It often has no symptoms. In other cases, it may cause the gums to bleed after brushing and flossing.

As the infection worsens, it can cause bad breath, a receding gum line and shifting teeth. As this chronic disease continues to progress, the bacteria attacks the ligaments, tissue and bone that hold teeth in place under the gums. This results in the gum tissue pulling away from the tooth, creating “pockets” where more bacteria can gather. If left untreated, the tooth will eventually fall out.

Periodontal disease is the main reason for tooth loss. While damage from advanced periodontal disease cannot be repaired, proper treatments can help manage the disease and prevent further damage. Our dentist and hygienist at Miami Beach Dental Center will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Bad Breath Management

If you frequently breathe into you palm and sniff to see if you have bad breath, you may suffer from halitosis. Halitosis, the medical term for bad breath, affects 25 percent of Americans.

While bad breath can be caused by consuming pasta loaded with garlic or a hamburger stacked with onions, it's more likely related to what’s happening with the germs in your mouth. When bacteria causes dental decay, the damaged cells can release an odor. Fortunately, professional teeth cleanings and gum treatment can address these issues.

Following up with the proper at-home dental care, including brushing your teeth and flossing after meals and rinsing with a mouthwash, also will help keep bad breath under control.

Oral Cancer Screening

As part of your first visit to our office, we will offer an oral cancer screening. This is a quick, easy and painless test that allows the dentist to see signs of oral cancer that are not visible to the naked eye.

Oral cancer is particularly dangerous because it often has no symptoms in its early stages. By the time symptoms, such as a lump in the cheek or a persistent mouth sore the disease, appear, the cancer may have spread to another location.

The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of more commonly known cancers including cervical cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, testicular cancer and thyroid cancer. Early detection saves lives. We recommend everyone over the age of 18 gets screened.

Teeth Grinding & Night Guards

Grinding your teeth in your sleep is not only annoying to your spouse, it may be damaging the enamel on your teeth. Also called bruxism, teeth grinding affects up to 40 million Americans. Our dentist will look for signs of teeth grinding and may ask you if you have any of these symptoms:

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

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

Call Today to Schedule a Dental Exam

Call Miami Beach Dental Center today at (786) 838-4176 to schedule your comprehensive dental exam. We look forward to meeting you and helping you get your smile back on track.